THE ROYAL AIR FORCE

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THE ROYAL AIR FORCE
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PART 2 ORGANISATION OF THE RAF

• The RAF, like the Navy Army is loyal to the
  Crown but is controlled by Parliament.
• Defence Council
• The Prime Minister and the Cabinet hold supreme
  responsibility for national defence and they
  decide what policies the country should follow.
• They exercise control of the Armed Forces through
  the Defence Council.
• The Secretary of State for Defence, appointed by
  the PM, is Chairman of the Defence Council

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• Air Force Board
•  
• Each of the 3 services is controlled by a board
  of senior officers
•  
• Admiralty Board RN
• Army Board BA
• Air Force Board RAF
•  
• The Heads of these Service Boards are members of
  the Defence Council where they advise the
  Government on matters affecting their own
  service.
• The Air Force Board controls the Royal Air Force.

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Each member of the AFB is a senior officer or
civil servant heading a specialist branch
concerned with a particularly section of the
RAFs work all the different Branches added
together are called   The Air Force Department
of the Ministry of Defence (MOD)
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RAF Command Structure

• Outside the MOD the directives of the Air Force
  Department are put into effect by
• RAF Commands
• Grouped into 2 Commands, determined by the jobs
  they do
• Strike Command.
• Personnel Training Command.

• RAF Groups
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• Sub Headquarters called Groups to control
  specialist units e.g. those flying a particular
  class of aircraft such as fighters.
• Only exist in Strike Command.
• PT Command controls its Units directly.

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• RAF Units Stations
• Unit is the title applied to elements of the
  RAF which are established to cover a particular
  function, e.g. Maintenance Unit, Signals Unit.
• The Basic Operational Unit is a Squadron.
• Squadrons are equipped with aircraft or missiles
  or they may be squadrons of the RAF Regiment.
• According to their size role, squadrons may be
  sub divided into two or more flights.
• The location of an individual unit or number of
  units is known as a RAF Station.
• An RAF Station is run by specially trained
  staff, who themselves are arranged in squadrons.

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Framework of the RAF
DEFENCE COUNCIL CHIEF of AIR STAFF
AIR FORCE BOARD
STRIKE COMMAND
PERSONNEL TRAINING COMMAND
UNITS
No. 1 GROUP
No. 2 GROUP
No. 3 GROUP
OVERSEAS UNITS
UNITS
UNITS
UNITS
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STRIKE COMMAND

• Strike Command is based at RAF High Wycombe where
  it controls all RAF Offensive Defensive
  operations at home overseas.
• Overseas units include
• Falkland Islands
• Cyprus
• Gibraltar
• Ascension Island

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• Groups
• No. 1 Group
• Responsible for all strike attack offensive
  support aircraft.
• Operates all the RAFs front line fighter
  aircraft including, in the future, Eurofighter.
• Seek attack enemy targets on the ground.
• Battlefield support forces long range
  transport tactical transport short range
  offensive aircraft to support battlefield
  operations.

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• No. 2 Group
• Operates all the aircraft force elements that
  support front line operations.
• Includes air transport air to air refuelling
  aircraft

• RAF Regiment Ground Based Air Defence
  systems.
• (Defence Systems will now be controlled by the
  British Army).

• RAF E3 Sentry Air Defence. (RAF Waddington)

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• No. 3 Group
• Home for the new Joint Force Harrier. (With RN).
• Nimrod Maritime Patrol aircraft.

• Search rescue Helicopters.

• RAF Mountain Rescue Teams.

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HQ Personnel Training Command

• PT Command was created on the 1st of April 1994
  and embraces all aspects of
• Recruitment
• Training
• Career Management
• Welfare
• Conditions of Service
• Pensions
• All RAF policy implementation staffs involved
  in the full span of personnel functions are based
  at the Commands headquarters at RAF Innsworth in
  Gloucester.

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RAF Units Stations

• More than 1 unit can be located on an RAF
  Station. If the Units are mostly operational
  Squadrons, i.e. squadrons flying aircraft
  designed to perform an offensive, defensive or
  reconnaissance air role, the station is known as
  an operational station.
• Other stations can be either flying stations,
  e.g. stations housing Maintenance Units or
  Command/Group Headquarters etc.
• A typical station is organised into 3 wings
• Operations
• Engineering
• Administrative

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Structure of Station
Station Commander
OC Engineering Wing
OC Operations Wing
OC Admin Wing
Flying SQNs
Operations SQNs
Air Traffic Control
ME SQN AIR
Electrical Eng Squadron
ME SQN GROUND
Supply Squadron
Station Service Squadron
Education Training SQN
Supply Squadron
Catering Squadron
Personnel Management SQN
Personnel Services Flight
Accounts Flight
General Duties Flt
Security Police
Catering Flight
Estates Flight
RAF Regt Flt
PE Flight
Medical Flight
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Operations Wing

• Flying Squadrons
•   Air Traffic Control
•  
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• Fire Services
• Photographic Interpretation

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Engineering Wing

• Electrical Engineering
• Electronic Engineering
• Armoury
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• The Engineering Wing is responsible for the
  repair maintenance of Air Ground equipment.

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Mechanical Engineering   MT Section  Housing
Services the vehicles needed to re-fuel, re-arm
and ground handle the aircraft, as well as the
other vehicles to support the Stations domestic
task.
Day to day repair maintenance on operational
aircraft.
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Admin Wing
The Administrative Wing looks after the personnel
who live work on the Station. Through its
specialist squadrons flights, Admin Wing
controls the day to day management
of   Catering Accommodation Recreation Security F
inancial Medical
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BASE SECURITY!

• All RAF Bases have a high level of security
  measures to ensure prevention of attack by
  terrorism etc.
• As a cadet on an RAF Base or any other MOD site,
  you should do the following
• Always carry your 3822 (ID) at all times.
• Behave in a sensible and cadet like manner.
• Never enter buildings without permission.
• Never touch military hardware/aircraft/equipment
  unless advised.
• Report any suspicious/unidentified packages to
  the Guardroom.

The Guardroom is manned 24 hours a day to ensure
site security. Security is EVERBODYS
responsibility when on an RAF/MOD Base.
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RAF Ranks (Non Commissioned)
LAC Leading Aircraftsman
SAC Senior Aircraftsman
JT Junior Technician
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CPL Corporal (JNCO)
SGT Sergeant (SNCO)
CT Chief Technician (SNCO)
F/SGT Flight Sergeant (SNCO)
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WO Warrant Officer (SNCO) Highest Most
Respected Rank (Non commissioned).
Aircrew Ranks
SGT AC Sergeant Aircrew (SNCO)
F/SGT AC Flight Sergeant Aircrew (SNCO)
MAC Master Aircrew (SNCO)
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ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS?