Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force ( RAF ) is the United Kingdom ' s air force , the oldest independent air force in the world . Formed on 1 April 1918 , the RAF has taken a significant role in British military history ever since , playing a large part in World War II and in more recent conflicts . The RAF operates 1 , 114 aircraft ( 2010 ) and , as of late 2009 , had a total manpower strength of 44 , 300 regular , and 2 , 500 volunteers . The RAF is the largest air force in the European Union , the second largest in NATO and fifth largest in the world . The majority of the RAF ' s aircraft and personnel are based in the UK with many others serving on operations ( principally Afghanistan , the Middle East or at long - established overseas bases ( Ascension Island , Canada , Cyprus , Diego Garcia , Gibraltar , the Falkland Islands and Germany ) . Mission . The RAF ' s mission is to support the objectives of the British Ministry of Defence ( MoD ) , which are to " provide the capabilities needed : to ensure the security and defence of the United Kingdom and overseas territories , including against terrorism ; to support the Government ’ s foreign policy objectives particularly in promoting international peace and security . " The RAF ' s own mission statement reads as thus , to provide ( paraphrase ) " An " agile " , " adaptable " and " capable " Air Force that , person for person , is second to none , and that makes a decisive air power contribution in support of the UK Defence Mission . " The above statement goes hand in hand with the RAF ' s definition of air power , the concept that guides the RAF strategy . Air Power is defined as : " The ability to project military force in air or space by or from a platform or missile operating above the surface of the earth . Air platforms are defined as any aircraft , helicopter or unmanned air vehicle . " Although the RAF is the principal British air power arm , the Royal Navy ' s Fleet Air Arm and the British Army ' s Army Air Corps also deliver air power which is integrated into the maritime , littoral and land environments . History . While the British were not the first to make use of heavier - than - air military aircraft , the RAF is the world ' s oldest independent air force : that is , the first air force to become independent of army or navy control . It was founded on 1 April 1918 , during the First World War , by the amalgamation of the Royal Flying Corps and the Royal Naval Air Service . After the war , the service was drastically cut and its inter - war years were relatively quiet , with the RAF taking responsibility for the control of Iraq and executing a number of minor actions in other parts of the British Empire . The RAF underwent rapid expansion prior to and during the Second World War . Under the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan of December 1939 , the air forces of British Commonwealth countries trained and formed " Article XV squadrons " for service with RAF formations . Many individual personnel from these countries , and exiles from occupied Europe , also served with RAF squadrons . In the Battle of Britain , in the late summer of 1940 , the RAF ( supplemented by Polish , Czechoslovakian and other multinational pilots and ground personnel ) defended the skies over Britain against the German Luftwaffe , helping foil Hitler ' s plans for an invasion of the United Kingdom , and prompting Prime Minister Winston Churchill to say in the House of Commons on 20 August , " Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few " . The largest RAF effort during the war was the strategic bombing campaign against Germany by Bomber Command . While RAF bombing of Germany began almost immediately upon the outbreak of war , under the leadership of Air Chief Marshal Harris , these attacks became increasingly devastating from 1942 onward as new technology and greater numbers of superior aircraft became available . The RAF adopted night - time area bombing on German cities such as Hamburg and Dresden , and developed precision bombing techniques for specific operations , such as the " Dambusters " raid by No . 