Air Command is the only Command currently active in the Royal Air Force. It was formed by the merger of Royal Air Force Strike and Personnel and Training commands on 1 April 2007, and has its headquarters at RAF High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire.[1]
| Air Command | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Founded | 1 April 2007 |
| Country |  United Kingdom |
| Branch |  Royal Air Force |
| Role | Military air operations |
| Location | RAF High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire |
| Motto(s) | Fortis Ubique Volantis (Flying Bravely Everywhere) |
The equivalent in the Royal Navy is Navy Command Headquarters at Portsmouth and the equivalent in the British Army is Army Headquarters at Andover.
History
editAir Command was formed by the merger of Royal Air Force Strike and Personnel and Training commands on 1 April 2007. Initially, it was under a four-star Air Chief Marshal, Commander-in-Chief, Air Command. At that time, there were two Deputy Commanders of Air Marshal rank: the Deputy Commander-in-Chief (Personnel) and the Deputy Commander-in-Chief (Operations).[2]
Following the implementation of the 2011 Levene Report, the role of Commander-in-Chief, Air Command was discontinued in spring 2012, and the deputy commanders started to report direct to the Chief of the Air Staff.[3] In November 2018, No. 11 Group was formed to create a "multi-domain operations group" as part of RAF Command.[4]
Organisation
editRAF Air Command is led by the Chief of the Air Staff under whom responsibilities are split as follows:[5][6]
- Deputy Chief of the Air Staff, responsible for personnel matters (including No. 22 (Training) Group)
- Air and Space Commander, responsible for air and space operations (including No. 1 Group, No. 2 Group and No. 11 Group)
Commanders-in-Chief (post discontinued in Spring 2012)
edit- Air Chief Marshal Sir Clive Loader KCB OBE, 30 March 2007[7] – 2 April 2009 (appointed as C-in-C Strike Command)
- Air Chief Marshal Sir Christopher Moran KCB OBE MVO, 3 April 2009[8] – 26 May 2010[9] (Died in office)
- Air Chief Marshal Sir Simon Bryant KCB CBE, 18 June 2010[10] to March 2012
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "RAF Command". Archived from the original on 16 July 2008. Retrieved 8 December 2023.
- ^ "Air Command senior, as of September 2012 - GOV.UK". assets.publishing.service.gov.uk.
- ^ Defence Reform Report ("the Levene Report"), June 2011, para 7.7, page 35.
- ^ "Key Battle of Britain Fighter Command group to be reformed". Press Association. 11 July 2018. Retrieved 12 July 2018.
- ^ "How Defence Works version 6.0" (PDF). assets.publishing.service.gov.uk. UK Ministry of Defence. 23 September 2020. Retrieved 7 November 2020.
page 31
- ^ "RAF Air Command". Armed Forces. Retrieved 8 December 2023.
- ^ RAF Air Rank Appointments List 08/06 of 25 Sep 2006 retrieved 3 Jan 2011
- ^ RAF Air Rank Appointments List 07/08 of 16 Oct 2008 retrieved 3 Jan 2011
- ^ Announcement of ACM Moran's death retrieved 27 May 2010
- ^ RAF Air Rank Appointments List 04/10 of 18 Jun 2010 retrieved 3 Jan 2011