Outline of the British Royal Air Force at the end of the Cold War

At the end of the Cold War in 1989, the Royal Air Force (RAF) structure was as follows:

The Chief of the Air Staff (CAS) was an air chief marshal (ACM), who was the professional head in command the Royal Air Force. He was a member of the Chiefs of Staff Committee, the Defence Council, and the Air Force Board, which administered the Royal Air Force. The following positions were part of the Air Force Board:[1]

The manned strength of the Royal Air Force in 1989 was 93,300 personnel.[1]

RAF Strike Command

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Royal Air Force Strike Command (RAF Strike Command, or RAF STC), was the main and primary command of the Royal Air Force, and was in charge of all operational (front-line or combat) Royal Air Force units and assets in the United Kingdom. Its Commander-in-Chief (C-in-C) was Air Chief Marshal Sir Patrick Hine, who double-hatted as NATO, Commander-in-Chief United Kingdom Air Forces (CINCUKAIR), which was a major subordinate command under NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Europe.[2][3] In 1989, RAF Strike Command consisted of three major operational groups, along with its subordinate wings, squadrons and minor units; and also had administrative control of the Royal Observer Corps (ROC), which was tasked with nuclear warfare analysis and manned the UK's nuclear fallout warning service.[4][5][6][7][1]

No. 1 Group

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Tornado GR1A of No. 13 Squadron.
 
Harrier GR3 of No. 233 Operational Conversion Unit.
 
Jaguar GR1A of No. 6 Squadron (foreground) and No. 41 Squadron (background).
 
WE.177 free-fall nuclear bomb (training example), as available for the tactical nuclear strike role.

No. 1 Group Royal Air Force (1 Gp RAF) was the Royal Air Force group commanded by Air Vice-Marshal (AVM) Charles John Thomson (until February 1989), then AVM Ronald Andrew Fellowes Wilson (from February 1989), headquartered at RAF Upavon in Wiltshire. 1 Group contained varied aircraft, with the majority being strike aircraft. The group's main focus would have been bombing raids on advancing Soviet ground forces in Northern Germany as directed by NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SAC-E). The group fielded six squadrons of bomber aircraft, which could be armed with WE.177 free-fall tactical nuclear bombs, along with aerial refuelling tanker aircraft to ensure that the armed aircraft could deliver nuclear strikes deep inside enemy territory.[1][7]

Note 1: Unit had a nuclear strike role with WE.177 tactical nuclear weapons.[13]

No. 1 Group RAF also administered the flying units detached to Belize and the Falkland Islands:

 
Graphical overview of No. 1 Group RAF in 1989. Note: only the states under the operational control of the group are shown.

No. 11 (Air Defence) Group

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Tornado GR1 of No. 27 Squadron.

No. 11 (Air Defence) Group Royal Air Force (11 Gp RAF) was the Royal Air Force group commanded by Air Vice-Marshal Roger Hewlett Palin (until March) then William (Bill) John Wratten (from March), headquartered at RAF Bentley Priory. 11 Group was to defend the United Kingdom against all aerial threats, and fielded exclusively fighter aircraft and one air defence missile squadron. In 1989, the Royal Air Force was speedily replacing its ageing Phantom air defence fighter aircraft with the more modern and more capable Tornado F3, whose superior supersonic acceleration, powerful radar and beyond-visual-range missiles made it the ideal platform to intercept and destroy Soviet bombers intent on attacking the United Kingdom. In case of war, No. 11 (Air Defence) Group would have taken command of the five UK-based Hawk T1 training squadrons, which, armed with AIM-9L Sidewinder missiles would have become the last line of defence against Soviet air attacks.[15][16][1]

No. 18 (Maritime) Group

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Jaguar GR1A of No. 226 Operational Conversion Unit RAF.