617 Squadron , or the Amiens prison raid known as Operation Jericho . During the Cold War years the main role of the RAF was the defence of the continent of Europe against potential attack by the Soviet Union , including holding the United Kingdom ' s nuclear deterrent for a number of years . After the Cold War , the RAF was involved in several large scale operations , including the Gulf War , the Kosovo War , operations in Afghanistan , the 2003 invasion of Iraq and the subsequent war . The RAF celebrated its 90th birthday with a flypast of the Red Arrows and four Typhoon s over many RAF Stations and Central London on 1 April 2008 . Overseas deployments . " style = " text - align : center " ! Country ! ! Dates ! ! Deployment ! ! Details Structure . The professional head of the RAF is the Chief of the Air Staff ( CAS ) , Air Chief Marshal Sir Stephen Dalton . The CAS heads the Air Force Board , which is a committee of the Defence Council . The Air Force Board is the management board of the RAF and consists of the Commander - in - Chief of Air Command ( Air Chief Marshal Simon Bryant ) , together with several other high - ranking officers . The CAS also has a deputy known as the Assistant Chief of the Air Staff ( ACAS ) ; this post is held by Air Vice - Marshal B M North . Commands . Authority is delegated from the Air Force Board to the RAF ' s commands . While there were once individual commands responsible for bombers , fighters , training , etc . , only one command now exists : Groups . Groups are the subdivisions of operational commands ; these are responsible for certain types of operation or for operations in limited geographical areas . As from 1 April 2007 , three groups exist : In addition , No . 83 Group RAF , under the command of the Permanent Joint Headquarters , is active in the Middle East , supporting operations over Iraq and Afghanistan . Stations . An RAF station is ordinarily subordinate to a group and it is administratively sub - divided into wings . Since the mid to late 1930s RAF stations have controlled a number of flying squadrons or other units at one location by means of a station headquarters . Wings . A wing is either an operational sub - division of a group or an administrative sub - division of an RAF station . Independent Wings are a grouping of two or more squadrons , either flying squadrons or ground support squadrons . In former times , numbered flying wings have existed , but more recently they have been created only when required . For example during Operation Telic , Tornado GR4 wings were formed to operate from Ali Al Salem and Al Udeid air bases and the Tornado F3 equipped Leuchars Fighter Wing at Prince Sultan Air Base ; each of these were made up of aircraft and crews from several squadrons . On 31 March 2006 , the RAF formed nine Expeditionary Air Wing s ( EAWs ) in order to support operations . They have been established at the nine main operating bases ; RAF Coningsby , RAF Cottesmore , RAF Kinloss , RAF Leeming , RAF Leuchars , RAF Lossiemouth , RAF Lyneham , RAF Marham and RAF Waddington numbered Nos 121 , 122 , 325 , 135 , 125 , 140 , 38 , 138 and 34 EAWs respectively . These units are commanded by a group captain who is also the parent unit ' s Station Commander . The EAW comprises the non - formed unit elements of the station that are required to support a deployed operating base , i . e . the command and control , logistics and administration functions amongst others . They are designed to be flexible and quickly adaptable for differing operations . They are independent of flying squadrons , Air Combat Support Units ( ACSU ) and Air Combat Service Support Units ( ACSSU ) who are attached to the EAW depending on the task it has been assigned . A wing is also an administrative sub - division of an RAF station . Historically , for a flying station these were normally Operations Wing , Engineering Wing and Administration Wing and each wing was commanded by an officer of wing commander rank . In the 21st century , new names have been used on stations such as Forward Support Wing , Base Support Wing and Logistics Wing etc . Squadrons . A flying squadron is an aircraft unit which carries out the primary tasks of the RAF . RAF squadrons are somewhat analogous to the regiments of the British Army in that they have histories and traditions going back to their formation , regardless of where they are based , which aircraft they are operating , etc . They can be awarded standards and battle honours for meritorious service . Whilst every squadron is different , most flying squadrons are commanded by a wing commander and , for a fast - jet squadron , have an establishment of around 100 personnel and 12 aircraft , but 16 aircraft for Tornado F3 Squadrons . ( note that this type is now flown only by 111 Squadron ) . The term squadron can be used to refer to a sub - unit of an administrative wing or small RAF station , e . g . Air Traffic Control Squadron , Personnel Management Squadron etc . There are also Ground Support Squadrons , e . g . No 2 ( Mechanical Transport ) Squadron which is located at RAF Wittering . Administrative squadrons are normally commanded by a squadron leader . Flights . A flight is a sub - division of a squadron . Flying squadrons are often divided into two flights , e . g . " A " and " B " , each under the command of a squadron leader . Administrative squadrons on a station are also divided into flights and these flights are commanded by a junior officer , often a flight lieutenant . Because of their small size , there are several flying units formed as flights rather than squadrons . For example No . 