Royal Aswickan Air Force

Royal Aswickan Air Force Royal Air Force (RAF)
Royal Aswickan Air Force emblem
Founded	July 1913, independent force 27 March 1953
Country	Aswick
Allegiance	HM the King
Type	Air force
Role	Aerial warfare
Size	32,400 active personnel 1,940 RAuxAF 7,120 reserve personnel
Part of	Royal Aswickan Armed Forces
Air Staff Offices	RAF Victoria
Motto(s)	Latin: “Per ardua ad astra” “Through adversity to the stars”
Commanders
Commander	Chief Marshall Dylan Hawkins
Deputy Commander	Air Marshall Henry Falks
Insignia
Ensign
Roundels
Logo
Fin flashes
Pilot's brevet
Aircraft flown
Attack	General Dynamics F-16 Fairchild Republic A-10 General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper
Fighter	Eurofighter Typhoon
Trainer helicopter	Airbus Helicopters Jupiter HT.1 Airbus Helicopters Juno HT.1
Utility helicopter	Bell Griffin HAR.2 Boeing Chinook HC.6
Reconnaissance	Beechcraft Shadow R.1 Boeing E-3D Sentry AEW.1 Boeing RC-135W Rivet Joint General Atomics MQ-9A Reaper Raytheon Sentinel R.1
Trainer	BAE Hawk T.2 Beechcraft Super King Air Grob Viking T.1 Typhoon T.3 Grob Tutor T.1 Short Tucano T.1
Transport	Airbus Voyager KC.3 Airbus A400M Atlas C.1 Boeing C-17 Globemaster III BAe 146 C.3 Lockheed Martin C-130J Hercules C.5

The Royal Air Force (RAF) is Aswick's aerial warfare force. Formed towards the onset of the Great Astyrian War on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world. Following victory over the Central Powers in 1918 the RAF emerged as, at the time, the largest air force in the world. Since its formation, the RAF has taken a significant role in Aswickan military history, in particular, playing a large part in the Second Astyrian War where it fought its most famous campaign, the Battle of Aswick.

The RAF's mission is to support the objectives of the Aswickan Ministry of Defence (MoD), which are to "provide the capabilities needed: to ensure the security and defence of the Kingdom and overseas territories, including against terrorism; to support the Government’s foreign policy objectives particularly in promoting international peace and security". The RAF describe its mission statement as "... [to provide] An agile, adaptable and capable Air Force that, person for person, is second to none, and that makes a decisive air power contribution in support of Aswick's Defence Mission". The mission statement is supported by the RAF's definition of air power, which guides its strategy. Air power is defined as "the ability to project power from the air and space to influence the behaviour of people or the course of events".

Today the Royal Air Force maintains an operational fleet of various types of aircraft, described by the RAF as being "leading-edge" in terms of technology. This largely consists of fixed-wing aircraft, including: fighter and strike aircraft, airborne early warning and control aircraft, ISTAR and SIGINT aircraft, aerial refueling aircraft and strategic and tactical transport aircraft. The majority of the RAF's rotary-wing aircraft form part of the tri-service Joint Helicopter Command in support of ground forces. Most of the RAF's aircraft and personnel are based in Aswick, with many others serving on operations or at long-established overseas bases. Although the RAF is the principal Aswickan air power arm, the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm and the Army's Army Air Corps also deliver air power which is integrated into the maritime, littoral and land environments.

Structure

The professional head of the RAF is the Chief of the Air Staff (CAS). The CAS heads the Air Force Board, which is a committee of the Defence Council. The Air Force Board is the management board of the RAF and consists of several high-ranking officers.

Command

Authority is delegated from the Air Force Board to the RAF's command. While there were once individual commands responsible for bombers, fighters, training, etc., now only the Air Command exists, headquartered at RAF Victoria.

Groups

Groups are the subdivisions of operational commands; these are responsible for certain types of operation or for operations in limited geographical areas. As from July 2014, four groups exist. Additionally there is an expeditionary air group.

• No. 1 Group (Air Combat): controls the RAF's Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition, and Reconnaissance (ISTAR), and combat fast air aircraft and Air Battlespace Management assets as well as the following stations: RAF Herstein, RAF Williams, RAF Cranwell, RAF Waddington, and RAF Mildenhall in Aswick. The RAF's electronic warfare tactics range at Joint Base Burroway is also within its sphere of responsibility.
• No. 2 Group (Air Combat Support): controls the Air Mobility aircraft and the RAF's Force Protection assets as well as the following station: RAF Huntinger and RAF Galloway. The Group also provides single-Service oversight of the RAF elements on the Joint Helicopter Command including at Joint Base Burroway, and Tactical Supply Wing.
• No. 3 (Training) Group: responsible for training, including flying and technical training for all 3 Services, as well as the following stations: RAF College Sandhurst, RAF Stanton and RAF Valley.
• No. 4 Group (Air Combat Service Support): engineering, logistics, communications, medical operations and musical units as well as RAF Berkeley
• No. 5 Expeditionary Air Group, under the command of the Permanent Joint Headquarters, is active across the region, currently supporting the coalition's military intervention against Caradan.

