Jump to content

User:Noclador/sandbox/Structure of the Royal Air Force in 1989

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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

The Chief of the Air Staff was an Air Chief Marshal, who commanded 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 strength of the Royal Air Force in 1989 was 93,300 men.[2]

RAF Strike Command

[edit]

RAF Strike Command commanded all operational Royal Air Force units in the United Kingdom. Its Commander-in-Chief was Air Chief Marshal Sir Patrick Hine, who doubled as NATO, Commander-in-Chief United Kingdom Air Forces (CINCUKAIR), which was a major subordinate command under NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Europe.[3][4] In 1989 RAF Strike Command consisted of three major operational commands, a few minor units, and had administrative control of the Royal Observer Corps, which was tasked with nuclear warfare analysis and manned the UK's nuclear fallout warning service.[5][6][7][8][2]

No. 1 Group

[edit]
A Tornado GR.1A of No. 13 Squadron RAF.
A Harrier GR.3 of No. 233 Operational Conversion Unit RAF.
class=notpageimage|
No. 1 Group bases in 1989
Group HQ Tornado GR.1 Harrier GR.5
Jaguar GR.1A Hawk T.1A Other bases
(* RAF Benson)

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.[2][8]

Note 1: Unit had a nuclear strike role with WE.177 tactical nuclear weapons.[14]

No. 1 Group also administered the flying units detached to Belize and the Falklands:

No. 11 (Air Defence) Group

[edit]
No. 27 Squadron RAF Tornado GR.1.
class=notpageimage|
No. 11 Group bases in 1989
Group HQ Tornado F3
Phantom Bloodhound Mark II

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 defense against Soviet air attacks.[16][17][2]

No. 18 (Maritime) Group

[edit]
A Jaguar GR.1A of No. 226 Operational Conversion Unit RAF.
class=notpageimage|
No. 18 (Maritime) Group bases in 1989
Headquarters Nimrod MR.2
Buccaneer/Jaguar Other bases

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.[11][8][2][19]

The Maritime Headquarters Units provided additional reserve personnel to man the operations rooms and communications centres that directed 18 Group and the Royal Navy.[20]

Note 1: Unit had a nuclear strike role with WE.177 tactical nuclear weapons.[14]

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.

RAF Germany

[edit]
A Phantom FGR Mk 2 of No. 92 Squadron landing at RAF Wildenrath in the mid-1980s
class=notpageimage|
Royal Air Force Germany air bases in 1989 (all located in North Rhine-Westphalia)
RAF Germany HQ Tornado GR.1
Harrier GR.5 Phantom FGR.2

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.[26][27]

To fulfill 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.5 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.

Note 1: Unit with nuclear strike role with 18x WE.177 tactical nuclear weapons.[14]

RAF Support Command

[edit]
A Hawk T.1 of the RAF Institute of Aviation Medicine landing at RAF Farnborough.

RAF Support Command was commanded by an Air Marshal based at RAF Brampton. During war the command would have moved to its Emergency War Headquarter in a bunker at RAF Holmpton. Support Command had been created in 1973 by merging RAF Maintenance Command,[34] with No. 90 (Signals) Group. In 1977 Support Command 1977 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, maintenance (Air Officer Commanding Maintenance Units and Air Officer Maintenance, RAF Support Command), personnel management, ground transport, supply, basic flying training, ground crew training (Air Officer Commanding Training Units and Air Officer Training, RAF Support Command), ordnance, recruitment, medical services, air base services, IT systems. etc. Air Officer Commanding were Air Vice-Marshals. Below follows a provisional, unverified, partial listing of this large organisation.

AOC Training Units and AO Training

[edit]

The Air Officer Commanding Training Units and Air Officer Training was an Air Vice-Marshal responsible for all training establishments of the RAF. The AOC Training Units and AO Training administered the following training establishments and units:

AOC Air Cadets & Commandant Air Training Corps

[edit]

AOC Signals Units and AO Signals

[edit]

The Air Officer Commanding Signals Units and Air Officer Signals was an Air Vice-Marshal responsible for all signals units of the RAF. Besides Royal Signals Air Support Signals Units at operational RAF bases and stations, the AOC Signals Units and AO Signals administered the following units.

Additional specialized signals units 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

[edit]

AO Administration and AO Directly Administered Units

[edit]

RAF 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,[39][40] 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.

