RAF Strike Command

Infobox Military Unit
unit_name= Strike Command


caption= Strike Command Badge
start_date= 30 April 1968
end_date= 1 April 2007
country= United Kingdom
allegiance=
branch= Royal Air Force
type=
role=
size=
command_structure=
garrison= RAF High Wycombe
garrison_label= Headquarters
equipment=
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nickname=
patron=
motto= "Defend and Strike"
colors=
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march=
mascot=
battles=
anniversaries=
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current_commander=
current_commander_label=
ceremonial_chief=
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identification_symbol=
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identification_symbol_2=
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aircraft_attack=
aircraft_bomber=
aircraft_electronic=
aircraft_fighter=
aircraft_interceptor=
aircraft_recon=
aircraft_patrol=
aircraft_trainer=
aircraft_transport=

The Royal Air Force's Strike Command was the military formation which controlled the majority of the United Kingdom's combat aircraft from 1968 until 1 April 2007. That day it was merged with Personnel and Training Command to form the single Air Command.

History

Strike Command was formed on 30 April 1968 by the merger of Bomber Command and Fighter Command. Signals Command was absorbed on 1 January 1969 and Coastal Command was absorbed on 28 November 1969. Air Support Command (formerly Transport Command) was absorbed on 1 September 1972. In 1975, the Command acquired a NATO title, Commander-in-Chief United Kingdom Air Forces - CINCUKAIR, while continuing to be manned entirely by British personnel. In mid 1987, a small group of NATO personnel joined the CINCUKAIR staff. RAF Germany was absorbed as No 2 (Bomber) Group on 1 April 1993.

Exercise 'Elder Forest' was the biennial air defence exercise held by Strike Command, held last for certain in 1992 but also likely to have continued to at least 1998.

The RAF's Process and Organisation Review concluded that Strike Command and Personnel and Training Command were to be co-located at a single command headquarters by 1 April 2008. It was subsequently decided that both commands were to be located at High Wycombe. On the 1 April 2006, the existing 3 Group structure of Strike Command was condensed to 2 Groups.

On the 1 April 2007 Strike Command and Personnel and Training Command were merged into a single command - Air Command.

tructure

Headquarters Strike Command (often abbreviated to HQSTC) was located at RAF High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire. The Command was divided into a number of Groups, which at first reflected the function of the old Fighter, Bomber and Coastal Command. Subsequent reorganisations changed things greatly and before the final reorganization, the two Groups which made up Strike Command were:

*No. 1 Group RAF - the "Air Combat Group"
*No. 2 Group RAF - the "Air Combat Support Group"

Component groups of Strike Command included:

* No. 1 Group RAF 1st April 1968 - present
* No. 2 Group RAF 1st April 1993 - 1st April 1996, 7 January 2000 - present
* No. 3 Group RAF 1st April 2000 - 1 April 2006
* No. 11 Group RAF 1st April 1968 - 1st April 1996
* No. 18 Group RAF 28 November 1969 - 1st April 1996
* No. 11/18 Group RAF 1st April 1996 - 7 January 2000
* No. 38 Group RAF 1st July 1972 - 17 November 1983
* No. 46 Group RAF 1st September 1972 - 1st January 1976
* Royal Observer Corps 1st April 1968 - 31 December 1995

Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief

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

Deputy Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief

*Air Marshal Sir Nigel Maynard 1972-1973
*Air Marshal Sir Peter Horsley 1973-1975
*Air Marshal Sir Michael Beetham 1975-1976
*Air Marshal Sir John Stacey 1976-1977
*Air Marshal Sir Alan Davies 1977
*Air Marshal Sir Alfred Ball 1977-1978
*Air Marshal Sir Robert Freer 1978-1979
*Air Marshal Sir Thomas Kennedy 1979-1981
*Air Marshal Sir Peter Bairsto 1981-1984
*Air Marshal Sir Joseph Gilbert 1984-1986
*Air Marshal Sir Brendan Jackson 1986-1988
*Air Marshal Sir Kenneth Hayr 1988-1989
*Air Marshal Sir John Kemball 1989-1993
*Air Marshal Sir Richard Johns 1993-1994
*Air Marshal Sir John Allison 1994-1996
*Air Marshal G A Robertson 1996-
*Air Marshal Sir Timothy Jenner c.98 99
*Air Marshal Sir Jock Stirrup 2000-2002
*Air Marshal Sir Brian Burridge 2002-2003
*Air Marshal Sir Glenn Torpy 2003-2004
*Air Marshal Sir Clive Loader 2004-2007

External links

* [http://www.raf.mod.uk/stc/ Royal Air Force Web Site - Strike Command]

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