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28-676: Royal Air Force Germany , commonly known as RAF Germany , and abbreviated RAFG , is a former command of the Royal Air Force (RAF) and part of British Forces Germany (BFG). It consisted of units located in Germany , initially in what was known as West Germany as part of the British Air Forces of Occupation (BAFO) following the Second World War , and later as part of the RAF's commitment to

56-472: Is different from Wikidata Use dmy dates from July 2015 Use British English from July 2015 Air Officer Commanding An air officer heading a particularly large or important command may be called an air officer commanding-in-chief (AOC-in-C). In the RAF those air officers who command a group are styled air officer commanding, followed by the name of the group. Currently, there are five AOCs: In

84-678: The Cold War , with the command also reorganising to support one aircraft type at each airbase . Laarbruch became RAFG's home to the Blackburn Buccaneer strike aircraft, operated by XV and 16 Squadrons. Bruggen received the McDonnell Douglas Phantom fighter- bomber operated by 14 , 17 , and 31 Squadrons, with Wildenrath taking the Hawker Siddeley Harrier and 3 , 4 , and 20 Squadrons. Gutersloh became home to

112-656: The IAF , Officers of the rank of Air Commodore who command Wings , Base Repair Depots, Equipment Depots and Air Bases are styled as Air Officer Commanding (AOC). Similarly, Air Vice Marshals commanding Groups (like the J&;K Group & Maritime Air Ops Group) and Advance Headquarters are styled as Air Officer Commanding (AOC). Senior Air Marshals who command the Seven Air Commands are styled as Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief (AOC-in-C) . The Seven appointments are : In

140-719: The United States Air Force , the term "Air Officer Commanding" is used specifically to refer to the specially selected officers who command cadet squadrons and groups at the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs , Colorado . In the case of a cadet squadron, the AOC is normally a major or a lieutenant colonel . These officers exercise command authority over their cadet units and are expected to train cadets in officership and military matters, advise

168-942: The Balkans Disbanded Mediterranean Allied Air Forces December 1943 February 1944 All RAF units in the Mediterranean Disbanded Mediterranean Allied Coastal Air Force January 1944 August 1945 All RAF Coastal units in the Mediterranean Mediterranean Allied Strategic Air Force January 1944 August 1945 All RAF Strategic units in the Mediterranean Mediterranean Allied Tactical Air Force January 1944 July 1945 All RAF Tactical units in

196-713: The Berlin Wall and the collapse of the Warsaw Pact stimulated major changes in British defence policy, and RAF Germany was no exception. The Options for Change paper announced a downsizing of the command; Wildenrath was to close and its Phantom squadrons disbanded, Gutersloh was to be transferred to the British Army and its squadrons relocated to Laarbruch, which in turn would have its three strike-attack Tornado squadrons disbanded. These proposals were quickly overtaken by events in

