Expeditionary Air Wing

On 1 April 2006 Expeditionary Air Wings (EAWs) were formed at nine of the RAF's Main Operating Bases. Each EAW has its own identity and is led by the Station Commander, supported by his Station management team. The deployable elements of the station structures form the core of each EAW, reinforced by elements of the Air Combat Service Support Units (ACSSUs). Flying and Force Protection force elements are attached to meet the requirements of each operation. EAWs enable the RAF to train as cohesive units of Air Power which are prepared and capable of transitioning quickly from peacetime structures and deploying swiftly on operations in tailored packages.

UK based wings

Current wings

No. 34 EAW

• RAF Waddington [1] (ISTAR)
• Deployed between May and December 2016 to NSA Souda Bay supporting Operation Shader.

No. 38 EAW

• 38 EAW is an Air Mobility specialist EAW composed of personnel from RAF Brize Norton and RAF Northolt.
• Deployed to Barbados on Operation Ruman 9 September 17 to support Hurricane Irma relief efforts in the Caribbean. 38 EAW comprised
  • Elements of No. XXIV Squadron. (38 EAW was commanded by OC of No. 24 Squadron).
  • Elements of No. 47 Squadron RAF with Lockheed Hercules C4/C5.
  • Elements of No. LXX Squadron RAF with Airbus Atlas C1.
  • Elements of No. 99 Squadron RAF with Boeing C-17 Globemaster III.
  • Elements of No 1 Air Mobility Wing

No. 121 EAW

• RAF Coningsby [2]
• Deployed to RAF Akrotiri from August to November 2013 for Operation Luminous[3][4] comprised
  • Elements of No. XI Squadron with Eurofighter Typhoon FGR4
  • Elements of No. 8 Squadron with Boeing Sentry AEW1
  • Elements of No. 216 Squadron with Lockheed Tristar
  • Elements of No. 1 Air Control Centre with T101 Radar
  • Elements of No. 4 Force Protection Wing
• Deployed to Ämari Air Base[5] from April to September 2015 for Operation Azotize[6] with Typhoon FGR4

No. 135 EAW

• RAF Leeming
• Deployed to Šiauliai, Lithuania from April to September 2014 for Operation Azotize[7] with Typhoon FGR4
• Deployed to Mihail Kogalniceanu airbase near Constanța, Romania from April to August 2017 under Operation Biloxi with four Typhoon FGR4s of No. 3 (Fighter) Squadron.[8][9]
• Deployed to Mihail Kogalniceanu airbase near Constanta, Romania in April 2018 under Operation Biloxi with four Typhoon FGR4s of No.1 (Fighter) Squadron[10] and No. II (Army Cooperation) Squadron.[11][12][13]
• Deployed to Šiauliai, Lithuania from April to September 2019 for Operation Azotize with Typhoon FGR4 of No. 6 Squadron.[14]

No. 138 EAW

Main article: No. 138 Expeditionary Air Wing (United Kingdom)

• RAF Marham [2]
• Believed to have deployed to West Africa in 2014 for Operation Turus with Panavia Tornado GR4[15]

No. 140 EAW

• RAF Lossiemouth
• Deployed to RAF Akrotiri from August to December 2014 for Operation Shader, succeeded by 903 EAW, comprised[16]
  • Elements of the RAF Tornado Force (Tornado GR4 strike aircraft)
  • Elements of the RAF Air Mobility Force:
    • Hercules C5 transport aircraft
    • Voyager KC3 tanker aircraft
• Deployed to Ämari Air Base[5] from April to September 2016 for Operation Azotize[17] with Typhoon FGR4

Former wings

• No. 38 EAW - RAF Lyneham[1]
• No. 122 EAW - RAF Cottesmore[2] (Fighter / Ground Attack) - stood down in 2012
• No. 125 EAW - RAF Leuchars[2] (Fighter) - stood down in 2013
• No. 325 EAW - RAF Kinloss[1] (Maritime Patrol & Surveillance) - stood down in 2013

Deployed Wings

Visiting Aircraft Section (VASS) from 901 Expeditionary Air Wing marshalling a No. 32 Squadron RAF BAe 125 aircraft in the Middle East.

No. 83 Expeditionary Air Group

Main article: No. 83 Expeditionary Air Group

No. 901 EAW

• Current:
  • RAF Al Udeid[18]
    • Provides support to Headquarters No. 83 Expeditionary Air Group and Headquarters Joint Force Communication and Information Systems (Middle East).[19]
• Previous:
  • A Flight
    • Unknown.
      • Lockheed Hercules C4[20]
  • B Flight (reformed in 2013 as unknown):[19]
    • Unknown
      • Boeing C-17A Globemaster III
  • C Flight (disbanded March 2015):[19]
    • Bahrain International Airport:[21]
      • A mix of BAe125s and BAe146s from No. 32 (The Royal) Squadron.

No. 902 EAW

• RAFO Musannah in support of Operation Kipion (May 2015 – present):
  • 2 x AgustaWestland Merlin HM.2 helicopters.[22]
• Previous:
  • During 2008: Muscat International Airport, Oman.
    • Hawker Siddeley Nimrod MR2 & R1[20]
  • October 2013: Unknown deployed location suspected to be Muscat International Airport, Oman.
    • Sentinel R1 Airborne Stand Off Radar (ASTOR) aircraft from No. V (Army Cooperation) Squadron

No. 903 EAW

Main article: No. 903 Expeditionary Air Wing

• RAF Akrotiri in support of Operation Shader (14 December 2014 – present):[23]
  • Elements of the RAF Tornado Force (10 x Tornado GR4 strike aircraft)
  • Elements of the RAF Typhoon Force (9 x Typhoon FGR4 multirole fighter aircraft)
  • Elements of the RAF Air Mobility Force:
    • 2 x Hercules C5 transport aircraft (1 withdrawn during 2014)
    • 2 x Voyager KC3 tanker aircraft
  • Elements of the RAF ISTAR Force:
    • 2 x Sentinel R1 ISTAR aircraft from No. V(Army Cooperation) Squadron
    • 2 x Sentry AEW1 AEW&C aircraft from No. 8 Squadron
  • Elements of the RAF A4 Force.
• Previous:
  • Contingency Operating Base Basra/Basra Airport, Iraq for Operation Telic (2003- 2009).[23]
  • Camp Bastion, Afghanistan for Operation Herrick (2009-2014)[23]

No. 906 EAW

• Al Minhad Air Base, United Arab Emirates (15 January 2013 – present):[24]
• Previous:
  • Gioia del Colle Air Base, Italy in support of Operation Ellamy (2011) comprising[25]
    • 10 × Eurofighter Typhoon multirole fighters from RAF Coningsby and RAF Lossiemouth,[26]
    • 16 × Tornado GR4 interdictor/strike aircraft from RAF Marham[27][28]

British Forces South Atlantic Islands

No. 905 EAW

• RAF Mount Pleasant, Falklands Islands[29] (1 April 2006 – present)
  • No. 1312 Flight RAF
    • Airbus A400M Atlas[20]
    • Voyager KC2[30]
      • Previously VC10 and Tristar
  • No. 1435 Flight RAF
    • 4 x Eurofighter Typhoon[29][31]
      • Previously Panavia Tornado F3s[20]
• Previous:Unknown

Disbanded Wings

No. 904 EAW

Main article: No. 904 Expeditionary Air Wing

• Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan for Operation Herrick (2006-2015).[32]

No. 907 EAW

• RAF Akrotiri in support of Operation Ellamy (2011) comprising[25]
  • 3 × Sentry AEW1 AWACS aircraft from RAF Waddington[33]
  • 1 x Nimrod R1 signals intelligence aircraft from No 51 Squadron[34] – operational requirements forced the Royal Air Force to deploy one of its two remaining Nimrod R1s two weeks before they were due to be withdrawn.[35]
  • 1 x Sentinel R1 airborne standoff radar aircraft from No V(Army Cooperation) Squadron[25]

See also

• RAF Advanced Air Striking Force

References

Citations

1. Cotter 2008, p. 34.
2. Cotter 2008, p. 33.
3. "RAF Akrotiri History". www.raf.mod.uk. Retrieved 29 December 2016.
4. "RAF Units Return from Cyprus". www.raf.mod.uk. Retrieved 29 December 2016.
5. AirForces Monthly. Stamford, Lincolnshire, England: Key Publishing. June 2016. p. 13.
6. "RAF Typhoons return from Baltic Air Policing mission". www.gov.uk. Retrieved 29 December 2016.
7. "Core Business for 135 Expeditionary Air Wing". www.raf.mod.uk. Retrieved 29 December 2016.
8. "RAF Typhoons hand over NATO Romania duties to Canada". Royal Air Force. 29 August 2017. Retrieved 29 August 2017.
9. "British Typhoon jets arrive in Romania for NATO enhanced Air Policing". NATO Allied Air Command. 25 April 2017. Retrieved 19 July 2017.
10. "RAF Typhoon scramble intercepts Russian aircraft over the Romanian Black Sea | Royal Air Force". www.raf.mod.uk. Retrieved 28 July 2018.
11. "RAF Typhoons return to Romania to resume NATO Black Sea Mission". www.raf.mod.uk. Retrieved 22 July 2018.
12. "Members of Parliament visit RAF personnel on Enhanced Air Policing mission, Operation Biloxi". www.raf.mod.uk. Retrieved 22 July 2018.
13. "RAF Typhoons scramble over the Black Sea | Royal Air Force". www.raf.mod.uk. Retrieved 22 July 2018.
14. "Royal Air Force". Royal Air Force. Retrieved 28 April 2020.
15. "Tornado GR4 | SP196 | Squadron Prints". www.squadronprints.com. Retrieved 29 December 2016.
16. "RAF - 903 EAW". www.raf.mod.uk. Archived from the original on 18 March 2015. Retrieved 29 December 2016.
17. "CAS Visits 140 Expeditionary Air Wing Personnel in Estonia". www.raf.mod.uk. Retrieved 29 December 2016.
18. "Inside Mission Control: Directing The Air Campaign Against Islamic Statestate". Forces TV. Retrieved 20 September 2017.
19. "901 EAW". RAF. Retrieved 14 May 2015.
20. Cotter 2008, p. 38.
21. "901 EAW C Flight". Royal Air Force (RAF). Retrieved 8 December 2013.
22. "902 Expeditionary Air Wing". RAF. Archived from the original on 15 May 2015. Retrieved 14 May 2015.
23. "903 Expeditionary Air Wing". RAF. Archived from the original on 18 March 2015. Retrieved 14 May 2015.
24. "New RAF unit strengthens relationship with United Arab Emirates". MoD. Retrieved 1 February 2013.
25. "Coalition operations in Libya to continue". Ministry of Defence (MoD). 21 March 2010.
26. Judd, Terri (19 March 2011). "Operation Ellamy: Designed to strike from air and sea". The Independent. London. Retrieved 20 March 2011.
27. "Libya update". MoD. 20 March 2011.
28. "Operational Update on Libya – 25 March". MoD. 25 March 2011. Retrieved 25 March 2011.
29. "Falklands Garrison still going strong". MoD. Retrieved 20 January 2015.
30. "RAF Retires TriStar Tankers As Voyager Fleet Grows". Aviation International News. Retrieved 29 December 2016.
31. Typhoons arrive in Falklands Archived 23 February 2010 at the Wayback Machine
32. "904 Expeditionary Air Wing". RAF. Archived from the original on 4 October 2013. Retrieved 1 October 2013.
33. "Coalition Against Gadhafi Growing". Defense News. 20 March 2011. Archived from the original on 21 March 2011. Retrieved 21 March 2011.
34. "UK military to be stretched by long Libya campaign". Reuters. 19 March 2011.
35. Jane's Defence Weekly, 16 March 2011

Bibliography

• Cotter, Jarrod (2008). Royal Air Force celebrating 90 years. Stamford, UK: Key Publishing Ltd. ISBN 978-0-946219-11-7.
• Richardson, Donna (28 June 2006). "EAWs improve UK RAF deployment capability". Jane's Defence Weekly. p. 31.