List of wings of the Royal Air Force

Wings within the Royal Air Force have both administrative and tactical applications. Over the years, the structure and role of wings has changed to meet the demands placed on the RAF. Many of the RAF's numbered wings were originally Royal Flying Corps (RFC) or Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) units.

Wings can be found at every station in the RAF and also abroad, deployed on operations.

Wings by number

No. 1 Wing – No. 99 Wing

No. 100 Wing – No. 199 Wing

No. 200 Wing – No. 299 Wing

No. 300 Wing – No. 499 Wing

No. 500 Wing – No. 999 Wing

Expeditionary Air Wings

Formed on 1 April 2006, Expeditionary Air Wings (EAW) are established at the following RAF Flying Stations:

RAF Waddington – 34 EAW (ISTAR)
RAF Brize Norton – 38 EAW (Air Transport)
RAF Coningsby – 121 EAW (Fighter)
RAF Leeming – 135 EAW
RAF Marham – 138 EAW (Ground Attack)
RAF Lossiemouth – 140 EAW^[38]

Deployed EAWs

No. 901 EAW – Deployed to Middle East^[32]
No. 902 EAW – Deployed to Middle East^[33]
No. 903 EAW – RAF Akrotiri^[34]
No. 905 EAW – RAF Mount Pleasant, Falkland Islands^[36]
No. 906 EAW – Al Minhad Air Base, United Arab Emirates since 15 January 2013^[37]

Disbanded EAWs

122 EAW – RAF Cottesmore
125 EAW – RAF Leuchars
904 EAW – Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan – stood down December 2014^[39]
907 EAW – RAF Akrotiri^[40]

Force Protection Wings

Formed from RAF Regiment field squadrons and RAF Police components, Force Protection (FP) Wings are responsible for defending aircraft and personnel whilst deployed on operations. the overarching Force Protection Force HQ is located at RAF Honington. Each Wing is parented by an RAF Station with whom it is usually deployed:^[41]

No 2 Force Protection Wing – RAF Leeming
No 3 Force Protection Wing – RAF Marham
No 4 Force Protection Wing – RAF Brize Norton
No 5 Force Protection Wing – RAF Lossiemouth
No 7 Force Protection Wing – RAF Coningsby
No 8 Force Protection Wing – RAF Waddington

RAF Force Protection Wings were, until April 2004, known as Tactical Survive To Operate Headquarters (Tac STO HQs).

Miscellaneous Wings

No 1 Air Mobility Wing – RAF Brize Norton – HQ Squadron, 44 Mobile Air Movements Squadron and 45 Mobile Air Movements Squadron. This is UK Mobile Air Movements Squadron (UKMAMS) expanded to wing strength.
No. 42 (Expeditionary Support) Wing – RAF Wittering
No. 85 (Expeditionary Logistics) Wing – RAF Wittering
No. 1 Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) Wing – RAF Waddington^[42]
ISTAR Air Wing – RAF Waddington^[42]
2nd Tactical Air Force Communication Wing RAF - formed 31 March 1945; disbanded 15 July 1945 at RAF Buckeburg. Became British Air Forces of Occupation Communication Squadron.^[43]

Station-based Wings

A typical Royal Air Force flying station (not training) will have the following integrated wing-based structure:

Administrative Wing / Base (Station) Support Wing / Support Wing
Depth Support Wing
Forward Support Wing
Operations Wing

On a smaller RAF Station, these functions may be termed squadrons but their role is identical.

Specialised Station-based Wings

Some stations has Wings which are customised to their particular role with the RAF:

Airport of Embarkation Wing – RAF Brize Norton

Tactical Wings

Wings termed 'Tactical' within the Royal Air Force provide are cohesive, specialised teams.

