The Royal Air Force

It is extremely important to know about the organisation and role of our parent Service. Those who aspire to uniformed staff appointments will also require knowledge of the aircraft inventory and the functions of the two RAF Commands. A great deal of information can be obtained from the RAF website, by reading the RAF news and by keeping up to date with current affairs and RAF involvement in operations and major exercises.

The Role of the RAF

The RAF’s Mission is to deliver air power in the most effective manner possible to meet the United Kingdom’s Security and Defence requirements.

The Structure of the Ministry of Defence (MOD)

  Structure of the Royal Air Force

Over recent years a significant amount of work that was traditionally carried out by Service personnel has been civilianised or contractorised. Examples are: Catering, Logistics, aircraft servicing, security, Admin support.

RAF Group Structure

No: 1 Group

No 1 Group will become an Air Combat Group containing all fast jet assets including the JFH, currently part of No 3 Group, and the JFAC HQ which is currently a centrally provided asset. The JFAC HQ provides the deployable Air Command and Control required to support expeditionary warfare and links in to the other Joint Force Component HQs under PJHQ (CJO)'s direction.

No: 2 Group

No 2 Group will become the Air Combat Support Group containing all Air Transport/Air-to-Air Refuelling assets, the Force Protection assets, and the ACSSUs which include deployable supporting elements covering, engineering, armament, communications, supply, movements, medical, administrative and catering. Currently, the ACSSUs are commanded centrally within HQSTC.

No: 3 Group

No 3 Group will become a Battle Management Group containing all ISTAR, ASACS, Maritime and SAR assets. In addition, AOC No 3 Gp will assume responsibility for the delivery of CINCSTC's full command responsibilities in relation to the RAF element of Joint Helicopter Command.

The Ministry of Defence set out on 28 February 2002 the strategy to develop the Joint Force Harrier over the coming years as it prepares for the introduction of the Future Joint Combat Aircraft and the procurement of two new large aircraft carriers for the Royal Navy.

With the move of the JFH from No 3 Group to No 1 Group, the rationale for a RN two-star commander for No 3 Group is no longer valid. However, a one-star RN aviator will be appointed to oversee the migration of the current JFH structure to an all Harrier GR9 Force based at RAF Cottesmore and RAF Wittering. Thereafter, one of the two 1* posts in No 1 Gp will be competed between the two Services. There will always be a Naval Officer (Harrier aviator) of at least Captain rank in the No 1 Group HQ.

At present, Royal Navy and Royal Air Force pilots in Joint Force Harrier fly a mixture of Harrier GR7 and Sea Harrier FA2 aircraft. It has been decided to withdraw the Sea Harrier from service in 2004-6, but upgrade the Harrier GR7 to a new GR9 standard, to be flown by pilots from both Services.

The planned withdrawal of the Sea Harrier reflects certain limitations in its capabilities, and the introduction later in the decade of the new Type 45 destroyer, boasting a very capable area air defence system. The transition to a single aircraft type in the Force will simplify logistics, particularly when embarked aboard carriers, whilst the upgrade to GR9 will ensure a potent capability until the introduction of the Future Joint Combat Aircraft - most likely met by the Joint Strike Fighter programme.

Operational Deployments

This is continually changing and you must keep up with current affairs: Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Falkland Islands and Afghanistan are but a few.

For more information about the RAF access the internet at:

 http://www.raf.mod.uk/