RAF Strike Command

RAF Strike Command
Unit name	Strike Command
Caption	The badge of RAF Strike Command
Dates	30 April 1968 – 1 April 2007
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	UK
Type	Major Command
Role	Offensive Air Operations & Air defence
Garrison	RAF High Wycombe
Notable commanders	Marshal of the Royal Air Force Sir Andrew Humphrey

RAF Strike Command. It was a major command of the Royal Air Force, formed in 1968 through the merger of several historic home commands to centralize control over the UK's nuclear and conventional strike forces, as well as its air defence. For nearly four decades, it served as the RAF's primary operational headquarters, responsible for the majority of its front-line aircraft and critical missions during the Cold War and subsequent conflicts. The command was ultimately disbanded in 2007 as part of a wider defence reorganization, with its functions distributed to the newly formed Air Command.

History

The command was established on 30 April 1968 under the leadership of its first Commander-in-Chief, Air Chief Marshal Sir Wallace Kyle. Its creation was a direct result of the 1964 Plowden Report, which recommended streamlining the RAF's structure by merging the former RAF Bomber Command, RAF Fighter Command, and elements of RAF Coastal Command. This consolidation aimed to unify control over Britain's strategic nuclear deterrent, then provided by the V bomber force, and its tactical air defence assets like the English Electric Lightning. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, it absorbed additional responsibilities from RAF Transport Command, which was renamed RAF Air Support Command, and later fully integrated. The command's headquarters at RAF High Wycombe became the nerve centre for planning and executing operations during pivotal events such as the Falklands War and the Gulf War.

Structure and organization

At its peak, the command controlled a vast array of operational groups and stations across the United Kingdom and overseas. Its primary components included No. 1 Group RAF, responsible for strike and attack aircraft like the Panavia Tornado, and No. 11 Group RAF, which managed the UK's Quick Reaction Alert interceptor force. Support functions were handled by No. 38 Group RAF (air transport and Special Forces support) and No. 46 Group RAF (strategic air transport). Key operational bases included RAF Marham, RAF Lossiemouth, RAF Coningsby, and RAF Leuchars. The command also exercised operational control over NATO-assigned assets and worked closely with the United States Air Forces in Europe and other allied air forces within the framework of the Western European Union.

Aircraft and equipment

Over its history, the command operated a diverse and potent fleet of aircraft. Its initial nuclear strike capability rested with the Avro Vulcan, Handley Page Victor, and Vickers Valiant V bombers, later replaced by the Panavia Tornado GR1 equipped with WE.177 nuclear bombs. Air defence was provided by successive generations of interceptors, from the English Electric Lightning and McDonnell Douglas Phantom to the Panavia Tornado F3 and ultimately the Eurofighter Typhoon. Key support and reconnaissance aircraft included the British Aerospace Nimrod for maritime patrol, the Lockheed C-130 Hercules for transport, and the Boeing E-3 Sentry AEW&C aircraft. The command also utilized a range of air-to-air missiles like the AIM-9 Sidewinder and air-to-surface missiles such as the AGM-65 Maverick.

Major operations and deployments

The command planned and executed numerous significant military operations. During the Falklands War in 1982, it coordinated the extraordinary Operation Black Buck Vulcan bombing raids from RAF Ascension Island and provided critical air-to-air refuelling support. In the 1991 Gulf War, it deployed Panavia Tornado squadrons from bases like RAF Dhahran and RAF Muharraq for deep strike missions against Iraqi targets. Throughout the 1990s, it was heavily involved in enforcing the no-fly zones over Iraq during Operation Southern Watch. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, its aircraft participated in NATO's bombing campaign during the Kosovo War and later in the War in Afghanistan, providing close air support and reconnaissance from bases such as Kandahar Airfield.

Commanders-in-Chief

The command was led by a succession of senior officers, many of whom reached the highest ranks of the service. Its first commander was Air Chief Marshal Sir Wallace Kyle, a former Battle of Britain pilot. Notable later holders of the post included Marshal of the Royal Air Force Sir Andrew Humphrey, who later served as Chief of the Defence Staff (United Kingdom), and Air Chief Marshal Sir Patrick Hine, who served as the Joint Commander of British forces during the Gulf War. The final Commander-in-Chief was Air Chief Marshal Sir Joe French, who oversaw the command's dissolution and transition to the new Air Command structure.

Legacy and successor commands

The command was disbanded on 1 April 2007 as part of the strategic changes outlined in the 2004 Delivering Security in a Changing World defence review. Its functions, personnel, and assets were absorbed into the newly created Air Command, headquartered at RAF High Wycombe, which assumed responsibility for all RAF operational forces. This reorganization mirrored similar transformations in the British Army and the Royal Navy, creating single, unified commands. The heritage and colours of the command's predecessor formations, such as RAF Bomber Command and RAF Fighter Command, are now maintained by the modern No. 1 Group RAF and No. 11 Group RAF within the current command structure.

Category:Royal Air Force commands