No. 18 (Maritime) Group Royal Air Force (No. 18 Group RAF, or 18Gp RAF) was the Royal Air Force group commanded by Air Marshal Andrew L. Roberts (until August) then David Emmerson (from August), headquartered at the Northwood Headquarters. During war, the Commander of No. 18 Group would also assume the titles of Commander Maritime Air Eastern Atlantic (COMAIREASTLANT) and Commander Allied Maritime Air Force Channel (COMAIRCHAN). In case of war, No. 18 Group's Maritime Air Region North would have assumed the titles of NATO Commander Maritime Air Northern Sub-Area (COMMAIRNORLANT) and NATO Commander Maritime Air Nore Sub-Area Channel (COMAIRNORECHAN), and taken command of Norwegian Air Force and US Navy P-3 Orion anti-submarine aircraft at Andøya Air Station and Naval Air Station Keflavik respectively, as well as the Keflavik-based US Air Force F-15C/D Eagles to prevent vessels of the Soviet Navy's Northern Fleet from passing through the GIUK gap.[10][7][1][18]

The Maritime Headquarters units provided additional reserve personnel to man the operations rooms and communications centres that directed 18 Group and the Royal Navy.[19]

The two Maritime Air Regions were amalgamated in 1987, and Pitrevie became the backup to Northwood HQ, becoming the location of Air Officer Scotland and Northern Ireland only.[20]

Note 1: Unit had a nuclear strike role with WE.177 tactical nuclear weapons.[13]

Royal Observer Corps

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The Royal Observer Corps (ROC) was commanded by the Commandant Royal Observer Corps with the rank of Air Commodore, and headquartered at RAF Bentley Priory. The corps was tasked with detecting and reporting nuclear explosions and associated fallout as the field force for the United Kingdom Warning and Monitoring Organisation, (UKWMO). By the late 1980s, the ROC comprised 69 professional full-time officers, approximately 10,500 civilian part-time volunteers, and over 100 Ministry of Defence (MoD) civilian support staff.

RAF Germany

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Phantom FGR2 of No. 92 Squadron prior to landing at RAF Wildenrath in the mid-1980s

Royal Air Force Germany (RAF Germany, or RAFG), a major command of the Royal Air Force, consisted of Royal Air Force units located in West Germany as part of the United Kingdom's commitment to the defence of Western Europe during the Cold War. In wartime, the air marshal in command of RAFG would also have assumed the command of NATO's Second Allied Tactical Air Force. RAFG's main missions were to protect the British Army of the Rhine from Warsaw Pact air attacks, and bomb hostile armour formation. In case Soviet spearheads would have breached the Weser-line on the western side of the Upper Weser Valley, RAF Germany was trained and equipped to attack enemy troop concentrations to the east of the Weser with tactical nuclear weapons.[27][28]

To fulfil its mission, RAFG had a varied mix of fixed-wing jet aircraft and rotary-wing aircraft under its command: Phantom FGR2 (fighter / ground attack / reconnaissance), Tornado GR1 (fighter-bomber / reconnaissance), helicopters, and Harrier GR5 vertical/short takeoff and landing (V/STOL) (ground attack / reconnaissance). As the most forward deployed units, the Harriers would have dispersed to auxiliary airfields, forest clearings, and highway strips, during the transition to war to protect them from Soviet air attacks. The British Army's 38th Engineer Regiment and the Royal Auxiliary Air Force (RAuxF) Regiment's No. 2624 (County of Oxford) Field Squadron would have supported the Harrier Force at these dispersed locations.

Note 1: Unit with nuclear strike role with 18x WE.177 tactical nuclear weapons.[13]

RAF Support Command

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Hawk T1 of the RAF Institute of Aviation Medicine prior to landing at RAF Farnborough.

Royal Air Force Support Command (RAF Support Command, or RAF SupC), a main command of the Royal Air Force, was commanded by an air marshal, and headquartered at RAF Brampton in Cambridgeshire. During war, the command would have moved to its Emergency War Headquarter to a bunker at RAF Holmpton. Support Command had been created in 1973 by merging RAF Maintenance Command,[35] with No. 90 (Signals) Group. In 1977, Support Command absorbed Training Command making it additionally responsible for all RAF ground and aircrew training.

