RAF — LLMpedia

RAF
Unit name	Royal Air Force
Caption	The RAF Ensign and roundel.
Dates	1 April 1918 – present
Country	United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories
Branch	Air force
Role	Aerial warfare
Size	33,200 active personnel, 1,940 Royal Auxiliary, 3,300 Reservists, 832 operational aircraft
Command structure	Ministry of Defence
Garrison	Whitehall, London
Garrison label	Headquarters
Motto	Per Ardua ad Astra
March	Royal Air Force March Past
Battles	* World War I * World War II * Cold War * Falklands War * Gulf War * Kosovo War * War in Afghanistan * Iraq War * Intervention against ISIL
Anniversaries	1 April
Commander1	Charles III
Commander1 label	Commander-in-Chief
Commander2	Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Knighton
Commander2 label	Chief of the Air Staff
Notable commanders	Lord Trenchard, Lord Portal, Sir Arthur Harris, Lord Dowding
Identification symbol label	Roundel
Aircraft attack	MQ-9A Reaper
Aircraft electronic	E-7 Wedgetail, RC-135W Rivet Joint
Aircraft fighter	Eurofighter Typhoon, F-35B Lightning II
Aircraft helicopter	AW109E, Bell 412 Griffin, CH-47 Chinook, Puma HC2, AW101 Merlin
Aircraft patrol	P-8A Poseidon
Aircraft recon	Shadow R1
Aircraft trainer	T-6C Texan II, Phenom T1, Grob Prefect, Typhoon T3, F-35B Lightning II
Aircraft transport	A330 Voyager, A400M Atlas, BAe 146, C-130J Hercules

Contents

History
Structure and organization
Aircraft and equipment
Roles and operations

RAF. The Royal Air Force is the United Kingdom's aerial warfare force. Formed in 1918, it is the world's oldest independent air force. It has played a decisive role in British military history, most notably during the Battle of Britain in the Second World War.

History

The service was created on 1 April 1918 by the amalgamation of the Royal Flying Corps and the Royal Naval Air Service, following the recommendations of the Smuts Report. Its first chief of the air staff was Sir Hugh Trenchard, a key architect of its doctrine. During the interwar period, it was instrumental in colonial policing through air control missions in territories like Iraq and the North-West Frontier Province. Its greatest test came during the Second World War, with pivotal campaigns including the Battle of France, the Battle of Britain, the Combined Bomber Offensive over Germany, and the support of Allied armies after the Normandy landings. In the postwar era, it was central to the Cold War, operating V bombers as a nuclear deterrent and participating in conflicts such as the Falklands War, the Gulf War, and more recent operations in Afghanistan and against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.

Structure and organization

Professional head is the Chief of the Air Staff, who sits on the Defence Council. Operational command is exercised by Headquarters Air Command, based at RAF High Wycombe. Major frontline formations include No. 1 Group, responsible for combat aircraft, and No. 2 Group, overseeing air mobility, intelligence, and surveillance. Key support commands are No. 22 Group for training and No. 11 Group for UK air defence and airspace control. Personnel are drawn from the Regular service, the Royal Auxiliary Air Force, and the RAF Reserve. The service also maintains close ties with the air forces of the Commonwealth, such as the Royal Australian Air Force and the Royal Canadian Air Force.

Aircraft and equipment

The combat fleet is built around the Eurofighter Typhoon for air defence and the F-35B Lightning II for multi-role and carrier-based operations. Air transport utilizes the Airbus A400M Atlas and the Voyager tanker-transport. Rotary-wing support is provided by the CH-47 Chinook and the Merlin. Key intelligence assets include the P-8A Poseidon for maritime patrol and the RC-135W Rivet Joint for signals intelligence. Unmanned operations are conducted with the MQ-9A Reaper. Pilot training uses the T-6C Texan II and the Grob Prefect.

Roles and operations