RAF Strike Command

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The RAF Strike Command was a command of the British Royal Air Force (RAF) that was responsible for the majority of the bomber and fighter aircraft formations between 1968 and 2007 . The headquarters of the command was at the RAF High Wycombe Air Force Base .

history

The RAF Strike Command was formed on April 30, 1968 from the merger of the Bomber Command ( RAF Bomber Command ) and Jägerkommando ( RAF Fighter Command ). The previous RAF Bomber Command became No. 1 (Strike) Group RAF and the RAF Fighter Command for No. 11 (Air Defense) Group RAF . On January 1, 1969, the Strike Command was expanded to include the previous telecommunications command ( RAF Signals Command ) and on November 28, 1969 by the previous coastal command ( RAF Coastal Command ). The Signals Command also received the status of a group and was given the previous name No. 90 (Signals) Group RAF , while No. 18 (Maritime) Group RAF became. In addition, on September 1, 1972, the previous Air Support Command ( RAF Air Support Command ) was subordinated to the Strike Command, from which the No. 38 (Tactical Support) Group RAF and No. 46 (Strategic Support) Group RAF .

In 1975 the then commander of the RAF Strike Command, Air Chief Marshal Denis Smallwood , was named Commander-in-Chief United Kingdom Air Forces (CINCUKAIR) within the NATO organization . Most recently, the British Air Force in the Federal Republic of Germany ( RAF Germany ) was subordinated to the Strike Command on April 1 , which then became No. 2 (Bomber) Group RAF were.

In a process and organizational investigation, it was finally suggested that the RAF Strike Command and the RAF Personnel and Training Command should jointly use the headquarters at RAF High Wycombe Air Force Base. Finally, on April 1, 2007, these two commands were amalgamated to form the single air command ( RAF Air Command ).

Commander

The RAF Strike Command was subordinate to a General ( Air Chief Marshal ) as Supreme Command AOCinC ( Air Officer Commander-in-Chief ) according to the NATO rank code OF-9 . To support and relieve the Commander-in-Chief, the post of Deputy Commander-in-Chief DeputyAOCinC ( Deputy Air Officer Commander-in-Chief ) was created in 1972 , who had the rank of Lieutenant General ( Air Marshal ) according to the NATO rank code OF-8.

Commander in Chief of RAF Strike Command

Start of term of office Rank Official
1968 Air Chief Marshal Wallace Kyle
1968 Air Chief Marshal Denis Spotswood
1971 Air Chief Marshal Andrew Humphrey
1974 Air Chief Marshal Denis Smallwood
1976 Air Chief Marshal Nigel Maynard
1977 Air Chief Marshal David Evans
1980 Air Chief Marshal Keith Williamson
1982 Air Chief Marshal David Craig
1985 Air Chief Marshal Peter Harding
1988 Air Chief Marshal Patrick Hine
1991 Air Chief Marshal Michael Graydon
1992 Air Chief Marshal John Thomson
1994 Air Chief Marshal Richard Johns
1994 Air Chief Marshal Bill Wratten
1997 Air Chief Marshal John Allison
1999 Air Chief Marshal Peter Squire
2000 Air Chief Marshal Anthony Bagnall
2001 Air Chief Marshal John Day
2003 Air Chief Marshal Brian Burridge
2006 Air Chief Marshal Joe French
2007 Resolution of the command

Deputy Commander in Chief of RAF Strike Command

Start of term of office Rank Official
1972 Air Marshal Nigel Maynard
1973 Air Marshal Peter Horsley
1975 Air Marshal Michael Beetham
1976 Air Marshal John Stacey
1977 Air Marshal Alan Davies
1977 Air Marshal Alfred Ball
1978 Air Marshal Robert Freer
1979 Air Marshal Thomas Kennedy
1981 Air Marshal Peter Bairsto
1984 Air Marshal Joseph Gilbert
1986 Air Marshal Brendan Jackson
1988 Air Marshal Kenneth Hayr
1989 Air Marshal John Kemball
1993 Air Marshal Richard Johns
1994 Air Marshal John Allison
1996 Air Marshal Graeme Robertson
1998 Air Marshal Timothy Jenner
2000 Air Marshal Jock stirrup
2002 Air Marshal Brian Burridge
2003 Air Marshal Glenn Torpy
2004 Air Marshal Clive Loader
2007 Resolution of the command

Background literature

  • Ashworth, Chris: RAF Coastal Command: 1936-1969 , Patrick Stephens Ltd, 1992, ISBN 1-85260-345-3

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. RAF Timeline 1960-1969 ( Memento of the original from April 5, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. on the homepage of the RAF @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.raf.mod.uk
  2. Commander UK Air Forces appointed . In: Flight International of April 17, 1975
  3. RAF Timeline 1990-1999 ( Memento of the original from September 24, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. on the homepage of the RAF @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.raf.mod.uk
  4. RAF Timeline 2000-2009 ( Memento of the original from February 19, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. on the homepage of the RAF @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.raf.mod.uk