In 1989, RAF Support Command was responsible for all signals under, logistics (Movements), maintenance (Air Officer Commanding Maintenance Units and Air Officer Maintenance, RAF Support Command), personnel management, ground transport (MT), supply, basic flying training, ground crew training (Air Officer Commanding Training Units and Air Officer Training, RAF Support Command), ordnance, recruitment, medical services, airbase services, IT systems, etc. Air Officer Commanding (AOC) were air vice-marshals. Below follows a provisional, unverified, partial listing of this large part of the Royal Air Force.

AOC Training Units and AO Training

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The Air Officer Commanding (AOC) Training Units and Air Officer (AO) Training was an air vice-marshal (AVM) responsible for all training establishments of the Royal Air Force. The AOC Training Units and AO Training administered the following training establishments and units:

AOC Air Cadets & Commandant Air Training Corps

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AOC Signals Units and AO Signals

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The Air Officer Commanding (AOC) Signals Units and Air Officer (AO) Signals was an air vice-marshal (AVM) responsible for all signals units of the Royal Air Force. Besides Royal Signals Air Support Signals Units at operational RAF airbases and stations, the AOC Signals Units and AO Signals administered the following units.

Additional specialised signals units (SU) were detached to Royal Air Force Germany, British Sector Berlin, British Forces Gibraltar, British Forces Falkland Islands, and British Forces Cyprus.

AOC Maintenance Units and AO Maintenance

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AO Administration and AO Directly Administered Units

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RAF Regiment

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The Royal Air Force Regiment (RAF Regiment, or RAF Rgt) was headed by the Commandant-General, RAF Regiment and Director-General of Security with the rank of air vice-marshal,[41][42] who was responsible for security at all Royal Air Force installations. The RAF Regiment served as the Royal Air Force's airbase defence corps. The regiment administered, trained, and maintained its squadron, which operationally were under the commanders of the airfields (Station Commander) they were assigned to. There were four types of squadron: Field (Light Infantry) and Light Armour squadrons as airfield ground defence forces, Air Defence squadrons, and one Light Armour / Paratroopers Squadron to seize and secure enemy airfields. The regiment fielded 16 squadrons and the Royal Auxiliary Air Force Regiment (RAuxAF) fielded eight reserve squadrons. The Regiment also provided the RAF Fire Service sections at all RAF airfields and trained firefighters and rescue personnel at its main base RAF Catterick in North Yorkshire.

The list below only lists squadrons that were under command of the regiment in 1989; the squadrons assigned to other units are listed under the RAF stations and airfields where they were based.

Royal Auxiliary Air Force

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The Royal Auxiliary Air Force (RAuxAF) was commanded by an air vice-marshal (AVM) and provided reinforcements to the Royal Air Force, which were manned by civilians and called upon in times of need or war. Although all RAuxAF units had previously been disbanded in 1957, it lived on in three Maritime Headquarter Units, which provided augmentation personnel for No. 18 (Maritime) Group Royal Air Force. In 1979, three Field Squadrons were formed to provide ground airfield defence. During the 1980s, additional squadrons and flights were raised, and by 1989, the RAuxAF fielded three Maritime Headquarter Units, two administrative wings, seven RAuxAF Regiment squadrons, two support squadrons, and three airfield defence flights.[44]

Note: The Royal Hong Kong Auxiliary Air Force was responsible to Commander, British Forces Hong Kong.

Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve

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The Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve (RAF Volunteer Reserve, or RAFVR) was a volunteer formation providing the RAF with specialists for a limited number of positions.[44]

RAF Provost & Security Services

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The Royal Air Force Provost Marshal of the Royal Air Force Provost & Security Services (RAF P&SS) had the rank of air commodore, and was headquartered in the Metropole building in Whitehall, central London. At each RAF airbase and station, an RAF Police flight was tasked with guarding and securing the airbase or station. The flights were administered by the following higher commands:[47][48]

Women's Royal Air Force

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The Women's Royal Air Force (WRAF) was the women's branch of the Royal Air Force, which provided the RAF with trained female personnel.[49][50]

