Jump to content

User:Coldstreamer20/Structure of the British Royal Air Force in 1989

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The structure of the British Royal Air Force in 1989/1990 is outlined below.

Background

[edit]

Role and any changes since the 1982 reforms here.

In 1989 and 1990, the Royal Air Force was quickly replacing its ageing McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantoms with the new Panavia Tornado, and therefore several units listed below were mixed in their equipment because of their conversion.

Abbreviations:

  • ASW: Anti-Submarine Warfare – tasked with hunting and destroying submarines
  • SAR: Search and Rescue – tasked with Search and Rescue duties

Air Staff of the Royal Air Force

[edit]
  • Air Staff of the Royal Air Force
    • Chief of the Air Staff () Marshal of the Royal Air Force Sir Peter R. Harding
      • Assistant Chief of the Air Staff () Air Vice Marshal Michael G. Simmons (to March 1989) Air Vice Marshal C. John Thomson (from March)
      • Air Member for Personnel ( (to October 1989) (from then)) Air Marshal Sir Laurence A. Jones (to October 1989) Air Chief Marshal Sir David Parry-Evans (from October)
      • Air Member for Supply and Organisation () Air Chief Marshal Sir Brendan J. Jackson
      • Air Secretary () Air Vice Marshal Richard A. Mason (to February 1989) Air Vice Marshal Robert J. honey (from February)
        • Director of Personnel Management (Policy & Plans) () Air Commodore Colin H. Reineck
        • Director of Flight Safety () Air Commodore G. Richard Profit
        • Director of Plans () Air Commodore Peter G. Beer
        • Director of Air Staff Duties () Air Commodore Timothy Garden
      • Director-General of Training () Air Vice Marshal Michael J. Pilkington (to February 1989) Air Vice Marshal Eric H. Macey (from February)
        • Director-General of Ground Training () Air Commodore Richard H. Kyle
        • Director of Recruiting () Air Commodore Peter D. Oulton
      • Director-General of Personnel Services () Air Vice Marshal Derek W. Hann (to September 1989) Air Vice Marshal David O. Crwys-Williams (from September)
        • Director of Personnel (Air) () Air Commodore R. D. Arnott
        • Director of Personnel (Ground) () Air Commodore Terence B. Sherrington
        • Director of Flying Training () Air Commodore Brian B. Batt
        • Director of Organisation and Quartering () Air Commodore John Delafield
        • Director of Movements () Air Commodore J. H. Tossell (to November 1989) Air Commodore John G. Hargreaves (from November)
        • 1st Director of Personnel Services () Air Commodore J. E. Nevill (to March 1989) Air Commodore David R. Hawkins (from March)
        • 2nd Director of Personnel Services () Air Commodore G. H. E. Mitchell
        • 1st Director of Personnel Management (Airmen) () Air Commodore J. B. Thorne (to October 1989) Air Commodore D. J. Harrison (from October)
        • 2nd Director of Personnel Management (Ground) () Air Commodore J. F. Boon
      • Director, Air Offensive () Air Commodore David Cousins (to July 1989) Air Commodore Peter T. Squire (from July)
      • Director Overseas Operations () Air Commodore B. C. Farmer (to April 1989) Air Commodore Ian A. D. McBride (from April)
      • 1st Director of Operational Requirements () Air Commodore Peter C. Norriss
      • 2nd Director of Operational Requirements () Air Commodore F. W. Mitchell

RAF Strike Command

[edit]

No. 1 Group RAF

[edit]

Following the 1981 Defence White Paper, No. 38 Group RAF was absorbed by No. 1 Group RAF, and the headquarters of No. 1 Group moved from RAF Bawtry to RAF Upavon. At the same time, those squadrons and states assigned to the group (supporting the Army) joined No. 1 Group. No. 1 and No. 2 Tactical Weapons Units were each organised into two squadrons and tasked with advanced operational training.