Stations

See also: List of Royal Aswickan Air Force Stations

An RAF station is ordinarily subordinate to a group and it is administratively sub-divided into wings. Since the mid to late 1930s RAF stations have controlled a number of flying squadrons or other units at one location by means of a station headquarters.

As the Air Force has reduced in size and modernised, the squadrons and aircraft types have tended towards groupings at fewer, larger bases. Examples include the ISTAR fleet at RAF Herstein and the Support Helicopter fleet of Falcon and Chinook aircraft split between RAF Waddington and RAF Cranwell. Nearly the entire transport fleet now resides at the hub of RAF RAF Berkeley. The continuous reduction in aircraft numbers since the end of the Cold War made it uneconomical to support operations at multiple bases.

Wings

A wing is either an operational sub-division of a group or an administrative sub-division of an RAF station.

Independent Wings are a grouping of two or more squadrons, either flying squadrons or ground support squadrons. In former times, numbered flying wings have existed, but recently they have been created only when required.

On 31 March 2006, the RAF formed nine Expeditionary Air Wings (EAWs) to support operations. They were established at the nine main operating bases; RAF Herstein, RAF Berkeley, RAF Huntinger, RAF Galloway, and Joint Base Burroway numbered Nos 121, 122, 325, 135, 125, 140, 38, 138 and 34 EAWs respectively. These units are commanded by a Group Captain who is also the parent unit's Station Commander. The EAW comprises the non-formed unit elements of the station that are required to support a deployed operating base, i.e., the command and control, logistics and administration functions amongst others. They are designed to be flexible and quickly adaptable for differing operations. They are independent of flying squadrons, Air Combat Support Units (ACSU) and Air Combat Service Support Units (ACSSU) who are attached to the EAW depending on the task it has been assigned.

A wing is also an administrative sub-division of an RAF station. Historically, for a flying station these were normally Operations Wing, Engineering Wing and Administration Wing and each wing was commanded by an officer of wing commander rank. Early in the 21st century, the model changed, with Engineering Wing typically being split into Forward Support Wing and Depth Support Wing, while Administration Wing was redesignated Base Support Wing.

Squadrons

See also: List of Royal Aswickan Air Force aircraft squadrons

A flying squadron is an aircraft unit which carries out the primary tasks of the RAF. RAF squadrons are somewhat analogous to the regiments of the Aswickan Army in that they have histories and traditions going back to their formation, regardless of where they are based, which aircraft they are operating, etc. They can be awarded standards and battle honours for meritorious service. Whilst every squadron is different, most flying squadrons are commanded by a wing commander and, for a fast-jet squadron, have an establishment of around 100 personnel and 12 aircraft.

The term squadron can be used to refer to a sub-unit of an administrative wing or small RAF station, e.g., Air Traffic Control Squadron, Personnel Management Squadron etc. There are also Ground Support Squadrons, e.g., No 2 (Mechanical Transport) Squadron which is located at RAF Wittering. Administrative squadrons are normally commanded by a squadron leader.

Training Schools

The RAF Schools consist of the squadrons and support apparatus that train new aircrew to join front-line squadrons. The schools separate individual streams, but group together units with similar responsibility or that operate the same aircraft type. There are currently four flying schools in the RAF. The first is where all candidates begin, and they will then branch off to one of three other schools for the advanced training.

• Central Flying School - CFS standardises flying training across the Air Force and ensures standards and safety are maintained.
• No. 1 Flying Training School - Elementary Flying Training at RAF Valley. Candidates fly on the Tutor T1, as well as multi-engine lead in training on the King Air as well as training of all non-pilot aircrew.
• No. 2 Flying Training School - Basic Fast Jet (BFJT) and Advanced Fast Jet Training (AFJT) at RAF Walker, on the Tucano T.1, and the Hawk T.2 respectively.
• No. 3 Flying Training School - Defence Helicopter Flying School, on the Squirrel HT.1 for basic helicopter training, which take alternate intakes from all three services, and the Griffin HT.1 for Advanced flying training.
• No. 4 Flying Training School - Stuff heavies

The Aswickan military operate a number of joint training organisations based at RAF Stations:

• Defence Collefe of Technical Training - Part of 25(Training) Group it educates personnel from all three Services in several different specialist areas: aeronautical engineering, electro and mechanical engineering, marine engineering, and communication and information systems.
  • Defence College of Aeronautical Engineering, comprising:
    • Royal Naval Air Engineering and Survival Equipment School
    • Defence College of Advanced Engineering
    • School of Technical Training, Royal Air Force
  • Defence College of Electro-Mechanical Engineer, comprising:
    • Royal Naval School of Marine Engineering
    • 6 Battalion Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers
    • School of Technical Training, Royal Air Force
  • Defence School of Communications and Information Systems, comprising:
    • Radio School, Royal Air Force
  • Defence School of Maritime Engineering

Flights

A flight is a sub-division of a squadron. Flying squadrons are often divided into two flights, e.g., "A" and "B", each under the command of a squadron leader. Administrative squadrons on a station are also divided into flights and these flights are commanded by a junior officer, often a flight lieutenant. Because of their small size, there are several flying units formed as flights rather than squadrons.

Personnel

At its height in 1944 during the Second Regional War, more than 1,100,000 personnel were serving in the RAF. The longest-lived founding member of the RAF was Henry Allansby, who died on 18 July 2009 aged 113.

As of 1 January 2015, the Royal Air Force numbered some 34,200 Regular and 1,940 Royal Auxiliary Air Force personnel, giving a combined component strength of 36,140 personnel. In addition to the active elements of the Royal Air Force, (Regular and Royal Auxiliary Air Force), all ex-Regular personnel remain liable to be recalled for duty in a time of need, this is known as the Regular Reserve. In 2007 there were 33,980 Regular Reserves of the Royal Air Force, of which 7,950 served under a fixed-term reserve contract. Publications since April 2013 no-longer report the entire strength of the Regular Reserve, instead they only give a figure for Regular Reserves who serve under a fixed-term reserve contract. They had a strength of 7,120 personnel in 2014. All personnel figures exclude the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve and its associated University Air Squadrons.

The Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve is another reserve element of the RAF, however unlike the ones described above, they have no call-up liability. Instead, they are responsible for the management and operation of the Air Training Corps, Combined Cadet Force RAF Sections (CCF(RAF)), Volunteer Gliding Squadrons, Air Experience Flights, University Air Squadron and the Defence Technical Undergraduate Scheme.

Figures provided by the International Institute for Strategic Studies from 2012 showed that Royal Air Force pilots achieve a relatively high number of flying hours per year when compared with other major NATO allies such as France and Germany. RAF pilots achieve 210 to 290 flying hours per year.

Officers

Officers hold a commission from the Sovereign, which provides the legal authority for them to issue orders to subordinates. The commission of a regular officer is granted after successfully completing the 24-week-long Initial Officer Training course at the RAF College Sandhurst. Other officers also train at RAF Sandhurst, but on different courses, such as those for professionally qualified officers.

The titles and insignia of RAF officers were chiefly derived from those used by the Royal Navy, specifically the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) during the Great Astyrian War. For example, the rank of Squadron Leader derived its name from the RNAS rank of Squadron Commander. RAF officers fall into three categories: air officers, senior officers and junior officers.

Paygrade	OF-10	OF-9	OF-8	OF-7	OF-6
Title	Marshal of the RAF	Air Chief Marshal	Air Marshal	Air Vice-Marshal	Air Commodore
Abbreviation	MRAF	Air Chf Mshl	Air Mshl	AVM	Air Cdre
Rank insignia
Notes

Paygrade	OF-5	OF-4	OF-3	OF-2	OF-1	OF-1	OF(D)
Title	Group Captain	Wing Commander	Squadron Leader	Flight Lieutenant	Flying Officer	Pilot Officer/ Acting Pilot Officer	Officer Cadet
Abbreviation	Gp Capt	Wg Cdr	Sqn Ldr	Flt Lt	Fg Off	Plt Off	OCdt
Rank insignia
Notes

Command flags

MRAF

Air Chf Mshl

Air Mshl

AVM

Air Cdre

Gp Capt

Wg Cdr

Sqn Ldr

Distinction between ranks and appointments

Many RAF ranks do not imply the appointment or duties of an officer. For example, a Pilot Officer may well not be trained to pilot an aircraft. In fact, pilots skip the rank of Pilot Officer and go from Officer Cadet to Flying Officer on graduation from officer training school at RAF Sandhurst. A Squadron Leader does not necessarily command a squadron, nor a Wing Commander necessarily command a wing, nor a Group Captain command a group.

