Royal Air Force
- See also: Future of the Royal Air Force
The RAF is planning for the introduction of new aircraft. These include:
- The Airbus A400M, of which 25 are to be used to replace the remaining Hercules C-130Ks.[14]
- An enhanced version of the Chinook, the HC3, with improved avionics and increased range for special forces missions, was ordered in 1995. Due to technical and project management problems, these aircraft have not yet entered service, but are now due to be downgraded to Support Helicopter configuration and deployed by 2009.
- The Hawk 128 will replace the existing Hawks in service; the newer model being more similar in equipment and performance to modern front line aircraft.
- The ageing aerial refuelling fleet of VC10s and Tristars will be replaced with the Airbus A330 MRTT under the Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft programme.
- The Joint Combat Aircraft (the British designation for the F-35 Lightning II) will replace the Harrier GR7 and GR9.
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Gallery of current Royal Air Force aircraft
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RAF deployments
| Country | Dates | Deployment | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indonesia | 2005 | Support and transport | RAF dispatched to South East Asia following the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake disaster to provide aid relief support |
| Lithuania | 2004 | Baltic Air Policing | 4 Tornado F3 for a 3 months rotation under NATO monitoring mission |
| Afghanistan | 2001– | Operation Veritas | Chinooks provided airlift support to coalition forces. Since late 2004 six Harriers have provided reconnaissance and close air support to the ISAF. |
| Bosnia | 1995– | Various helicopters | RAF enforced no-fly zones over the Balkans in the late 1990s and participated in the NATO interventions in Bosnia and Kosovo. Today, RAF helicopters remain to provide support to the United Nations. |
| Middle East | 1990– | Various | RAF fighters based in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait prior to and during the 1990 Gulf War, and later to enforce no-fly zones over Iraq. Following the 2003 invasion of Iraq and the occupation of southern Iraq by British Forces, the RAF is deployed at Basra. SH is provided in Iraq by Merlin, Puma and Chinook |
| Falkland Islands | 1984– | RAF Mount Pleasant | Built after the Falklands War to allow a fighter and transport facility on the islands, and to strengthen the defence capacity of the British Forces. A detachment of RAF Regiment provides anti-aircraft support. |
| Ascension Island | 1981– | Ascension Island Base | Used as an air bridge between the UK and the Falkland Islands. United States Air Force also stationed at this base. |
| Norway | 1960s– | Bardufoss Air Station | RAF fighter and/or helicopter squadrons undergo winter-training here most years. |
| Cyprus Malta |
1956 | RAF Akrotiri RAF Nicosia RAF Luqa RAF Hal Far |
Operation Musketeer also known as the Suez crisis. |
| Kenya | 1953-1955 | RAF Eastleigh | Anti-Mau Mau operations by Avro Lincoln squadrons |
| Malaya | 1948-1960 | RAF Tengah RAF Butterworth |
Operation Firedog |
| West Germany | 1948-1949 | Various | Originally Operation Knicker and Carter-Paterson became Operation Plainfare (supporting the Berlin Airlift) |
| Canada | 1940s– | RAF Unit Goose Bay, Canada | RAF aircraft train in low-level tactical flying at CFB Goose Bay, a NATO air force base of the Canadian Air Force. |
| Gibraltar | 1940s– | RAF Gibraltar | No permanently stationed aircraft. RAF aircraft, e.g. Hercules transports, make regular visits. |
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Symbols, flags, emblems and uniform
- Further information: Royal Air Force roundels
- Further information: Royal Air Force 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 Japanese 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"[16][17]. The choice of motto is attributed to a junior officer by the name of J S Yule, in response to a request from a Commander of the RFC, Colonel Sykes, for suggestions.
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."[18] It was registered at the College of Arms on 26 January 1923.[19] It was based on a design by a tailor at Gieves Ltd of Savile Row, although the original had an albatross rather than the eagle.[citation needed]
Since 2006 the RAF has adopted a new official logotype, 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.
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See also
- List of RAF stations
- Air Training Corps (Air Cadets)
- List of active United Kingdom military aircraft
-
- Fleet Air Arm of the Royal Navy
- Royal Air Forces of the Commonwealth:
- The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) began as Australian Flying Corps, then Australian Air Force
- The Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF)
- The Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) - began as New Zealand Permanent Air Force
- The Royal Brunei Air Force (RBAF) - began as Air Wing of the Royal Brunei Malay Regiment
- The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) - started as Royal Flying Corps of Canada, then as Canadian Air Force
-
- Note: In 1968 the RCAF was amalgamated with the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) and Canadian Army to form initially the Canadian Armed Forces, then the Canadian Forces (CF) as the Canadian Forces Air Command
- Non-Commonwealth Royal Air Forces
- The Royal Danish Air Force (RDAF)
- The Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNlAF)
- The Royal Norwegian Air Force (RNoAF)
- The Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF)
- The Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF)
- The Royal Air Force of Oman (RAFO)
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References
- ^ http://www.raf.mod.uk/history_old/hrafmotto.html RAF History - "for the RAF it will remain translated as through struggles to the stars"
- ^ the.historychannel.co.uk History Channel - 1st April founding of RAF
- ^ http://www.raf.mod.uk/currentoperations/newstructure.cfm RAF new structure as of 31 March 2008
- ^ BBC, Your Pictures: RAF Flypast
- ^ Defence Analytical Services Agency The MOD Mission
- ^ The Churchill Centre - Speeches & Quotes
- ^ Paul Brickhill "The Dambusters"
- ^ Assistant Chief of the Air Staff (ACAS). Royal Air Force web site. Royal Air Force (2008). Retrieved on 2008-03-18.
- ^ www.raf.mod.uk 31 March 2006. Command Structure.
- ^ rmedforces.co.
- ^ BBC News Fly-past for Britain's oldest man
- ^ Air base in front line fully-armed - Salisbury Journal, Monday 29 October 2007
- ^ Air Forces Monthly, December 2007 issue, p.6.
- ^ Royal Air Force - A400M
- ^ www.raf.mod.uk Deployments
- ^ Cranwell Heraldry Part One: The Royal Air Force Badge - The Heraldry Society, September 2005
- ^ Air Ministry Orders A.666/49, 15 September 1949
- ^ Air Ministry Orders A.666/49, 15 September 1949
- ^ Cranwell Heraldry Part One: The Royal Air Force Badge - The Heraldry Society, September 2005
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External links
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