Tactical Communications Wing – RAF Leeming
Tactical Imagery-Intelligence Wing – RAF Marham – Disbanded, merged to become No. 1 Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Wing RAF based at RAF Waddington
Tactical Medical Wing – RAF Brize Norton – This unit has the Latin motto "Summum Bonum" which means 'for the highest good'. It became operational on 1 April 1996 and its CO is currently Wing Commander Alan Cranfield. Some of its sub-units are Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron, Deployable Aeromedical Response Teams (DARTS), Operational Training Squadron and Operations and Logistics Squadron.
Tactical Provost Wing – RAF Honington
Tactical Supply Wing – MOD Stafford

Notes

^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar as at au av aw ax ay az ba bb bc bd be bf bg bh bi bj bk bl bm bn bo bp bq br bs bt bu bv bw bx by bz ca cb cc cd ce cf cg ch ci cj ck cl cm cn co cp cq cr cs ct cu cv cw cx cy cz da db Wings 1–50 at Air of Authority.
^ a b Bullock.
^ a b c d MacmIllan Appendix I: 'Commanding Officers RNAS/RFC/RAF in Italy: Brigade, Wings, Squadrons'.
^ "Royal Air Force".
^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac Delve, 'Orders of Battle, June 1944'.
^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae Ellis, Normandy, Appendix VI: 'Allied Air Forces'.
^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w Ellis, Germany, 'Appendix V: The Allied Air Forces'.
^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar as at au av Molony, Vol V, Appendix 4, 'Orders of Battle Royal Air Force and United States Army Air Forces'.
^ "RCAF Higher Formations and Reserve Units".
^ a b c d Rennles.
^ "Royal Air force, Order of Battle, France, 10th May 1940". free.fr. Retrieved 30 October 2015.
^ a b c d e f g h i j Ellis, France.
^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar as at au av aw ax ay az ba bb bc bd be bf bg bh bi bj bk bl bm bn bo bp bq br bs bt bu bv bw bx by bz ca cb cc cd ce cf cg ch ci cj ck cl cm cn co cp cq cr cs ct cu cv cw cx cy cz Wings 51–110 at Air of Authority.
^ "Subterranea Britannica: Sites:RAF Hayscastle Cross Chain Home & Rotor Radar Station". subbrit.org.uk. Retrieved 30 October 2015.
^ a b c Falconer, Appendix IV: 'Orders of Battle'.
^ Jones, p. 176.
^ "BBC - WW2 People's War - the War in 80 (Signals) Wing RAF". Archived from the original on 22 July 2012. Retrieved 1 November 2008.
^ Groups 70–106 at Air of Authority.
^ Royal Air Force Facebook Post 24 April 2017 at 16:41
^ "Royal Air Force". Royal Air Force. Retrieved 28 April 2020.
^ a b c d e f g Woodburn Kirby, Vol II, Appendix 32, 'Order of Battle of Air Forces, India and Ceylon, June 1943'.
^ a b c RAFWeb. "Wing Nos 111-192".
^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Woodburn Kirby, Vol IV, Appendix 4, "Outline Order of Battle of Air Command, South East Asia, 12th December 1944".
^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Woodburn Kirby, Vol V, Appendix 1: "Outline Order of Battle of Air Command, South-East Asia 30th June 1945".
^ a b c d Woodburn Kirby, Vol V, Appendix 21: "Outline Order of Battle, RAF Malaya, 1st October 1945".
^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Playfair, Vol III, Appendix 5, 'Royal Air Force Orders of Battle'.
^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y Playfair, Vol IV, Appendix 8, 'Orders of Battle Royal Air Force and United States Army Air Forces'.
^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x Jackson, Vol VI, Pt III, 'Appendix 3: Order of Battle Royal Air Force and United States Army Air Force'.
^ a b c Molony, Vol VI, Table V, pp. 406–7.
^ a b Molony, Vol V, p. 238.
^ "Lancaster Main Page". lancaster-archive.com. Retrieved 30 October 2015.
^ a b c d e '901 EAW history' RAF retrieved 20 March 2017.
^ a b c '902 EAW' retrieved 20 March 2017.
^ a b "'903 EAW' retrieved 20 March 2017". Archived from the original on 18 March 2015. Retrieved 19 March 2017.
^ Woodburn Kirby, Appendix 23: 'Outline Order of Battle, RAF Netherlands East Indies, 31 December 1945'.
^ a b c '905 EAW' retrieved 20 March 2017.
^ a b c '906 EAW' retrieved 20 March 2017.
^ "Royal Air Force Typhoons intercept Russian aircraft near Baltics".
^ "904 Expeditionary Air Wing". RAF. Archived from the original on 4 October 2013. Retrieved 1 October 2013.
^ "Coalition operations in Libya to continue". Ministry of Defence (MoD). 21 March 2010.
^ "Force Protection". Royal Air Force. Retrieved 28 May 2018.
^ a b "RAF stands up new ISTAR Air Wing". Janes.com. Retrieved 22 October 2023.
^ Lake 1999, p. 279.