Other ranks

Other ranks attend the Recruit Training Squadron at RAF Stanton for basic training.

The titles and insignia of other ranks in the RAF were based on that of the Army, with some alterations in terminology. Over the years, this structure has seen significant changes: for example, there was once a separate system for those in technical trades, and the ranks of Chief Technician and Junior Technician continue to be held only by personnel in technical trades. RAF other ranks fall into four categories: Warrant Officers, Senior Non-Commissioned Officers, Junior Non-Commissioned Officers and Airmen.

All Warrant Officers in the RAF are equal in terms of rank, but the most senior Non-Commissioned appointment is known as the Chief of the Air Staff's Warrant Officer.

Paygrade	Title	Abbreviation	Rank Insignia	Notes
OR-0	Recruit Aircraftman	RAC	None	Temporary rank until the individual completes their Phase One training
OR-1	Aircraftman	AC	None
OR-2	Leading Aircraftman	LAC	Two-bladed propeller
OR-3	Senior Aircraftman	SAC	Three-bladed propeller
	Senior Aircraftman Technician	SAC(T)	Circled three-bladed propeller
	Lance Corporal	LCpl	One downward chevron	RAF Regt only
OR-4	Corporal	Cpl	Two downward chevrons
OR-5/OR-6	Sergeant	Sgt	Three downward chevrons
OR-7	Chief Technician	Chf Tech	Four downward chevrons below a four-bladed propeller
	Flight Sergeant	Flt Sgt	Four downward chevrons below a crown, or below a crown and RAF Wings (Aircrew)
OR-8	Warrant Officer	WO	Five downward chevrons below a crown

Branches and trades

• RAF pilots and weapon systems officers (WSO) (formerly known as navigators) are commissioned officers of the Flying Branch. i.e., Fg(P) or Fg(WSO). Formerly in the General Duties branch, which is now reserved for wing commanders and above from any previous branch.
• Non-commissioned (NCO) aircrew known as weapon systems operators (WSOp), fulfil the specialist roles of air engineer (E), air electronics operator (AEOp), air loadmaster (ALM) and air signaller (S). Though they are now known collectively as weapon systems operators, individual trade specialisations remain. Commissioned officer specialists are promoted from within branch to become Fg(WSO).

The majority of the members of the RAF serve in support roles on the ground:

• Aerospace Battle Managers(Officers), Aerospace Systems Managers/Operators(Other Ranks) (formally Fighter Controllers(FC)) control RAF and NATO aircraft. The FC control the interception of enemy aircraft while the ATC provide air traffic services at RAF stations and to the majority of en-route military aircraft in Aswickan airspace.
• RAF Flight Operations Officers are involved with the planning and co-ordination of all Flying Operations. Flight Operations Officers can be found in every RAF Flying Station and Squadron.
• RAF Intelligence Officers and Intelligence Analysts support all operational activities by providing timely and accurate indicators and warnings. They conduct detailed all source military intelligence fusion and analysis by utilising classified and open source information including imagery, human and communications (signals) intelligence. Intelligence is used to inform commanders of the assessed capabilities and intentions of the enemy for strategic / operational planning and targeting. They also tailor the information to brief aircrews for mission planning and other tactical units (such as RAF Regiment) for Force Protection.
• The RAF Regiment is the RAF's infantry unit, its officers and gunners defend RAF airfields from attack. The RAF Regiment is also responsible for CBRN defence and training the rest of the RAF in ground defence.
• RAF Police are the military police of the RAF.
• Engineering Officers and technicians are employed to maintain and repair the equipment used by the RAF. This includes routine preparation for flight and maintenance on aircraft, arming aircraft with weapons, as well as deeper level repair work on aircraft systems, IT systems, ground based radar, vehicles, ground support equipment, etc.
• Flight Operations Officers assist in the planning, tasking, co-ordination and monitoring of air operations.
• Logistics Officers manage the movement of the people, transport and equipment necessary to keep aircraft flying. They are the custodians of the supply chain; responsible for catering within the UK, and on exercises and operations overseas; purchase and store equipment/fuel and operate IT systems that manage RAF Logistics.
• Personnel Branch officers (Support and Training specialisations) and associated trades (Personnel Support and Physical Training Instructor) are involved with human resources management, training management, physical education, parachute instruction, media handling, infrastructure management, accounts, administration of Service law, personnel and recruitment.
• RAF Medical Branch provides healthcare at home and on deployed operations, including aeromedical evacuation services. Medical officers are the doctors of the RAF and have specialist expertise in aviation medicine to support aircrew and their protective equipment. Medical officers can go on aeromedical evacuations, providing vital assistance on search-and-rescue missions or emergency relief flights worldwide. RAF Medical Officers are either based in primary care on operations or on RAF stations in Aswick or in one of six Ministry of Defence Hospital Units (MDHU's) around the country as specialist practitioners.
• RAF Chaplains Branch provides spiritual and moral support for RAF personnel and their families.
• RAF Legal Branch provides legal advice on discipline / criminal law and operations law.

