RAF Air Command

RAF Air Command. It is the single command of the Royal Air Force, formed on 1 April 2007 by merging Strike Command and Personnel and Training Command. Headquartered at RAF High Wycombe, it is responsible for generating and conducting all of the RAF's operational activities, from Quick Reaction Alert duties to global expeditionary operations. The command's creation streamlined the service's structure, centralising control over combat, support, and training assets under a single authority.

History

The formation of Air Command was the culmination of a major restructuring of the Royal Air Force following the Strategic Defence Review of 1998 and the later Delivering Security in a Changing World defence white paper. It merged the historic Strike Command, which had controlled operational forces since 1968, with Personnel and Training Command, which managed personnel and training functions. This merger aimed to improve efficiency and align the RAF's structure with the expeditionary warfare concepts developed after the end of the Cold War and during operations in the Balkans, Iraq, and Afghanistan. The command's history is thus deeply intertwined with the evolution of British air power doctrine and its application in conflicts from the Gulf War to contemporary operations against Islamic State.

Organisation

The command is organised into several functional groups, each headed by a senior officer. The primary operational formations are No. 1 Group (RAF), responsible for combat aircraft, and No. 2 Group (RAF), which oversees air mobility, ISTAR, and force protection assets. Support functions are managed by No. 22 Group (RAF), which handles training and recruitment, including units like the Royal Air Force College Cranwell and the Central Flying School. The No. 11 Group serves as the Air Operations Centre, planning and executing missions, while the No. 38 Group (RAF Reserve) integrates reserve personnel. This structure ensures a clear chain of command from the Chief of the Air Staff to frontline stations.

Responsibilities

Its core responsibility is to generate and project combat-ready air power for the Government of the United Kingdom. This encompasses the full spectrum of air operations, including maintaining the Quick Reaction Alert for UK air defence with Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft, providing strategic and tactical airlift using the Atlas and C-130J, and conducting global strike and reconnaissance missions with the Panavia Tornado and, in future, the F-35B Lightning II. The command also delivers in-flight refuelling via the Airbus Voyager, oversees the UK's nuclear deterrent through management of the V-Force historically and now support for the Trident system, and commands the UK's space operations through Space Command (United Kingdom).

Major units and stations

Key operational stations include RAF Lossiemouth and RAF Coningsby, which host the Eurofighter Typhoon force for air defence and expeditionary operations. RAF Marham is the main base for the Panavia Tornado and will be for the F-35B. RAF Brize Norton serves as the hub for air mobility, home to the Atlas, C-130J, and Airbus Voyager fleets. RAF Waddington is the centre for ISTAR aircraft like the E-7 Wedgetail and Reaper remotely piloted aircraft. Training is centred on RAF Cranwell, RAF Shawbury, and RAF Valley, home to the 4 Flying Training School with its Texan T.1 aircraft.

Commanders-in-Chief

The commander holds the title of Commander-in-Chief Air Command and is a senior Air Chief Marshal. The inaugural commander was Air Chief Marshal Sir Glenn Torpy, former Chief of the Air Staff. He was succeeded by Air Chief Marshal Sir Stephen Dalton in 2009, who later also served as Chief of the Air Staff. Subsequent commanders have included Air Chief Marshal Sir Andrew Pulford, Air Chief Marshal Sir Stephen Hillier, and Air Marshal Sir Sean Reynolds (acting). The current commander, as of 2023, is Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Knighton, who previously served as the Deputy Commander of Allied Air Command.

Category:Royal Air Force commands