References

David L. Bullock, Allenby's War: The Palestine-Arabian Campaigns 1916–1918, London: Blandford Press, 1988, ISBN 0-7137-1869-2.
Ken Delve, D-Day: The Air Battle, London: Arms & Armour Press, 1994, ISBN 1-85409-227-8.
Appendix 1, 'British Forces Engaged', Major L.F. Ellis, History of the Second World War, United Kingdom Military Series: The War in France and Flanders 1939–1940, London: HM Stationery Office, 1954.
Major L.F. Ellis, History of the Second World War, United Kingdom Military Series: Victory in the West, Vol I: The Battle of Normandy, London: HM Stationery Office, 1962/Uckfield: Naval & Military, 2004, ISBN 1-845740-58-0.
Major L.F. Ellis, History of the Second World War, United Kingdom Military Series: Victory in the West, Vol II: The Defeat of Germany, London: HM Stationery Office, 1968/Uckfield: Naval & Military, 2004, ISBN 1-845740-59-9.
Jonathan Falconer, Bomber Command Handbook 1939–1945, Stroud: Sutton, 1998, ISBN 0-7509-1819-5.
Gen Sir William Jackson, History of the Second World War, United Kingdom Military Series: The Mediterranean and Middle East, Vol VI: Victory in the Mediterranean, Part III: November 1944 to May 1945, London: HMSO, 1988/Uckfield, Naval & Military Press, 2004, ISBN 1-845740-72-6.
R.V. Jones, Most Secret War: British Scientific Intelligence 1939–1945, London: Hamish Hamilton 1978/Coronet 1979, ISBN 0-340-24169-1.
Lake, A (1999). Flying units of the RAF. Shrewsbury: Airlife. ISBN 1-84037-086-6.
Norman Macmillan, Offensive Patrol: The Story of the RNAS, RFC and RAF in Italy 1917–18, London: Jarrold, 1973.
Brig C.J.C. Molony, History of the Second World War, United Kingdom Military Series: The Mediterranean and Middle East, Vol V: The Campaign in Sicily 1943 and the Campaign in Italy 3rd September 1943 to 31st March 1944, London: HMSO, 1973/Uckfield, Naval & Military Press, 2004, ISBN 1-845740-69-6.
Brig C.J.C. Molony (Revised by Gen Sir William Jackson), History of the Second World War, United Kingdom Military Series: The Mediterranean and Middle East, Vol VI: Victory in the Mediterranean, Part I: 1st April to 4th June 1944, London: HMSO, nd/Uckfield, Naval & Military Press, 2004, ISBN 1-845740-70-X.
Maj-Gen I.S.O. Playfair, History of the Second World War, United Kingdom Military Series: The Mediterranean and Middle East, Vol III: (September 1941 to September 1942) British Fortunes reach their Lowest Ebb, London: HMSO, 1960 /Uckfield, Naval & Military Press, 2004, ISBN 1-845740-67-X.
Maj-Gen I.S.O. Playfair & Brig C.J.C. Molony, History of the Second World War, United Kingdom Military Series: The Mediterranean and Middle East, Vol IV: The Destruction of the Axis forces in Africa, London: HMSO, 1966/Uckfield, Naval & Military Press, 2004, ISBN 1-845740-68-8.
Keith Rennles, Independent Force; The War Diary of the Daylight Squadrons of the Independent Air Force June–November 1918, London: Grub Street, 2002, ISBN 1-902304-90-X, pp. 6–7.
Maj-Gen S. Woodburn Kirby, History of the Second World War, United Kingdom Military Series: The War Against Japan Vol II, India's Most Dangerous Hour, London: HM Stationery Office, 1958.
Maj-Gen S. Woodburn Kirby, History of the Second World War, United Kingdom Military Series: The War Against Japan Vol IV, The Reconquest of Burma, London: HM Stationery Office, 1955.
Maj-Gen S. Woodburn Kirby, History of the Second World War, United Kingdom Military Series: The War Against Japan Vol V, The Surrender of Japan, London: HM Stationery Office, 1969.

External links

Royal Air Force official website
Royal Air Force Regiment official website
Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation