Second World War Ī late-war version of the Spitfire, which played a major role in the Battle of Britain

The RAF adopted the doctrine of strategic bombing, which led to the construction of long-range bombers and became its main bombing strategy in the Second World War. The RAF's naval aviation branch, the Fleet Air Arm, was founded in 1924 but handed over to Admiralty control on. The RAF was put in charge of British military activity in Iraq, and carried out minor activities in other parts of the British Empire, including establishing bases to protect Singapore and Malaya. Īfter the war, the RAF was drastically cut and its inter-war years were relatively quiet. Its headquarters was located in the former Hotel Cecil. At that time it was the largest air force in the world. The RAF was founded on 1 April 1918 (during World War I) by the amalgamation of the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS), as recommended in a report prepared by Jan Smuts. While the British were not the first to make use of heavier-than-air military aircraft, the RAF is the world's oldest independent air force: that is, the first air force to become independent of army or navy control. Main article: History of the Royal Air Force Origins 5.2 Intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance (ISTAR).2.9.3 Specialist training and education.Although the RAF is the principal British air power arm, the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm and the British Army's Army Air Corps also operate armed aircraft. Most of the RAF's aircraft and personnel are based in the UK, with many others serving on global operations (principally over Iraq and Syria) or at long-established overseas bases ( Ascension Island, Cyprus, Gibraltar, and the Falkland Islands). The majority of the RAF's rotary-wing aircraft form part of the tri-service Joint Helicopter Command in support of ground forces. This largely consists of fixed-wing aircraft, including those in the following roles: fighter and strike, airborne early warning and control, intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance (ISTAR), signals intelligence (SIGINT), maritime patrol, air-to-air refuelling (AAR) and strategic & tactical transport. 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. Air 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'. The mission statement is supported by the RAF's definition of air power, which guides its strategy. an agile, adaptable and capable Air Force that, person for person, is second to none, and that makes a decisive air power contribution in support of the UK Defence Mission'. The RAF describes its mission statement as '. The RAF's mission is to support the objectives of the British Ministry of Defence (MOD), which are to 'provide the capabilities needed to ensure the security and defence of the United Kingdom and overseas territories, including against terrorism to support the Government's foreign policy objectives particularly in promoting international peace and security'. In particular, it played a large part in the Second World War where it fought its most famous campaign, the Battle of Britain. Since its formation, the RAF has taken a significant role in British military history. Following the Allied victory over the Central Powers in 1918, the RAF emerged as the largest air force in the world at the time. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS). The Royal Air Force ( RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force.

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