224-5043: The British Armed Forces helicopter assets Joint Aviation Command Joint Aviation Command 2024 Most of the British Armed Forces helicopter assets and the British Army's unmanned aerial systems Logistics Command April 1994 April 2000 All Maintenance units Maintenance Command April 1938 August 1973 All UK based Maintenance groups RAF Northern Ireland August 1940 March 1950 All RAF units in Northern Ireland No. 15 & 82 Groups RAF Personnel and Training Command April 1994 April 2007 Reserve Command February 1939 January 1946 May 1940 August 1950 No. 50, 51 & 54 Groups Unknown Disbanded Home Command Signals Command November 1958 January 1969 RAF Tangmere & RAF Watton No. 90 (Signals) Group Strike Command April 1968 April 2007 No. 1, 2, 11, 18, 11/18 & 38 Groups Air Command Support Command September 1973 April 1994 Personnel & Training Command Logistics Command Technical Training Command May 1940 June 1968 No. 20, 22, 24, 26 & 72 Groups Training Command May 1936 June 1968 May 1940 July 1977 No. 20, 21, 23, 24, 25, 26 Groups No. 22, 23 & 24 Groups Split into Technical Training Command & Flying Training Command Support Command Transport Command March 1943 August 1967 No. 44, 45 & 216 Groups Air Support Command Air Defence of Great Britain January 1925 November 1943 July 1936 October 1944 Wessex Bombing Area & Fighting Area Unknown Disbanded Fighter Command No. 1 Area April 1918 May 1918 No.1 - 5 Groups, No. 6 (Equipment) Group and Home Defence units within 27, 49 and 50 Wings South-Eastern Area No. 2 Area April 1918 May 1918 No. 7 - 10 Groups, No. 11 (Equipment) Group and Home Defence units at Gosport South-Western Area No. 3 Area April 1918 May 1918 No. 12 - 14 Groups, No. 15 (Equipment) Group and Home Defence units within 48 Wing Midland Area No. 4 Area April 1918 May 1918 No. 16 - 18 Groups, No. 19 (Equipment) Group and Home Defence units within 46 Wing North-Eastern Area No. 5 Area April 1918 May 1918 No. 20 - 22 Groups, No. 23 (Equipment) Group and units in Ireland North-Western Area Training Division RFC 1917 1918 Northern, Southern and Eastern Training Brigades Coastal Area 1919 1936 No. 10, 29 Groups and RAF Felixstowe Coastal Command Central Area 1933 1936 Bomber stations in Central England Inland Area 1920 1936 No. 1, 3, 7, 21, 22 & 23 Groups and No. 7 & 8 Wings Training Command North Eastern Area 1918 1919 No. 16 - 19 Groups North-Western Area North Western Area 1918 1919 No. 20 - 23 Groups Northern Area Northern Area 1919 1919 1919 1920 No. 16, 17, 18 & 20 Groups No. 3, 12 & 16 Groups Disbanded Inland Area South Eastern Area 1918 1919 No. 1, 2, 4 & 10 Groups Southern Area South Western Area 1918 1919 No. 7, 8, 9 & 10 Groups No. 7 Group Southern Area 1919 1920 No. 1, 2 & 7 Groups Inland Area Western Area 1933 1936 No. 3 (Bomber) Group Allied Expeditionary Air Force 1943 1944 2nd TAF, ADGB, No. 38 & 82 Groups & USAAF 9th Air Force RAF Element, Forward Supreme HQ Allied Expeditionary Air Forces Overseas Commands [ edit ] Command Formation Disbandment Controlled Became British Forces Aden April 1942 October 1959 British Forces Arabian Peninsula British Forces Arabian Peninsula October 1959 March 1961 Middle East Command Air Command Far East November 1946 June 1949 Far East Air Force Air Command South East Asia January 1944 November 1946 Air Command Far East Advanced Air Striking Force August 1939 June 1940 Disbanded British Air Forces in France January 1940 August 1940 All RAF units in France Disbanded Eastern Air Command September 1942 December 1943 March 1943 June 1945 Formed on

252-602: The Communications Flight adopted the identity of 60 Squadron which had recently disbanded in the Far East. The Air Officer Commanding (AOC) of RAF Germany at this time was Dambuster raid pilot Air Marshal Harold 'Mick' Martin . Further change came with the arrival of the SEPECAT Jaguar in 1975, with the three Bruggen squadrons all converting to the single-seat, twin-engined, strike and ground attack aircraft, and

280-696: The Gulf, following the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait . RAF Germany provided the bulk of the Tornado force, with XV ( Wg Cdr John Broadbent), 16 (Wg Cdr Ian Travers-Smith), and 31 (Wg Cdr Jerry Witts) providing the main elements at Muharraq , Tabuk , and Dhahran respectively, with personnel drawn from all eight RAFG Tornado squadrons. Three of those; Squadron Leaders Garry Lennox and Kevin Weeks from 16 Squadron, and Flight Lieutenant Steve Hicks from XV Squadron; were killed in action , and

308-801: The Mediterranean Mediterranean Coastal Air Force January 1944 August 1945 February 1944 October 1945 All RAF Coastal units in the Mediterranean Mediterranean Allied Coastal Air Force AHQ RAF Italy Near East Air Force March 1961 March 1976 All RAF units in the Eastern Mediterranean Disbanded Northwest African Coastal Air Force February 1943 January 1944 All RAF Coastal units in

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336-5940: The Mediterranean Mediterranean Coastal Air Force Northwest African Tactical Air Force February 1943 January 1944 All RAF Tactical units in the Mediterranean Mediterranean Allied Tactical Air Force Northwest African Strategic Air Force February 1943 January 1944 All RAF Strategic units in the Mediterranean Mediterranean Allied Strategic Air Force First Tactical Air Force July 1943 June 1946 ( Desert Air Force ) Advanced AHQ Italy Second Tactical Air Force November 1943 September 1951 July 1945 November 1959 No. 2, 83, 84 Groups RAF and No. 34R & 85 Wings RAF All RAF units in Germany Merged RAF Germany Third Tactical Air Force December 1943 December 1944 No. 221 & 224 Groups RAF & Troop Carrier Command Disbanded See also [ edit ] Command (military formation) Royal Air Force British Armed Forces References [ edit ] Citations [ edit ] ^ Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation ^ Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 2007 , p. 39. ^ Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 2007 , p. 59. ^ Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 2007 , p. 67. ^ Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 2007 , p. 71. ^ Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 2007 , p. 79. ^ Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 2007 , p. 92. ^ Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 2007 , p. 109. ^ Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 2007 , p. 112. ^ Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 2007 , p. 134. ^ Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 2007 , p. 165. ^ Adams, Harry (15 May 2024). "New Joint Aviation Command brings helicopters and drone systems under one roof" . www.forcesnews.com . Retrieved 16 November 2024 . ^ Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 2007 , p. 173. ^ Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 2007 , p. 175. ^ Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 2007 , p. 194. ^ Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 2007 , p. 210. ^ Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 2007 , p. 233. ^ Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 2007 , p. 253. ^ Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 2007 , p. 267. ^ Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 2007 , p. 268. ^ Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 2007 , p. 270. ^ Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 2007 , p. 274. ^ Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 2007 , p. 281. ^ Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 2007 , p. 44. ^ Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 2007 , p. 64. ^ Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 2007 , p. 82. ^ Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 2007 , p. 32. ^ Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 2007 , p. 81. ^ Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 2007 , p. 101. ^ Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 2007 , p. 169. ^ Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 2007 , p. 188. ^ "Commands - Med/Mid East_P" . www.rafweb.org . Retrieved 21 November 2023 . ^ Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 2007 , p. 78. ^ Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 2007 , p. 142. ^ Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 2007 , p. 167. ^ Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 2007 , p. 190. ^ Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 2007 , p. 224. ^ Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 2007 , p. 70. ^ Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 2007 , p. 193. ^ Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 2007 , p. 100. ^ Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 2007 , p. 269. Bibliography [ edit ] Sturtivant, R; Hamlin, J; Halley, J (2007). RAF Flying Training and Support Units since 1912 . UK: Air-Britain Historians. ISBN   9780851303659 . v t e Royal Air Force Ministry of Defence formations and units units Commands Groups Wings Squadrons Flights Conversion units Operational Training units Schools / Training units Ferry units Glider units Misc units stations Active Former Satellite Landing Grounds Regiment Wings Squadrons Flights branches and components Air Force Board RAF Regiment RAF Chaplains Branch RAF Intelligence RAF Legal Branch RAF Medical Services Princess Mary's RAF Nursing Service RAF Police RAF ground trades RAF Music Services RAF Search and Rescue Force RAF Mountain Rescue Service RAF Marine Branch RAF Air Cadets Operations reserve forces Royal Auxiliary Air Force RAF Volunteer Reserve equipment List of RAF aircraft current future List of RAF missiles List of equipment of

364-637: The Mediterranean area Disbanded into AHQ Malta RAF Mediterranean and Middle East February 1944 July 1945 March 1944 June 1949 All RAF units in the Mediterranean area Middle East Air Force June 1949 March 1961 All RAF units in the Middle East Near East Air Force RAF Rhine October 1919 June 1920 No. 12 Squadron RAF & 'Q' Unit RAF Disbanded Balkan Air Force June 1944 July 1945 All RAF units in

392-822: The RAF symbols and uniform Ensign Badge Roundels Uniform Heraldic badges associated civil organisations Air Training Corps Combined Cadet Force (RAF section) RAF Association RAF Centre of Aviation Medicine RAF Benevolent Fund RAF Football Association RAF Museum history timeline future [REDACTED] commons Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_Royal_Air_Force_commands&oldid=1257825459 " Categories : Lists of Commonwealth air force units Royal Air Force commands Royal Air Force overseas commands Lists of Royal Air Force units and formations Hidden categories: Articles with short description Short description