1435 Flight is based at RAF Mount Pleasant in the Falkland Islands , maintaining air defence cover with four Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft . Personnel . In 2009 the RAF employed 44 , 300 active duty personnel and 2 , 500 RAF Volunteer Reserve s . In addition there were 33 , 380 regular reserves . At its height ( 1944 ) during the Second World War , more than 1 , 100 , 000 personnel were serving . The longest - lived founding member of the RAF was Henry Allingham , who died in 2009 aged 113 . Officers . Officers hold a commission from the Sovereign , which provides the legal authority for them to issue orders to subordinates . The commission of a regular officer is granted after successfully completing the 30 - week - long Initial Officer Training course at the RAF College , Cranwell , Lincolnshire . Other officers also train at RAF Cranwell , but on different courses , such as those for professionally qualified officers . The titles and insignia of RAF officers were chiefly derived from those used by the Royal Navy , specifically the Royal Naval Air Service ( RNAS ) during World War I . For example , the rank of Squadron Leader derived its name from the RNAS rank of Squadron Commander . RAF officers fall into three categories : air officers , senior officers and junior officer s . Other ranks . Other ranks attend the Recruit Training Squadron at RAF Halton for basic training , with the exception of the RAF Regiment , which trains its recruits at RAF Honington . The titles and insignia of other ranks in the RAF was based on that of the Army , with some alterations in terminology . Over the years , this structure has seen significant changes , for example there was once a separate system for those in technical trades and the ranks of Chief Technician and Junior Technician continue to be held only by personnel in technical trades . RAF other ranks fall into four categories : Warrant Officers , Senior Non - Commissioned Officers , Junior Non - Commissioned Officers and Airmen . The most senior other ranks of the RAF is known as the Chief of the Air Staff ' s Warrant Officer , a position held by Warrant Officer Gary Wilcox . Branches and trades . The majority of the members of the RAF serve in support roles on the ground . Specialist training and education . The Royal Air Force operates several units and centres for the provision of non - generic training and education . These include the Royal Air Force Leadership Centre and the Royal Air Force Centre for Air Power Studies , both based at RAF Cranwell , and the Air Warfare Centre , based at RAF Waddington and RAF Cranwell . NCO training and developmental courses occur at RAF Halton and officer courses occur at the Joint Services Command and Staff College at Shrivenham . Aircraft . British military aircraft designations generally comprise a " type name " followed by a " mark number " which includes an alphabetical " rôle prefix " . For example , the " Tornado F3 " is designated as a fighter by the ' F ' , and is the third variant of the type to be produced . Strike , attack and offensive support aircraft . The mainstay of the offensive support fleet is the Tornado GR4 . This supersonic aircraft can carry a wide range of weaponry , including Storm Shadow cruise missiles , laser - guided bombs and the ALARM anti - radar missile . The Tornado is supplemented by the Harrier GR7 / GR7A , which is used in the strike and close air support roles , and to counter enemy air defences . The Harrier is being upgraded to GR9 / GR9A standard with newer systems and more powerful Rolls Royce Pegasus engines . The Harrier GR9 was formally accepted into RAF service in late September 2006 . The Eurofighter Typhoon FGR4 has from June 2008 achieved the required standard for multi - role operational deployment . Air defence and airborne early warning aircraft . The Panavia Tornado F3 and Eurofighter Typhoon F2 are the RAF ' s air defence fighter aircraft , based at RAF Leuchars and RAF Coningsby respectively . Their task is to defend the UK ’ s airspace . In October 2007 it was announced that RAF Boscombe Down will become one of a number of quick reaction