1. Uncontrolled copy not subject to amendment
RAF
&
DEFENCE
ORGANISATION

2. OBJECTIVES Describe the UK higher Defence Organisation
Describe the organisation of the RAF
Describe the organisation of a typical RAF station
Outline the migration to the ‘Future RAF Station Structure’

3. THE DEFENCE MISSION “To deliver security for the people of
the United Kingdom and the Overseas Territories by defending them,
including against Terrorism
and to act as a force for good,
by strengthening international peace and security.”
2003 Defence White Paper

4. CHIEF OF DEFENCE STAFF 4* (CDS)
DEFENCE ORGANISATION
CHIEF OF DEFENCE STAFF 4* (CDS)
Chief of
General Staff 4*
(CGS)
Chief of Naval Staff 4*
(CNS)
Chief of Air Staff 4*
(CAS)

5. STAR-RANKED OFFICERS RAF ARMY ROYAL NAVY 1* = Air Commodore (Air Cdre)
1* = Brigadier (Brig)
1* = Commodore (Cdre)
2* = Air Vice-Marshal
(AVM)
2* = Major General
(Maj Gen)
2* = Rear Admiral (R Adm)
3* = Air Marshal (Air Mshl)
3* = Lieutenant General
(Lt Gen)
3* = Vice Admiral (V Adm)
4* = Air Chief Marshal
(Air Chf Mshl)
4* = General (Gen)
4* = Admiral (Adm)

6. CAS RAF COMMAND STRUCTURE AIR FORCE BOARD AIR COMMAND OPERATIONS
(High Wycombe)
OPERATIONS
PERSONNEL

7. Dir Gen Chaplaincy Servs
HQ AIR COMMAND ORGANISATION
CINCAIR
4* Air Chf Mshl
DCINC
OPERATIONS
3* Air Mshl
DCINC
PERSONNEL
&
AMP
3* Air Mshl
AOC 1 Gp
2* AVM
AOC 2 Gp
2* AVM
COMBAT STRIKE
COMBAT
SUPPORT
Air Sec
AOC
22 Gp
Dir Gen
Med Servs
Dir Legal Servs
Dir Gen Chaplaincy Servs

8. Surveillance & Control HQ Elements Air Combat Service Support Units
DCINC OPS
COMAIRSTRIKE
JFAC HQ
UK Airspace
Surveillance & Control HQ Elements
Air Combat Service Support Units
(ACSSUs)

9. 1 GP
COMBAT STRIKE
TYPHOON
TORNADO F3
TORNADO GR
HAWK

10. 2 GP COMBAT SUPPORT VC-10 E-3D TRISTAR R-1 C-17 ASTOR (Sentinel)
C-130 K & J
BAE 146
BAE 125
RAF Regt
E-3D
R-1
ASTOR
(Sentinel)
MR-2
SAR Helicopters

11. AIR MEMBER FOR PERSONNEL
DCINC PERS
AIR MEMBER FOR PERSONNEL
(AMP)
Training
Manning
Legal, Medical, Chaplains

12. JOINT ORGANISATIONS

13. JOINT ORGANISATIONS Joint Rapid Reaction Forces (JRRF)
Joint Helicopter Command (JHC)
Joint Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear Regt (Jt CBRN)
Joint Defence Logistics Organization (DLO)
Permanent Joint Headquarters (PJHQ)
Joint Doctrine & Concepts Centre (JDCC)

14. RAF
STATION STRUCTURE

15. 3 PILLAR STN ORGANISATION
(TYPICAL ON SOME RAF STNS)
STN CDR OC
Operations Wing
(OC Ops Wg) OC
Forward Support Wing
(OC Fwd Spt Wg) OC
Base Support Wing
(OC BSW)
Sqns
Sqns
Sqns
Wg Cdr = Staff Officer 1 (SO1)

16. (TYPICAL ON SOME RAF STNS)
OPS WG
(TYPICAL ON SOME RAF STNS)
OC Ops Wg
OC Ops Sqn
SATCO OC
Flying Sqn
Flt Ops
Flt Planning
Int
Met
Air Traffic
Airfield Control
Fire Section
Bird Control
Sqn Ldr = SO2
Flt Lt = SO3

17. OC Fwd Spt Wg (TYPICAL ON SOME RAF STNS) Eng Ops Sqn Mech Eng (Air)
FORWARD SUPPORT WG
(TYPICAL ON SOME RAF STNS)
OC Fwd Spt Wg
Eng Ops Sqn
(EOS)
Mech Eng (Air)
Sqn
(ME(A)S)
Electrical Eng Sqn
(EES)
Mech Eng (Gnd) Sqn
(ME(G)S
Supply & Movement Sqn (S&M Sqn)
Eng Plans & Records Flt (EP&R Flt)
Eng Wg HQ Flt
Ac Maintenance Flt (AMF)
Propulsion Flt (Prop Flt)
Mech Components Flt (MCF)
Avionics Flt
Ac Electrical Sup Flt (AESF)
CIS Eng Flt
Arm Eng Flt (AEF)
General Eng Flt (GEF)
SCAF
TSF
MT Flt
DSF

18. (TYPICAL ON SOME RAF STNS)
BASE SUPPORT WING
(TYPICAL ON SOME RAF STNS)
OC BSW OC
Personnel Management
Sqn (PMS) OC
Force Development
Sqn (FDS) OC
Base Support
Sqn (BSS)
Stn Medical
Centre
(SMC))
OC PSF
(P1 & P2)
OC Accts Flt
Trg Dev Flt
Regt Flt
PEd Flt
Stn Adjt
OC Police Flt
Stn Catering Offr
SWO
SMO
SDO