No. 1 Group was commanded by Air Vice-Marshal Charles John Thomson (till Feb 1989) then Ronald Andrew Fellowes Wilson (from Feb 1989) based at RAF Upavon. The 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. The group fielded six squadrons, which could be armed with WE.177 tactical nuclear weapons, and tanker aircraft to ensure that it could deliver nuclear strikes deep inside enemy territory.[1][2]

Structure of the No. 1 Group, Royal Air Force in 1989.

No. 11 (Air Defence) Group RAF

[edit]

No. 11 (Air Defence) Group was commanded by Air Vice-Marshal Roger Hewlett Palin (till March) then William John Wratten (from March) based at RAF Bentley Priory. The 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 aging Phantom fighters 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 attacking the UK. In case of war, No. 11 (Air Defence) Group would have taken command of the five UK-based Hawk T.1 training squadrons, which, armed with AIM-9L Sidewinder missiles would have become the last line of defence against Soviet air attacks.[4][5][6]

Structure of the British Royal Air Force No. 11 Group in 1989.

No. 18 (Maritime) Group RAF

[edit]

No. 18 (Maritime) Group was commanded by Air Marshal Andrew L. Roberts (till August) then David Emmerson (from August) based 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.[7][8][9][10]

In 1969, as a result of the 1966 Defence White Paper, RAF Coastal Command was reduced to No. 18 (Maritime) Group RAF. However, because of the group's important role, No. 18 Group maintained an Air Marshal as its commander-in-chief. As confusing it might seem, No. 18 Group still reported to Strike Command, was an integral part, and indeed not independent.[11]

Structure of the British No. 18 Group, Royal Air Force in 1989.

RAF Germany

[edit]

Royal Air Force Germany (RAFG) consisted of air force units located in Germany as part of the UK'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 armor formation. In case Soviet spearheads would have breached the Weser-line on the Western side of the Upper Weser Valley the RAFG was trained and equipped to attack enemy troop concentrations to the East of the Weser with tactical nuclear weapons.[17][18]

To fulfil its mission RAFG had a varied mix of aircraft under its command: Phantom FGR.2 fighters, Tornado GR.1 fighter-bombers, helicopters, and Harrier GR.3 vertical/short takeoff and landing (V/STOL) jet aircraft. As the most forward deployed units the Harriers would have dispersed to auxiliary airfields and highway strips during the transition to war to protect them from Soviet air attacks. The Army's 38th Engineer Regiment and the Royal Auxiliary Air Force Regiment's No. 2624 (County of Oxford) Field Squadron would have supported the Harrier Force at these airfields.

Structure of the British Royal Air Force Germany in 1989.

RAF Support Command

[edit]

Air Officer Administration & Air Officer Directly Administered Units

[edit]
  • Air Officer Administration & Air Officer Directly Administered Units () Air Vice Marshal David Whittaker MBE (to April 1989) Air Vice Marshal Michael C. W. Dicken (from April)

Air Officer Commanding Signals Units and Air Officer Signals

[edit]

Senior Air Staff Officer & Air Officer Training

[edit]
  • Senior Air Staff Officer & Air Officer, Training () James Donald Spottiswood CB CVO AFC (till March 1989), Air Vice Marshal Michael J. Pilkington (from March)
    • Commandant, Central Trials & Tactics Organisation () Air Commodore J. E. Houghton
    • Commandant, Officer & Aircrew Selection Centre () Air Commodore John A. Bell (to August 1989) Air Commodore Graham R. Pitchfork (from August)
    • Commandant, Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment () Air Commodore David L. Bywater

Air Officer Air Cadets & Commandant Air Training Corps

[edit]

Air Officer Commanding Maintenance Units & Air Officer Maintenance

[edit]

Royal Air Force Regiment

[edit]

The RAF Regiment was headed by the Commandant-General, RAF Regiment and Director-General of Security with the rank of Air Vice-Marshal,[34][35] who was responsible for security at all RAF installations. The RAF Regiment served as the Royal Air Force's airfield defence corps. The regiment administered, trained and maintained its squadron, which operationally were under the commanders of the airfields 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.