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 airfields where they were based.

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.[42]

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

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.[42]

RAF Provost & Security Services

[edit]

The RAF Provost Marshal of the RAF Provost & Security Services had the rank of Air Commodore and was based in the Metropole building in Whitehall. At each RAF base and station a RAF Police flight was tasked with guarding and securing the base or station. The flights were administered by the following higher commands:[45][46]

Women's Royal Air Force

[edit]

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.[47][48]

Princess Mary's Royal Air Force Nursing Service

[edit]

The Princess Mary's Royal Air Force Nursing Service (PMRAFNS) was the nursing branch of the Royal Air Force. The service staffed The Princess Mary's Hospital, RAF Akrotiri, RAF Hospital Ely, RAF Hospital Halton, RAF Hospital Uxbridge, RAF Hospital Wegberg and RAF Hospital Wroughton.[49][50]

Royal Air Force Chaplains Branch

[edit]

The Royal Air Force Chaplains Branch provided military chaplains for the Royal Air Force. Chaplains and candidates were trained at the Royal Air Force Chaplains' School at Amport House.[51][52]

[edit]

The RAF Legal Branch (RAFLB) was the uniformed legal service provider for the Royal Air Force. It consisted of solicitors and barristers qualified in a Commonwealth jurisdiction.[53][54]

RAF Medical Services

[edit]

The RAF Medical Services provided health care at home and on deployed operations to RAF personnel. Medical officers 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

[edit]

The inventory of the RAF in 1989 consisted of the following aircraft:[13]