alert airbase from early 2008 , offering around the clock fighter coverage for the South and South West of UK airspace when a direct threat has been identified , otherwise the aircraft will be based at RAF Leuchars and Coningsby as described above . The Tornado , in service in the air defence role since the late 1980s , is being replaced by the Eurofighter Typhoon F2 , based at RAF Coningsby . The RAF ' s second operational Typhoon unit , 11 Sqn , reformed on 29 March 2007 , joining 3 Sqn , also based at RAF Coningsby . The Tornado F3s at RAF Leuchars will gradually be phased out and replaced with Typhoons , which will also be based at RAF Leuchars . The Sentry AEW1 , based at RAF Waddington , provides airborne early warning to detect incoming enemy aircraft and to co - ordinate the aerial battlefield . Both the Sentry and the Tornado F3 have been involved in recent operations including over Iraq and the Balkans . Reconnaissance aircraft . The Tornado GR4A is fitted with cameras and sensors in the visual , infra - red and radar ranges of the spectrum . The Nimrod R1 provides electronic and signals intelligence . The new Sentinel R1 ( also known as ASTOR – Airborne STand - Off Radar ) provides a ground radar - surveillance platform based on the Bombardier Global Express long range business jet . These were supplemented in 2009 by four Beechcraft Shadow R1 aircraft equipped for the ISTAR role over Afghanistan . A pair of MQ - 9 Reaper Unmanned aerial vehicle s have been purchased to support operations in Iraq and Afghanistan . They are operated by No . 39 Squadron RAF . More MQ - 9s are in the process of being purchased . Support helicopters . An important part of the work of the RAF is to support the British Army by ferrying troops and equipment at the battlefield . However , RAF helicopters are also used in a variety of other roles , including support of RAF ground units and heavy - lift support for the Royal Marines . The support helicopters are organised into the tri - service Joint Helicopter Command ( JHC ) , along with helicopters of the British Army and Royal Navy . The only helicopters not coordinated by the JHC are the search and rescue helicopters of the RAF and RN , and those RN helicopters that are normally based on board a ship such as a destroyer . The large twin - rotor Chinook HC2 / HC2A , based at RAF Odiham provides heavy - lift support and is supported by the Merlin HC3 and the smaller Puma HC1 medium - lift helicopters , based at RAF Benson and RAF Aldergrove . It was announced in March 2007 that the RAF was to take delivery of six additional Merlins . The aircraft were originally ordered by Denmark and six new repacement aircraft will be built for Denmark . It was also announced that eight Chinook HC3s that are in storage are being modified for the battlefield support role . Maritime patrol . The now withdrawn Nimrod MR2 ' s primary role was that of Anti - Submarine Warfare and Anti - Surface Unit Warfare . The Nimrod MR2 was additionally used in a Search and Rescue role , where its long range and communications facilities allowed it to co - ordinate rescues by acting as a link between rescue helicopters , ships and shore bases . It could also drop pods containing life rafts and survival supplies to people in the sea . However the Nimrod MR2 discontinued active service at midnight on 31 March 2010 , due to be replaced by the Nimrod MRA4 program due to fully enter service late 2011 . The Nimrod MRA4 is undergoing test flights and training by BAE , who got the contract to rebuild and fit the Nimrod MR2 fleet . In total 9 MRA4 ' s have been ordered ( one of these a former development airframe ) . The search and rescue role has been adopted by the C - 130 Hercules force for this gap , and the anti - submarine role by the Royal Navy . Transport and air - to - air refuelling aircraft . Having replaced the former Queen ' s Flight in 1995 , 32 ( The Royal ) Squadron uses the BAe 125 CC3 , Agusta A109 and BAe 146 CC2 in the VIP transport role , based at RAF Northolt , just west of London . More routine , strategic airlift transport tasks are carried out by the Tristar s and VC10 s based at RAF Brize Norton , for passengers and cargo , and for air - to - air refuelling of other aircraft . Shorter range , tactical - airlift transport is provided by the Hercules , the fleet including both older C - 130K ( Hercules C1 / C3 ) and newer C - 130J ( Hercules C4 / C5 ) variants , based at RAF Lyneham in Wiltshire . The RAF leased four C - 17 Globemaster III s from Boeing to provide a heavy , strategic airlift capability . These were purchased , as well a fifth C - 17 , which was delivered on 7 April 2008 as well as a sixth aircraft delivered on 8 June 2008 . The new aircraft entered frontline use within days rather than weeks . The MoD said " there is a stated departmental requirement for eight " C - 17s and a seventh has been ordered for delivery in December 2010 . Search and rescue aircraft . Three squadrons of helicopters exist with the primary role of military search and rescue ; the rescuing of aircrew who have ejected or crash - landed their aircraft . These are 22 Squadron and 202 Squadron with the Sea King HAR . 