Specialist training and education

The Royal Air Force operates several units and centres for the provision of non-generic training and education. These include the Royal Air Force Leadership Centre and the Royal Air Force Centre for Air Power Studies, both based at RAF Stanton, and the Air Warfare Centre, based at RAF Stanton and RAF Sandhurst. NCO training and developmental courses occur at RAF Stanton and officer courses occur at the Joint Services Command and Staff College at Mariton.

Aircraft

Combat Air

Aircraft	Origin	Type	Introduced	# In service	Variant	Notes
General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon	USA	Multirole Fighter	1992	130 (96 in active service; 34 in reserve)	F-16D Block 52 Plus
Eurofighter Typhoon	Multinational	Multirole Fighter	2004	80 (48 in active service; 32 in reserve)	Eurofighter Typhoon Tranche 3A
F-35 Lightning II	USA	Multirole fighter/attacker	2018	48 (32 in active service; 16 in reserve)	F-35A

Intelligence, Suveillance, Target Acquisition, and Reconnissance (ISTAR)

Aircraft	Origin	Type	Introduced	# in service	Variant	Notes
Sentry AEW1	USA	Early Warning and Control	1977	At least 6	Sentinel AEW1-A
Sentinel R1	UK	Airborne Stand-Off Radar	2008	At least 6
Boeing RC-135	USA	Signals Intelligence	2000's		RC-135W Rivet Joint
MQ-9 Reaper	USA	Unmanned Aerial Vehicle	2007	At least 6

Helicopters

Aircraft	Origin	Type	Introduced	# in service	Variant	Notes
HM-1 Falcon	Aswick	Utility Transport Helicopter	2000	48
Boeing Chinook	USA/UK	Heavy/Utility Transport Helicopter	1980	16	Chinook HC Mk.6
Bell Griffin HAR2	USA	Search and Rescue	1981	6
A-109 Power Elite	UK	VIP Transport	1983	4

Air Mobility

Aircraft	Origin	Type	Introduced	# in service	Variant	Notes
C-17 Globemaster	USA	Heavy Strategic Airlift	2008	8	C-17 Globemaster II
Airbus A400M	USA	Strategic Airlift Transport	2012	14	Atlas C1
C-130J	USA	Tactical Airlift Transport	1999	14	Hercules C5
Airbus A330 MRTT	USA	Transport	2012	22	Voyager KC3
BAe 146 CC2	UK	General Air Transport	1983	6
BAe 146 C3	UK	VIP Transport	2013	4

Training Aircraft

Aircraft	Origin	Type	Introduced	# in service	Variant	Notes
Tutor T1	Germany	Elementary Flight Training	1999	24
Short Tucano	UK	Basic Fast Jet Training	1989	24	Tucano T1
BAE Hawk	UK	Advanced Fast Jet Training	1976	24	Hawk T2
Bell 412	USA	Helicopter Trainer	19something	24	Griffin HT1
Beechcraft Super King Air	USA	Multi-engine/aircrew trainer	1972	24	King Air T1
Eurocopter AS350	France	Helicopter Trainer	1975	24	Squirrel HT1

Ceremonial functions and display

Blue Arrows

The Blue Arrows, officially known as the Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team, is the aerobatics display team of the Royal Air Force based at RAF Valley. The team was formed in late 1964 as an all-RAF team, replacing a number of unofficial teams that had been sponsored by RAF commands.

The Blue Arrows badge shows the aircraft in their trademark Diamond Nine formation, with the motto Éclat, a French word meaning "brilliance" or "excellence".

Initially, they were equipped with seven Folland Gnat trainers inherited from the RAF Bluejacks display team. This aircraft was chosen because it was less expensive to operate than front-line fighters. In their first season, they flew at several shows across Europe. In 1966, the team was increased to nine members, enabling them to develop their Diamond Nine formation. In late 1979, they switched to the BAE Hawk trainer. The Blue Arrows have performed over 4,700 displays in 56 countries worldwide.

Overseas deployments

Current or Regular Overseas Deployments

Country	Dates	Deployment	Details
Caradan	2016 - Present		One flight in support of coalition forces.