RAF Air Command
Encyclopedia
Air Command is the only Command
currently active in the Royal Air Force
. It was formed by the merger of Royal Air Force Strike
and Personnel and Training
Commands on 1 April 2007, and has its headquarters at RAF High Wycombe
, Buckinghamshire
.
The Commander-in-Chief
is an Air Chief Marshal
and reports directly to the Chief of the Air Staff. The current Commander-in-Chief is ACM Sir Simon Bryant
, who was appointed following the death of ACM Sir Christopher Moran
on 26 May 2010 during a triathlon at RAF Brize Norton
.
There are two Deputy Commanders-in-Chief, of Air Marshal
rank. The Deputy Commander-in-Chief Operations has responsibility for the two Groups
inherited from Strike Command, No. 1 Group
and No. 2 Group
; the Deputy Commander-in-Chief Personnel has responsibility for the Group inherited from Personnel and Training Command, No. 22 (Training) Group
.
.
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Command (military formation)
A command in military terminology is an organisational unit that the individual in Military command has responsibility for. A Commander will normally be specifically appointed into the role in order to provide a legal framework for the authority bestowed...
currently active in the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
. It was formed by the merger of Royal Air Force Strike
RAF Strike Command
The Royal Air Force's Strike Command was the military formation which controlled the majority of the United Kingdom's bomber and fighter aircraft from 1968 until 2007: it was merged with Personnel and Training Command to form the single Air Command. It latterly consisted of two formations - No. 1...
and Personnel and Training
RAF Personnel and Training Command
Personnel and Training Command was one of two commands of the Royal Air Force that were merged to form Air Command on 1 April 2007.- Formation :...
Commands on 1 April 2007, and has its headquarters at RAF High Wycombe
RAF High Wycombe
RAF High Wycombe is a Royal Air Force station, situated in the village of Walters Ash, near High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire, England. Its purpose is to serve the needs of the RAF Air Command, situated on the site. It is also the headquarters of the European Air Group...
, Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan home county in South East England. The county town is Aylesbury, the largest town in the ceremonial county is Milton Keynes and largest town in the non-metropolitan county is High Wycombe....
.
The Commander-in-Chief
Commander-in-Chief
A commander-in-chief is the commander of a nation's military forces or significant element of those forces. In the latter case, the force element may be defined as those forces within a particular region or those forces which are associated by function. As a practical term it refers to the military...
is an Air Chief Marshal
Air Chief Marshal
Air chief marshal is a senior 4-star air-officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force...
and reports directly to the Chief of the Air Staff. The current Commander-in-Chief is ACM Sir Simon Bryant
Simon Bryant
Air Chief Marshal Sir Simon Bryant KCB CBE is a Royal Air Force officer, currently serving as Commander-in-Chief of Air Command, and the second-most senior officer in the service...
, who was appointed following the death of ACM Sir Christopher Moran
Chris Moran
Air Chief Marshal Sir Christopher Hugh "Chris" Moran, KCB, OBE, MVO, ADC, FRAeS , was a fast jet pilot and later a senior commander in the Royal Air Force...
on 26 May 2010 during a triathlon at RAF Brize Norton
RAF Brize Norton
RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, about west north-west of London, is the largest station of the Royal Air Force. It is close to the settlements of Brize Norton, Carterton and Witney....
.
There are two Deputy Commanders-in-Chief, of Air Marshal
Air Marshal
Air marshal is a three-star air-officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force...
rank. The Deputy Commander-in-Chief Operations has responsibility for the two Groups
Group (air force)
A group is a military aviation unit, a component of military organization and a military formation. Usage of the terms group and wing differ from one country to another, as well as different branches of a defence force, in some cases...
inherited from Strike Command, No. 1 Group
No. 1 Group RAF
Number 1 Group of the Royal Air Force is one of the two operations groups in Air Command.The group is today referred to as the Air Combat Group, as it controls the RAF's combat fast-jet aircraft and has airfields in the UK plus RAF Unit Goose Bay in Canada, which is used extensively as an...
and No. 2 Group
No. 2 Group RAF
Number 2 Group is a Group of the Royal Air Force which was first activated in 1918, served from 1918–20, from 1936 through the Second World War to 1947, from 1948 to 1958, from 1993 to 1996, was reactivated in 2000, and is today part of Air Command....
; the Deputy Commander-in-Chief Personnel has responsibility for the Group inherited from Personnel and Training Command, No. 22 (Training) Group
No. 22 Group RAF
Number 22 Group is one of only three groups currently active in the Royal Air Force, falling under the responsibility of Deputy Commander-in-Chief in Air Command. Its current full title is Number 22 Group and it is responsible for RAF training policy and controlling the Royal Air Force College...
.
Commanders-in-Chief
- Air Chief Marshal Sir Clive LoaderClive LoaderAir Chief Marshal Sir Clive Robert Loader KCB OBE ADC FRAeS RAF is a retired Royal Air Force Officer and was the first Commander-in-Chief Air Command .-RAF career:...
KCB OBE, 30 March 2007 – 2 April 2009 (appointed as C-in-C Strike Command) - Air Chief Marshal Sir Christopher MoranChris MoranAir Chief Marshal Sir Christopher Hugh "Chris" Moran, KCB, OBE, MVO, ADC, FRAeS , was a fast jet pilot and later a senior commander in the Royal Air Force...
KCB OBE MVO, 3 April 2009 – 26 May 2010. - Air Chief Marshal Sir Simon BryantSimon BryantAir Chief Marshal Sir Simon Bryant KCB CBE is a Royal Air Force officer, currently serving as Commander-in-Chief of Air Command, and the second-most senior officer in the service...
KCB CBE, 18 June 2010 to present
Deputy Commanders-in-Chief (Operations)
- Air Marshal I W McNicollIain McNicollAir Marshal Iain Walter McNicoll CB CBE FRAeS is a retired Royal Air Force officer. He was formerly Deputy Commander-in-Chief Operations, RAF Air Command.-RAF career:...
CB CBE, 26 February 2007 – 13 April 2010 (appointed as DC-in-C Strike Command) - Air Marshal R F GarwoodRichard GarwoodAir Marshal Richard Frank Garwood CB CBE DFC is a Royal Air Force officer, currently serving as Deputy Commander-in-Chief Operations at Air Command....
CB CBE DFC, 14 April 2010 to present
Deputy Commanders-in-Chief (Personnel)
This appointment is held concurrently with the Air Member for PersonnelAir Member for Personnel
The Air Member for Personnel is the senior Royal Air Force officer who is responsible for personnel matters and is a member of the Air Force Board...
.
- Air Marshal S G G DaltonStephen DaltonAir Chief Marshal Sir Stephen Gary George Dalton, KCB, BSc, FRAeS, RAF is the current Chief of the Air Staff and professional head of the Royal Air Force.-RAF career:...
CB, 1 May 2007 – 31 March 2009 - Air Marshal S BryantSimon BryantAir Chief Marshal Sir Simon Bryant KCB CBE is a Royal Air Force officer, currently serving as Commander-in-Chief of Air Command, and the second-most senior officer in the service...
CBE, 1 April 2009 – 17 June 2010 - Air Marshal A D PulfordAndy PulfordAir Marshal Andrew Douglas Pulford CBE is a Royal Air Force officer, currently serving as Deputy Commander-in-Chief Personnel at Air Command and also as Air Member for Personnel.-Service career:...
CBE, 1 September 2010 to present
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