RAF Air Command


Headquarters Air Command is the only Command currently active in the Royal Air Force. 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. The equivalent in the Royal Navy is Navy Command Headquarters at Portsmouth and the equivalent in the British Army is Army Headquarters at Andover.

Command structure

Air Command is commanded by the Chief of the Air Staff. Formerly, it was under a four-star Air Chief Marshal, Commander-in-Chief, Air Command, but this structure was discontinued due to the 2011 Levine Report. There are two Deputy Commanders of Air Marshal rank. The Deputy Commander has responsibility for the two Groups inherited from Strike Command and also No. 38 Group which brings together the RAF’s expeditionary engineering, logistics, and communications units, Medical Operations units, and RAF Music Services. In November 2018, 11 Group was further formed as part of RAF Command. The Deputy Commander acts as the Deputy to the CAS and oversees day-to-day operations The Deputy Commander has responsibility for the Group inherited from Personnel and Training Command, No. 22 Group.

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

Deputy Commanders-in-Chief
Deputy Commanders
This appointment is held concurrently with the Air Member for Personnel.
Deputy Commanders-in-Chief
Deputy Commanders