United Kingdom Armed Forces - Royal Air Force

Command

This is a list of Royal Air Force commands, both past and present.
Although the concept of a command dates back to the foundation of the Royal Air Force, the term command (as the name of a formation) was first used in purely RAF-context in 1936 when Bomber Command, Fighter Command, Coastal Command and Training Command were formed. Since that time the RAF has made considerable use of the term.

• Aden Command
• Air Command Far East (1946 - 1949)
• Air Command South East Asia
• Army Cooperation Command (1940 - 1943)
• Balloon Command (1938 - 1945)
• Bomber Command (1936 – 1968)
• Coastal Command (1936 – 1969)
• Eastern Air Command - formed on the basis of No 333 (Special Operations) Group, November 1942.
• Far East Air Force (1943 - 1971)
• Ferry Command (1941 - 1943)
• Fighter Command (1936 – 1968)
• Flying Training Command (1940 - 1968)
• Iraq Command (1922-1932)
• Maintenance Command
• Mediterranean Air Command
• Near East Air Force
• Middle East Command
• Reserve Command (1939-1940; 1946-1950)
• Technical Training Command (1940 - 1968)
• Training Command (1936 - 1977)
• Transport Command (1943 - 1967)

• Air Defence of Great Britain
• Advanced Air Striking Force
• British Air Forces in France

• No. 1 Area
• No. 2 Area
• No. 3 Area
• No. 4 Area
• No. 5 Area

• Training Division

• Coastal Area
• Central Area
• North Eastern Area
• North Western Area
• Northern Area
• South Eastern Area
• South Western Area
• Southern Area
• Western Area

• RAF Bengal and Burma
• RAF Burma
• RAF Germany
• RAF Gibraltar
• RAF Iceland
• RAF in Northern Ireland
• RAF India
• RAF Iraq
• RAF Ireland
• RAF Mediterranean
• RAF Mediterranean and Middle East
• RAF Middle East
• RAF Rhine

• First Tactical Air Force (Desert Air Force)
• Second Tactical Air Force
• Third Tactical Air Force
• Allied Expeditionary Air Force
• Balkan Air Force
• Far East Air Force (Royal Air Force)
• Mediterranean Allied Air Forces
• Mediterranean Allied Coastal Air Force
• Mediterranean Allied Strategic Air Force
• Mediterranean Allied Tactical Air Force
• Mediterranean Coastal Air Force
• Middle East Air Force
• Near East Air Force
• Northwest African Coastal Air Force
• Northwest African Tactical Air Force
• Northwest African Strategic Air Force

Groups
Main article: List of Royal Air Force groups

Stations
Main article: Royal Air Force station
An RAF station is ordinarily subordinate to a group and it is administratively sub-divided into wings. Since the mid to late 1930s RAF stations have controlled a number of flying squadrons or other units at one location by means of a station headquarters.

Wings
Main article: List of Royal Air Force wings
A wing is either an operational sub-division of a group or an administrative sub-division of an RAF station.

Independent Wings are a grouping of two or more squadrons, either flying squadrons or ground support squadrons. In former times, numbered flying wings have existed.

A wing is also an administrative sub-division of an RAF station. Historically, for a flying station these were normally Operations Wing, Engineering Wing and Administration Wing and each wing was commanded by an officer of wing commander rank. 


Squadrons
A flying squadron is an aircraft unit which carries out the primary tasks of the RAF. RAF squadrons are somewhat analogous to the regiments of the British Army in that they have histories and traditions going back to their formation, regardless of where they are based, which aircraft they are operating, etc.


Flights
See also: List of Royal Air Force aircraft independent flights
A flight is a sub-division of a squadron. Flying squadrons are often divided into two flights, e.g. "A" and "B", each under the command of a squadron leader.