420-589: The RAF Regiment personnel Officer ranks Other ranks List of notable personnel List of serving senior officers Personnel numbers appointments Chief of Air Staff Assistant Chief of the Air Staff Air Member for Personnel Air Secretary Air Member for Materiel Commandant-General of the RAF Regiment Warrant Officer of

448-2315: The basis of No. 333 (Special Operations) Group, November 1942 3rd TAF and Strategical Air Force Absorbed by Northwest African Air Forces Disbanded Far East Air Force June 1949 November 1971 AHQ Hong Kong & No. 224 Group RAF Disbanded Iraq Command October 1922 1938 All RAF units in Iraq Disbanded Mediterranean Air Command February 1943 December 1943 Northwest African Air Forces, Northwest African Tactical Air Force, Northwest African Strategical Air Force, Northwest African Coastal Air Force, Northwest African Training Command, Northwest African Air Service Command, Northwest African Photo Reconnaissance Wing, Malta Air Command & Middle East Air Command Rear HQ Mediterranean Allied Air Forces Middle East Command December 1941 August 1945 No. 201 and 205 Groups RAF RAF Mediterranean and Middle East RAF Bengal and Burma December 1944 February 1945 AHQ Bengal, No. 221 and No. 224 Groups RAF Disbanded RAF Burma February 1945 September 1945 No. 221, 222, 229, 231 and 232 Groups RAF AHQ Burma RAF Germany January 1959 April 1993 All RAF units in Germany No. 2 Group RAF RAF Hong Kong September 1945 May 1946 AHQ Hong Kong RAF Iceland July 1941 July 1945 All RAF units in Iceland Disbanded RAF India May 1919 April 1922 November 1922 January 1921 August 1922 December 1938 All RAF units in India Indian Group Disbanded HQ Air Forces in India RAF Iraq April 1922 October 1922 All RAF units in Iraq Iraq Command RAF Ireland February 1922 February 1923 All RAF units In Ireland Disbanded RAF Mediterranean April 1922 December 1941 All RAF units in

476-669: The defence of Europe during the Cold War . The commander of RAFG doubled as commander of NATO 's Second Allied Tactical Air Force (2ATAF). Its motto was 'Keepers of the Peace'. RAF Germany was established on 1 January 1959 ; 65 years ago  ( 1959-01-01 ) , through the renaming of the RAF's Second Tactical Air Force . The command remained based at RAF Rheindahlen with Air Marshal Sir John Edwardes-Jones continuing as its Air Officer Commanding . Flying operations were conducted from six airfields ; four of these: Geilenkirchen , Laarbruch , Bruggen , and Wildenrath , were

504-473: The 💕 This is a list of Royal Air Force commands , both past and present. Although the concept of a command dates back to the foundation of the Royal Air Force, the term command (as the name of a formation) was first used in purely RAF-context in 1936 when Bomber Command, Fighter Command, Coastal Command and Training Command were formed. Since that time the RAF has made considerable use of

532-937: The last of over one hundred aircrew lost in service with RAFG units. Despite the successful service in the Gulf, the Options for Change proposals were carried out. 92 Squadron at Wildenrath was the first to disband in July 1991, followed by 19 in January 1992, and the station itself that April. At Laarbruch, both XV and 16 Squadrons were disbanded during 1991, and II Squadron relocated to RAF Marham . 20 Squadron remained, but disbanded in July 1992, before 3, 4, and 18 Squadrons relocated from Gutersloh later that year, while 230 Squadron had departed for RAF Aldergrove in Northern Ireland that April. RAF Germany itself came to an end on 1 April 1993 ; 31 years ago  ( 1993-04-01 ) , when it

560-449: The much-delayed 'Tornado Infra-Red Reconnaissance System' (TIRRS), while the following year 3 and 4 Squadrons began replacing their first-generation Harrier GR3s with the new Harrier II . 25 Squadron disbanded that October, ending nearly twenty years of Bloodhound SAM operation in Germany, with the numberplate transferred the same day to a new Tornado F3 unit at RAF Leeming . The fall of