3 / HAR3A in the UK and 84 Squadron with the Griffin HAR2 in Cyprus . Although established with a primary role of military search and rescue , most of their operational missions are spent in their secondary role of conducting civil search and rescue ; that is , the rescue of civilians from at sea , on mountains and other locations . Both rescue roles are shared with the Sea King helicopters of the Royal Navy ' s Fleet Air Arm , while the civil search and rescue role is also shared with the helicopters of HM Coastguard . The Operational Conversion Unit is 203 Squadron RAF based at RAF Valley equipped with the Sea King HAR3 . The related Royal Air Force Mountain Rescue Service comprises four teams of trained mountaineers stationed in the mainland United Kingdom , first established in 1943 . Training aircraft . Elementary flying training is conducted on the Tutor T1 . The Tutor is also used , along with the Viking T1 and Vigilant T1 gliders , to provide air experience training and basic pilot training for air cadets . Basic pilot training for fixed - wing and helicopter pilots is provided on the Tucano T1 and Squirrel HT1 , while weapon systems officer and weapon systems operator training is conducted in the Dominie T1 . Advanced flying training for fast - jet , helicopter and multi - engine pilots is provided using the Hawk T1 , Griffin HT1 and B200 King Air respectively . At the more advanced stage in training , variants of front - line aircraft have been adapted for operational conversion of trained pilots ; these include the Harrier T10 and Typhoon T1 . Future aircraft . The RAF is planning for the introduction of new aircraft . These include : Symbols , flags , emblems and uniform . Following the tradition of the other British fighting services , the RAF has adopted symbols to represent it and act as a rallying point for its members . The RAF Ensign is flown from the flagstaff on every RAF station during daylight hours . The design was approved by King George V in 1921 , after much opposition from the Admiralty , who have the right to approve or veto any flag flown ashore or on board ship . British aircraft in the early stages of the First World War carried the Union Flag as an identifying feature , however this was easy to confuse with Germany ' s Iron Cross motif . Therefore in October 1914 the French system of three concentric rings was adopted , with the colours reversed to a red disc surrounded by a white ring and an outer blue ring . The relative sizes of the rings have changed over the years and during World War II an outer yellow ring was added . Aircraft serving in the Far East during World War II had the red disc removed to prevent confusion with Japan ese aircraft . Since the 1970s , camouflaged aircraft carry low - visibility roundels , either red and blue on dark camouflage , or washed - out pink and light blue on light colours . Most uncamouflaged training and transport aircraft retain the traditional red - white - blue roundel . The Latin motto of the RAF , " Per Ardua ad Astra " , is usually translated as " Through Adversity to the Stars " , but the RAF ' s official translation is " Through Struggle to the Stars " . The choice of motto is attributed to a junior officer named J S Yule , in response to a request from a commander of the RFC , Colonel Sykes , for suggestions . The RAF inherited the motto from the RFC . The Badge of the Royal Air Force was first used in August 1918 . In heraldic terms it is : " In front of a circle inscribed with the motto Per Ardua Ad Astra and ensigned by the Imperial Crown an eagle volant and affronty Head lowered and to the sinister . " Although there have been debates among airmen over the years whether the bird was originally meant to be an albatross or an eagle , the consensus is that it was always an eagle . In 2006 the RAF adopted a logotype featuring a roundel and the Service ' s unabbreviated name ( shown at the top of this article ) . The logotype is used on all correspondence and publicity material and aims to provide the Service with a single , universally - recognizable brand identity .