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

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b The Statesman's Year-Book 1989-90. London: Macmillan Press. 1989. p. 1314. ISBN 978-0-333-39153-2. Retrieved 13 July 2017.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g The Statesman's Year-Book 1989-90. London: Macmillan Press. 1989. p. 1314. ISBN 978-0-333-39153-2. Retrieved 13 July 2017.
  3. ^ Miller, Roger G. "Seeing Off the Bear: Anglo-American Air Power Cooperation During the Cold War" (PDF). United States Air Force History and Museums Program. Retrieved 19 November 2017.
  4. ^ Miller, David (2012). The Cold War: A Military History. Random House. ISBN 9781448137930. Retrieved 19 November 2017.
  5. ^ Pedlow, Dr. Gregory W. "The Evolution of NATO's Command Structure, 1951-2009" (PDF). NATO. NATO. Retrieved 17 November 2017.
  6. ^ "Chronological history of the Royal Observer Corps". Royal Observer Corps Association. Royal Observer Corps Association. Retrieved 17 November 2017.
  7. ^ Commander UK Air Forces appointed Flight International, 17 April 1975
  8. ^ a b c d e 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. ^ a b c d e f g h i "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)
  10. ^ Darling, Kev (2012). RAF Strike Command, 1968-2007: Aircraft, Men and Action. Barnsley: Pen & Sword. ISBN 978-1-84884-898-6.
  11. ^ a b Stoddart, Kristan (2012). Losing an Empire and Finding a Role. Palgrave Macmillan. p. 207.
  12. ^ "History of 1 Group". Royal Air Force. Retrieved 3 July 2017.
  13. ^ a b c d e f "World's Air Forces 1989". Flight International: 60–61. 29 November 1989. Retrieved 19 November 2017.
  14. ^ a b c "A guide to British nuclear weapons projects". Nuclear Weapons. Retrieved 17 November 2017.
  15. ^ Ivelaw Lloyd, Griffith (1993). The Quest for Security in the Caribbean. M.E. Sharpe. ISBN 9781317454960. Retrieved 17 November 2017.
  16. ^ "No 11 Group". RAF Web. Retrieved 19 November 2017.
  17. ^ The Statesman's Yearbook: 1991-92. London: Macmillan Press. 1991. p. 1316. ISBN 978-1-349-38841-7.
  18. ^ "Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation". Retrieved 15 July 2017.
  19. ^ Perkins, Commander William. "Alliance Airborne Anti-Submarine Warfare" (PDF). NATO Joint Air Power Competence Center. Retrieved 19 November 2017.
  20. ^ http://600squadronassociation.com/2015/04/no-1-maritime-headquarters-unit-old-comrades-association/
  21. ^ Isby and Kamps 1985, p. 313.
  22. ^ "The London Gazette" (PDF). The London Gazette. Authority. Retrieved 6 July 2017.
  23. ^ Isby and Kamps 1985, 313> Isby and Kamps appear to have omitted 1 PRU.
  24. ^ Jefford, C.G. RAF Squadrons, a Comprehensive record of the Movement and Equipment of all RAF Squadrons and their Antecedents since 1912. Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK: Airlife Publishing, 1988 (second edition 2001). ISBN 1-85310-053-6 (p.41)
  25. ^ "RAF Helicopters In Search and Rescue". Royal Air Force. Royal Air Force. Retrieved 6 July 2017.
  26. ^ 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.
  27. ^ Vieuxbill, Louis. "BAOR Order of Battle July 1989" (PDF). Netherlands OrBat. Retrieved 19 November 2017.
  28. ^ "Royal Air Force In Germany 1945-1993" (PDF). RAF Museum. The Joint Services Command and Staff College, Bracknell. Retrieved 17 November 2017.
  29. ^ "Royal Air Force (RAF) Bases in Germany". Retrieved 17 November 2017.
  30. ^ Taylor, Bill (2003). Royal Air Force Germany'. Hinckley/England: Midland Publishing. ISBN 1-85780-034-6.
  31. ^ Burns, Michael (1990). RAF Germany. London: Arms and Armour Press. ISBN 0-85368-918-0.
  32. ^ Royal Air Force. "RAF History" (PDF). Ministry of Defence UK. Retrieved 17 November 2017.
  33. ^ "Timeline". II(AC) Squadron Association. Retrieved 4 August 2017.
  34. ^ Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation - RAF Home Commands formed between 1958 - 2002 Archived 2014-07-05 at the Wayback Machine
  35. ^ "Service appointments". The Independent. Retrieved 4 July 2017.
  36. ^ "Appointments" (PDF). The London Gazette. Authority. Retrieved 4 July 2017.
  37. ^ "Appointments" (PDF). The London Gazette. Authority. Retrieved 4 July 2017.
  38. ^ "Appointments" (PDF). The London Gazette. Authority. Retrieved 4 July 2017.
  39. ^ "Appointments". The London Gazette. Authority.
  40. ^ "Appointments". The London Gazette. Authority.
  41. ^ Oliver, Kingsley M. (February 1997). THROUGH ADVERSITY - The History of the Royal Air Force Regiment 1941-1992 (PDF). Rushden, Northamptonshire, England: Forces & Corporate Publishing Ltd. p. 370. ISBN 0-9529597-0-4. Retrieved 3 July 2017.
  42. ^ a b "Royal Air Force Reserve and Auxiliary Forces" (PDF). Royal Air Force Museum. Royal Air Force Historical Society. Retrieved 18 November 2017.
  43. ^ "Auxiliary Air Force/Royal Auxiliary Air Force Units". Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation. Retrieved 17 November 2017.
  44. ^ a b "RAF Reserve Squadrons list". Royal Air Force. Royal Air Force. Retrieved 17 November 2017.
  45. ^ Davies, Stephen R. "Global history of the RAF Police 1918 - 2018". Retrieved 18 November 2017.
  46. ^ Davies, Stephen R. "A concise history of the Royal Air Force Police". Royal Air Force Police Association. Retrieved 18 November 2017.
  47. ^ "Women's Royal Air Force (WRAF) 1949 - 1994". RAF Museum. Retrieved 17 November 2017.
  48. ^ "Fact File: Women's Auxiliary Air Force". BBC. Retrieved 18 November 2017.
  49. ^ "RAF - PM MDHU History". www.raf.mod.uk. Retrieved 31 July 2017.
  50. ^ Mary Mackie: Wards in the Sky – the RAF's Remarkable Nursing Service (The History Press, UK, 2014, ISBN 9780750959568).
  51. ^ Who we are: Amport House. RAF Chaplains Branch official website. Retrieved 10 September 2010.
  52. ^ "The Royal Air Force, Chaplians Branch, 90th anniversary service" (PDF). Royal Air Force. Ministry of Defence. 27 November 2008. p. 9. Retrieved 21 June 2016.
  53. ^ "Law: A lawyer's call to arms: Daniel Hayes looks at the different approaches involved in pursuing a legal career with the services". The Independent. Retrieved 17 November 2017.
[edit]
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=User:Noclador/sandbox/Structure_of_the_Royal_Air_Force_in_1989&oldid=988885234"