588-570: The new Boeing Chinook . After re-equipping, and seeing service in the Falklands War , 18 returned in 1983 with both units providing support to the British Army of the Rhine (BAOR). In 1983, a new shape emerged in the skies over western Europe with the arrival of the Panavia Tornado multi-role strike-attack aircraft into RAF Germany. Entering service with XV Squadron, it was only intended to equip

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616-543: The so-called 'clutch' airfields built earlier in the decade, with the other two, Jever and Gutersloh , having been occupied since the closing months of World War II . The command's stock of aircraft included the English Electric Canberra bomber, Hawker Hunter fighter-bomber, and the Supermarine Swift reconnaissance aircraft. The command's number of airfields was reduced by one in 1961, when Jever

644-1375: The term. Until early 2007, the RAF had two commands, Strike Command and Personnel and Training Command, which were co-located at RAF High Wycombe. On 1 April 2007, the two were merged to form Air Command. Commands [ edit ] Command Formation Disbandment Controlled Became Air Command April 2007 present n/a Air Support Command August 1967 September 1972 No. 46 Group Army Cooperation Command December 1940 May 1943 No. 70 & 71 Groups Balloon Command November 1938 June 1945 Balloon Wing Bomber Command July 1936 April 1968 All UK based Bomber groups No. 1 (Bomber) Group Coastal Command May 1936 November 1969 All UK based Coastal groups No. 18 (Maritime) Group Ferry Command July 1941 March 1943 No. 45 Group Fighter Command July 1936 October 1944 November 1943 April 1968 All UK based Fighter groups Air Defence of Great Britain No. 11 Group Flying Training Command May 1940 June 1968 All UK based training groups No. 21, 23, 25, 50, 51, 54 Groups RAF Home Command August 1950 March 1959 Joint Helicopter Command October 1999 2024 Most of

672-526: The three Laarbruch-based units, but ultimately replaced the Jaguar across the RAFG command, which also included 20 Squadron moving once more this time to Laarbruch. 1986 saw the arrival of IX Squadron at Bruggen, as well as the end of the nuclear Quick Response Alert duty that RAFG had carried out since its formation. The Jaguar finally left RAF Germany in 1988 when II Squadron replaced theirs with Tornado's fitted with

700-518: The two Lightning squadrons , where they were joined in 1970 by the Westland Wessex helicopters of 18 Squadron , while 25 Squadron provided defence for the three clutch bases with the Bloodhound SAM . The exception to this arrangement was II Squadron , who operated their Phantoms in the aerial reconnaissance role from Laarbruch. At this time, the command gained another further squadron when

728-415: Was disbanded and redesignated as No.2 Group of Strike Command , with Air Marshal Sandy Wilson as its last AOC. 2 Group was itself subsumed into 1 Group in 1996, with the final withdrawal of forces coming in 2002 following the closures of Laarbruch and Bruggen. Note 1: Unit with nuclear strike role with 18x WE.177 tactical nuclear weapons . List of Royal Air Force commands From Misplaced Pages,

756-706: Was later joined there by 20 Squadron which moved over from the Harrier. II Squadron would also receive the Jaguar, albeit remaining at Laarbruch in its reconnaissance role. In 1977, Wildenrath and Gutersloh swapped roles as 19 and 92 Squadrons converted to the Phantom, now redeployed in the air defence role, and moved to Wildenrath to take advantage of their new mounts longer range, with 3 and 4 Squadrons and their Harriers moving east to Gutersloh. 230 Squadron and their Westland Puma helicopters arrived at Gutersloh in 1980 to replace 18 Squadron, who disbanded in preparation to receive

784-513: Was returned to the West German federal authorities, followed by Geilenkirchen in 1968, and consolidating operations to four RAF stations. In between times, RAFG received a dedicated interceptor force with the arrival of 19 and 92 Squadrons from the United Kingdom with their English Electric Lightnings . From 1969, RAFG began receiving new equipment befitting its place on the frontline of

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