19. FUTURE STN STRUCTURE
(PROJECT TRENCHARD)

20. RAF is now an Expeditionary Air Force
EXPEDITIONARY AIR OPERATIONS
RAF is now an Expeditionary Air Force
RAF stn structures must be reorganised to enable:
* Delivery of Operational Outputs
* Support Expeditionary capability
Future Main Operating Base (MOB) structure in UK should mirror our overseas Deployed Operating Bases (DOBs)
Introduction of an ‘agile Air Force’
2-Pillar stn model

21. ILOC = INTEGRATED LOGISTICS OPERATIONS CENTRE
RAF ‘2-PILLAR’ STN STRUCTURE (TRENCHARD MODEL)
Stn
Cdr
ILOC
Base Sp
A1, A8, A9
Depth Sp
A4 Depth DLO
OC Ops Wg
A2, A3, A5, A6, A7
OC Fwd Sp Wg A4
Force Elements
(FE)
Rear Depth
Fwd
ILOC = INTEGRATED LOGISTICS OPERATIONS CENTRE

22. A1 to A9 WHAT DOES IT MEAN? A1 - Personnel & Administration
A2 - Intelligence
A3 - Operations
A4 - Logistics
A5 - Plans/Contingency
A6 - Communications & Information
Systems (CIS)
A7 - Doctrine & Training
A8 - Resources & Finances
A9 - Secretariat
The ARMY and the RN also have functions 1-9
ARMY = G 1-9 (Ground) : RN = M 1-9 (Maritime)

23. 2-PILLAR STN STRUCTURE (TRENCHARD MODEL)
The planned timetable for change is as follows:
FY 06/07 – Stand up of the ‘TRENCHARD’ initial Stn structure
(OC Ops Wg, OC Fwd Spt Wg, OC Base Spt Wg)
FY 08/09 – Migration to a 2-pillar structure complete, comprising
OC Ops Wg and OC Fwd Spt Wg
(Base support functions then integrated within Base Spt Sqn)
FY 09/10 – Last migration to SO2 command of Base Spt takes place
(OC Fwd Spt Wg de-regulated to SO1 GD Any)

24. EXPEDITIONARY AIR WING (EAW) IDENTITIES JOINT OPERATIONAL BASES
RAF TRANSFORMATION
EXPEDITIONARY AIR WING (EAW) IDENTITIES
UK MOBs
OVERSEAS
JOINT OPERATIONAL BASES
RAF Coningsby EAW
RAF Cottesmore EAW
RAF Kinloss EAW
RAF Leeming EAW
RAF Leuchars EAW
RAF Lossiemouth EAW
RAF Lyneham EAW
RAF Marham EAW
RAF Waddington EAW
901 EAW - Al Udeid & Bahrain
902 EAW - Seeb
903 EAW - Basrah
904 EAW - Kandahar
905 EAW - Falklands
83 Expeditionary Air Group (EAG)
- UK ACHQ, Al Udeid

25. AIR COMMAND MOBs - 2012 RAF Brize Norton STRATEGIC HQ AT/AAR
High Wycombe
RAF Brize Norton
COMBAT AIR
A4 / LOGS
Lossiemouth
Kinloss
RAF Coningsby
RAF Cottesmore
RAF Leuchars
RAF Lossiemouth
RAF Marham
RAF Wittering
A6 / CIS
Leuchars
RAF Leeming
FORCE PROTECTION
ISTAR
RAF Honington
Leeming
RAF Kinloss
RAF Waddington
Waddington
Coningsby
COMMS FLEET
Cottesmore
RAF Northolt
Marham
Wittering
Honington
High Wycombe
Northolt
Brize Norton

26. STATION RAF Boulmer 2 Pillar structure RAF Brize Norton RAF Cranwell
Remaining with 4 Pillar structure – incl APOE Wg
RAF Cranwell
2 Pillar by Apr 08
RAF Coningsby
Remaining within 3 Pillar structure
RAF Cottesmore
Remaining with 3 Pillar structure beyond Apr 09
RAF Fylingdales
3 Pillar – but SO1 Stn Cdr and SO2s in cmd posts

27. Probably returning to 3 Pillar structure
STATION
PILLAR STRUCTURE
RAF Halton
2 Pillar by Apr 08
RAF Honington
Unique structure
RAF Kinloss
Probably returning to 3 Pillar structure
RAF Leeming
Future structure not yet known
RAF Leuchars
Remaining with4 Pillar structure – incl Depth Sp Wg
RAF Linton-on-Ouse
2 Pillar

28. STATION RAF Lyneham RAF Lossiemouth RAF Marham RAF Northolt 2 Pillar
PILLAR STRUCTURE
RAF Lyneham
Remaining within 3 Pillar structure
RAF Lossiemouth
RAF Marham
Probably remaining within 3 Pillar structure
RAF Northolt
2 Pillar
RAF Odiham
RAF Shawbury
RAF Spadeadam

29. 2 Pillar – Airfield closed RAF Valley 2 Pillar RAF Waddington
STATION
PILLAR STRUCTURE
RAF St Mawgan
2 Pillar – Airfield closed
RAF Valley
2 Pillar
RAF Waddington
Remaining with 3 Pillar structure

30. STATION PILLAR STATUS 2 Pillar RAF Lyneham
RAF Linton-on-Ouse
RAF Lyneham
RAF Lossiemouth
RAF Marham
RAF Northolt
RAF Odiham
RAF Shawbury
RAF Spadeadam
RAF St Mawgan
RAF Valley
RAF Waddington
2 Pillar
Remaining within 3 Pillar structure
Remaining with 3 Pillar structure
Probably remaining within 3 Pillar structure
2 Pillar by Apr 08
2 Pillar (airfield closure- Aug 08)