10 Facts About Royal Air Force

Royal Air Force 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.

The RAF was founded on 1 April 1918 by the amalgamation of the Royal Flying Corps and the Royal Naval Air Service, as recommended in a report prepared by Jan Smuts.

The RAF's naval aviation branch, the Fleet Royal Air Force Arm, was founded in 1924 but handed over to Admiralty control on 24 May 1939.

Royal Air Force underwent rapid expansion prior to and during the Second World War.

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The incumbent Chief of the Royal Air Force Staff is Royal Air Force Chief Marshal Sir Mike Wigston, who was appointed in July 2019.

Chief of the Royal Air Force Staff is supported by several other senior commanders; the main positions are shown in the following table.

Royal Air Force Command was formed on 1 April 2007 by combining RAF Strike Command and RAF Personnel and Training Command, resulting in a single command covering the whole RAF, led by the Chief of the Royal Air Force Staff.

British military operate a number of joint training organisations, with Royal Air Force Command leading the provision of technical training through the Defence College of Technical Training .

Royal Air Force operates several units and centres for the provision of non-generic training and education.