  • Commandant-General, RAF Regiment and Director-General of Security, at RAF Catterick
    • Commandant-General, RAF Regiment and Director-General of Security () Air Vice Marshal John H. Harris
    • No. 3 Wing, Royal Air Force Regiment, at RAF Catterick[27]
      • No. 3 Squadron, Royal Air Force Regiment, at RAF Aldergrove[3][30] (Field Airfield Defence; 6 x Land Rover Defences)
      • No. 27 Squadron, Royal Air Force Regiment, at RAF Leuchars[30] (Air Defence; 8 x Rapier SAM systems)
      • No. 48 Squadron, Royal Air Force Regiment, at RAF Catterick[30] (Air Defence; 8 x Rapier SAM systems)
      • No. 58 Squadron, Royal Air Force Regiment, at RAF Catterick[30] (Airfield Light Armour Defence; 6 x FV101 Scorpions Light Tanks, 15 x FV103 Spartan APCs)
    • No. 5 Wing, Royal Air Force Regiment, at RAF Hullavington[27] – tasked with supporting the Harrier Force
      • No. 2 (Parachute) Squadron, Royal Air Force Regiment, at RAF Hullavington[30] (Airfield Light Armour Defence; 6 x FV101 Scorpions Light Tanks, 15 x FV103 Spartan APCs) – parachute trained
      • No. 15 Squadron, Royal Air Force Regiment, at RAF Leeming[30] (Airfield Light Armour Defence; 6 x FV101 Scorpions Light Tanks, 15 x FV103 Spartan APCs)
    • No. 6 Wing, Royal Air Force Regiment, at RAF West Raynham[27] – tasked with air defence for United States Air Force bases in the UK
      • No. 19 Squadron, Royal Air Force Regiment, at RAF Brize Norton[30] (Air Defence; 8 x Rapier SAM systems)
      • No. 20 Squadron, Royal Air Force Regiment, at RAF Honington (Air Defence; 8 x Rapier SAM systems)
      • No. 66 Squadron, Royal Air Force Regiment, at RAF West Raynham[30] (Air Defence; 8 x Rapier SAM systems)

Royal Auxiliary Air Force

[edit]

The Royal Auxiliary Air Force (RAuxAF) was commanded by an Air Vice-Marshal 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 been disbanded in 1957 it lived on in three Maritime Headquarter Units, which provided augmentation personnel for No. 18 (Maritime) Group. 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.[36]

  • Commandant-General, Royal Auxiliary Air Force??
    • Commandant-General, Royal Auxiliary Air Force?? ()
    • No. 2623 Training Squadron, Royal Auxiliary Air Force Regiment (V), at RAF Honington
    • No. 4624 (County of Oxford) Movements Squadron, Royal Auxiliary Air Force, at RAF Brize Norton
    • No. 4626 (County of Wiltshire) Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron, Royal Auxiliary Air Force, at RAF Hullavington
    • Mobile Meteorological Unit, Royal Auxiliary Air Force, at RAF Benson[3]
    • No. 1310 Wing, Royal Auxiliary Air Force Regiment (V), at RAF Catterick – wing formed in June 1989
      • No. 2503 (County of Lincoln) Squadron, Royal Auxiliary Air Force Regiment (V), at RAF Scampton (Field Airfield Defence; 6 x Land Rover Defences)
      • No. 2620 (County of Norfolk) Squadron, Royal Auxiliary Air Force Regiment (V), at RAF Marham (Field Airfield Defence; 6 x Land Rover Defences)
      • No. 2622 (Highland) Squadron, Royal Auxiliary Air Force (V), at RAF Lossiemouth (Field Airfield Defence; 6 x Land Rover Defences)
      • No. 2623 (East Anglian) Squadron, Royal Auxiliary Air Force Regiment (V), at RAF Honington (Field Airfield Defence; 6 x Land Rover Defences)
      • No. 2624 (County of Oxford) Squadron, Royal Auxiliary Air Force (V), at RAF Brize Norton (Field Airfield Defence; 6 x Land Rover Defences)
      • No. 2625 (County of Cornwall) Squadron, Royal Auxiliary Air Force (V), at RAF Saint Mawgan (Field Airfield Defence; 6 x Land Rover Defences)
    • No. 1339 Wing, Royal Auxiliary Air Force Regiment (V), at RAF Waddington – wing formed in October 1989
      • No. 2729 (City of Lincoln) Squadron, Royal Auxiliary Air Force (V), at RAF Waddington (SHORAD; 12 x Oerlikon 35mm twin cannons)
      • No. 2890 Squadron, Royal Auxiliary Air Force (V), at RAF Waddington (SHORAD; 12 x Oerlikon 35mm twin cannons) – formed on 1 October 1989

Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve

[edit]

The RAF Volunteer Reserve was a volunteer organization providing the RAF with specialists for a limited number of positions.[37]

Royal Observer Corps

[edit]

The Royal Observer Corps (ROC) was commanded by the Commandant Royal Observer Corps with the rank of Air Commodore and had its headquarter at RAF Bentley Priory. The corps was tasked with detecting and reporting nuclear explosions and associated fall-out 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 spare-time volunteers, and over 100 Ministry of Defence (MoD) civilian support staff.

Unknown assignments

[edit]

See also

[edit]

Footnotes

[edit]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ a b Station under control of No. 18 (Maritime) Group.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Unit with nuclear strike role with 18x WE.177 tactical nuclear weapons.

Citations

[edit]
  1. ^ The Statesman's Year-Book 1989-90. London: Macmillan Press. 1989. p. 1314. ISBN 978-0-333-39153-2. Retrieved 13 July 2017.
  2. ^ Gregory, Shaun R. (1996). Nuclear Command and Control in NATO: Nuclear Weapons Operations and the Strategy of Flexible Response. London: Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN 978-1-349-39607-8.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar as at au av aw ax ay az ba "Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation". Retrieved 15 July 2017. Cite error: The named reference ":3" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  4. ^ "No 11 Group". RAF Web. Retrieved 19 November 2017.
  5. ^ The Statesman's Yearbook: 1991-92. London: Macmillan Press. 1991. p. 1316. ISBN 978-1-349-38841-7.
  6. ^ The Statesman's Year-Book 1989-90. London: Macmillan Press. 1989. p. 1314. ISBN 978-0-333-39153-2. Retrieved 13 July 2017.
  7. ^ Stoddart, Kristan (2012). Losing an Empire and Finding a Role. Palgrave Macmillan. p. 207.
  8. ^ Gregory, Shaun R. (1996). Nuclear Command and Control in NATO: Nuclear Weapons Operations and the Strategy of Flexible Response. London: Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN 978-1-349-39607-8.
  9. ^ The Statesman's Year-Book 1989-90. London: Macmillan Press. 1989. p. 1314. ISBN 978-0-333-39153-2. Retrieved 13 July 2017.
  10. ^ Perkins, Commander William. "Alliance Airborne Anti-Submarine Warfare" (PDF). NATO Joint Air Power Competence Center. Retrieved 19 November 2017.
  11. ^ Mackie, Colin (September 2021). "Senior Royal Air Force Appointments 1918–present" (PDF). Gulabin. Retrieved 8 December 2021.
  12. ^ Isby, D. C.; Kamps Jr., C. T. (1985). Armies of NATO's Central Front. London: Jane's. p. 313. ISBN 978-0-7106-0341-8.
  13. ^ "Location of Units in the Royal Air Force CD 161/1989". UK Ministry of Defence. 1 January 1989. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |url= (help)
  14. ^ "World's Air Forces 1989". Flight International: 60–61. 29 November 1989. Retrieved 19 November 2017.
  15. ^ "RAF Helicopters In Search and Rescue". Royal Air Force. Royal Air Force. Retrieved 6 July 2017.
  16. ^ "The London Gazette" (PDF). The London Gazette. Authority. Retrieved 6 July 2017.
  17. ^ Jan Hoffenaar, Dieter Krüger & (2012). Blueprints for Battle: Planning for War in Central Europe, 1948-1968. Lexington: University Press of Kentucky. ISBN 978-0-8131-3651-6.
  18. ^ Vieuxbill, Louis. "BAOR Order of Battle July 1989" (PDF). Netherlands OrBat. Retrieved 19 November 2017.
  19. ^ "Royal Air Force In Germany 1945-1993" (PDF). RAF Museum. The Joint Services Command and Staff College, Bracknell. Retrieved 17 November 2017.
  20. ^ "Royal Air Force (RAF) Bases in Germany". Retrieved 17 November 2017.
  21. ^ Taylor, Bill (2003). Royal Air Force Germany'. Hinckley/England: Midland Publishing. ISBN 1-85780-034-6.
  22. ^ Burns, Michael (1990). RAF Germany. London: Arms and Armour Press. ISBN 0-85368-918-0.
  23. ^ Royal Air Force. "RAF History" (PDF). Ministry of Defence UK. Retrieved 17 November 2017.
  24. ^ "Location of Units in the Royal Air Force CD 161/1989". UK Ministry of Defence. 1 January 1989. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |url= (help)
  25. ^ Gregory, Shaun R. (1996). Nuclear Command and Control in NATO: Nuclear Weapons Operations and the Strategy of Flexible Response. London: Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN 978-1-349-39607-8.
  26. ^ "World's Air Forces 1989". Flight International: 60–61. 29 November 1989. Retrieved 19 November 2017.
  27. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r Oliver, pp. 318–320 Cite error: The named reference ":0" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  28. ^ "Supplement to the London Gazette, 11th April 1989". The London Gazette (Supplement). No. 51696. 11 April 1989. p. 4296.
  29. ^ "Royal Air Force Organisational History". rafweb.org. Retrieved 2021-12-09.
  30. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Miscellaneous Signals Units". www.rafweb.org. Retrieved 2021-12-13. Cite error: The named reference ":1" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  31. ^ a b "sea harrier | hong kong | 1989 | 3701 | Flight Archive". web.archive.org. 2017-12-01. Retrieved 2021-12-07.
  32. ^ "Supplement to the London Gazette, 10th March 1987". The London Gazette (Supplement). No. 50854. 10 March 1987. p. 3185.
  33. ^ "Maintenance Units Nos 201 – 300". Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation. 10 September 2020. Retrieved 12 December 2021.
  34. ^ "Appointments". The London Gazette. Authority.
  35. ^ "Appointments". The London Gazette. Authority.
  36. ^ "Royal Air Force Reserve and Auxiliary Forces" (PDF). Royal Air Force Museum. Royal Air Force Historical Society. Retrieved 18 November 2017.
  37. ^ "Royal Air Force Reserve and Auxiliary Forces" (PDF). Royal Air Force Museum. Royal Air Force Historical Society. Retrieved 18 November 2017.
  38. ^ "RAF Reserve Squadrons list". Royal Air Force. Royal Air Force. Retrieved 17 November 2017.

References

[edit]
  • Oliver, Kingsley M. (1997). Through Adversity: The History of the Royal Air Force Regiment. Rushden, Northamptonshire, United Kingdom: Forces & Corporate Publishing Ltd. ISBN 978-0952959700. OCLC 39678168.
[edit]
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=User:Coldstreamer20/Structure_of_the_British_Royal_Air_Force_in_1989&oldid=1249348850"