RAF Air and Space Command

Air and Space Command
Air Command badge
Founded1 April 2007
Country United Kingdom
Branch Royal Air Force
RoleMilitary air operations
LocationRAF High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire
MottoFortis Ubique Volantis (Flying Bravely Everywhere)

Air and Space Command is the title applied to the Royal Air Force's Chief of the Air Staff's headquarters at RAF High Wycombe. As a military formation, 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. Since the last dedicated Commander-in-Chief stepped down in 2012 the central Whitehall MOD RAF staff and Air Command have run together to an increasing degree.

The equivalent in the Royal Navy is Navy Command Headquarters at Portsmouth and the equivalent in the British Army is Army Headquarters at Andover.

History

Air Command was formed by the merger of RAF Strike Command and RAF Personnel and Training Command on 1 April 2007. Initially, it was under a four-star Air Chief Marshal, Commander-in-Chief, Air Command. At that time, there were two Deputy Commanders of Air Marshal rank: the Deputy Commander-in-Chief (Personnel) and the Deputy Commander-in-Chief (Operations). Initially it supervised No. 1 Group RAF and No. 2 Group RAF.

Following the implementation of the 2011 Levene Report, the role of Commander-in-Chief, Air Command was discontinued in spring 2012, and the deputy commanders started to report direct to the Chief of the Air Staff. Air Chief Marshal Sir Stephen Dalton was the first CAS to supervise the two deputy commanders-in-chief directly.

In November 2018, No. 11 Group was formed to create a "multi-domain operations group" as part of RAF Command.

In 2026, the command was renamed Air and Space Command to reflect the growing role of space in defence.

Commanders-in-Chief (post discontinued in Spring 2012)

CAS Subordinates

Seniormost uniformed staff and operational flying group headquarters of the Royal Air Force, as of 31 December 2025

As of 31 December 2025, the Chief of the Air Staff has five principal subordinates (see graph):

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Moore, Ros (2 September 2026). "Air Command renamed Air and Space Command as RAF expands military space role". www.forcesnews.com. Retrieved 2 September 2026.
  2. ↑ "RAF Command". Archived from the original on 16 July 2008. Retrieved 8 December 2023.
  3. ↑ Royal Air Force Web Site - Official Announcement of Formation of RAF Air Command
  4. ↑ "Air Command senior, as of September 2012". assets.publishing.service.gov.uk. GOV.UK.
  5. ↑ Defence Reform Report ("the Levene Report"), June 2011, para 7.7, page 35.
  6. ↑ "Air Rank Appointments List 07/08 dated 16 October 2008". Ministry of Defence. Archived from the original on 4 April 2012. Retrieved 26 May 2012.
  7. ↑ "Key Battle of Britain Fighter Command group to be reformed". Press Association. 11 July 2018. Retrieved 12 July 2018.
  8. ↑ RAF Air Rank Appointments List 08/06 of 25 Sep 2006 retrieved 3 Jan 2011
  9. ↑ RAF Air Rank Appointments List 07/08 of 16 Oct 2008 retrieved 3 Jan 2011
  10. ↑ Announcement of ACM Moran's death retrieved 27 May 2010
  11. ↑ RAF Air Rank Appointments List 04/10 of 18 Jun 2010 retrieved 3 Jan 2011