Princess Mary's Royal Air Force Nursing Service

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The Princess Mary's Royal Air Force Nursing Service (PMRAFNS) was the nursing branch of the Royal Air Force. The PMRAFNS staffed The Princess Mary's Hospital, RAF Akrotiri, RAF Hospital Ely, RAF Hospital Halton, RAF Hospital Uxbridge, RAF Hospital Wegberg, and RAF Hospital Wroughton.[51][52]

Royal Air Force Chaplains Branch

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The Royal Air Force Chaplains Branch (RAF CB) provided military chaplains for the Royal Air Force. Chaplains and chaplain candidates were trained in military theology at the Royal Air Force Chaplains' School at Amport House.[53][54]

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The Royal Air Force Legal Branch (RAFLB) was the uniformed legal service provider for the Royal Air Force. The RAFLB consisted of solicitors and barristers qualified in military law in a Commonwealth jurisdiction.[55][56]

RAF Medical Services

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The Royal Air Force Medical Services (RAFMS) provided healthcare at home and on deployed operations to Royal Air Force personnel. Medical officers (MOs) were the doctors of the RAF, and had specialist expertise in aviation medicine to support aircrew and their protective equipment.

Royal Air Force inventory 1989

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The airframe inventory of the Royal Air Force in 1989 consisted of the following aircraft:[12]

Combat aircraft
Special mission
Cargo and aerial refuelling
Helicopters
Trainers

Royal Air Force flights were typically equipped with four aircraft. Royal Air Force flying squadrons consisted of two to four flights, with fighter squadrons in general consisting of three flights.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Paxton, John, ed. (August 1989). The Statesman's Year-Book 1989-90 (126 ed.). London, England: Macmillan Press. p. 1314. ISBN 978-0-333-39153-2. OCLC 1004381122. Retrieved 9 July 2023 – via Google Books.
  2. ^ Miller, Dr. Roger G., ed. (1995). Seeing off the Bear: Anglo-American air power cooperation during the Cold War. Proceedings, joint meeting of the Royal Air Force Historical Society and the Air Force Historical Foundation (PDF). Washington, D.C., USA: Air Force History and Museums Program, United States Air Force. LCCN 95-21162. Archived (PDF) from the original on 29 April 2017. Retrieved 9 July 2023. Dedicated to Dr. Malcolm Postgate (1937 - 1994) Royal Air Force Historical Society {{cite book}}: |website= ignored (help)
  3. ^ Miller, David (2012). The Cold War: A Military History. Random House. ISBN 9781448137930. Retrieved 19 November 2017 – via Google Books.
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  6. ^ "Commander UK Air Forces appointed". FlightGlobal.com. Flight International. 17 April 1975.
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  8. ^ a b c d e f g h i Location of Units in the Royal Air Force CD 161/1989, Royal Air Force, Ministry of Defence, 1 January 1989
  9. ^ Darling, Kev (2012). RAF Strike Command, 1968-2007: Aircraft, Men and Action. Barnsley: Pen & Sword. ISBN 978-1-84884-898-6.
  10. ^ a b Stoddart, Kristan (2012). Losing an Empire and Finding a Role. Palgrave Macmillan. p. 207.[ISBN missing]
  11. ^ "History of 1 Group". RAF.MoD.uk. Royal Air Force. n.d. Retrieved 3 July 2017.
  12. ^ a b c d e f "World's Air Forces 1989". Flight International: 60–61. 29 November 1989. Retrieved 19 November 2017.
  13. ^ a b c "A guide to British nuclear weapons projects". Nuclear Weapons. Retrieved 17 November 2017.
  14. ^ Ivelaw Lloyd, Griffith (1993). The Quest for Security in the Caribbean. M.E. Sharpe. ISBN 9781317454960. Retrieved 17 November 2017 – via Google Books.
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  22. ^ "The London Gazette" (PDF). TheGazette.co.uk. The London Gazette. Retrieved 6 July 2017.
  23. ^ Isby and Kamps 1985, 313> Isby and Kamps appear to have omitted 1 PRU.
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  55. ^ "Law: A lawyer's call to arms: Daniel Hayes looks at the different approaches involved in pursuing a legal career with the services". Independent.co.uk. The Independent. 22 October 2011. Archived from the original on 24 May 2022. Retrieved 17 November 2017.
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