RAF REGIMENT

The need to raise a dedicated specialist force to protect air installations became apparent during WWII when unprotected aircraft on the ground were vulnerable to enemy air and ground attack. Consequently, the RAF Regiment was raised on 1 February 1942 by a Royal Warrant of King George VI. At the end of WWII, there were over 85,000 personnel serving in the RAF Regiment manning 240 operational squadrons.

As of 2006, the strength of the RAF Regiment is around 3,000, including some 300 officers and 500 part-time reservists. The Regiment is generally formed into Squadrons of 100 to 150 personnel. Currently the RAF Regiment exists to provide defence for RAF installations, and to train all the RAF's combatant personnel to enable them to contribute to the defence of their units. RAF Regiment units are under the operational command of No 2 Group.

RAF Regiment restructuring

In July 2004 it was announced that the role of providing Ground Based Air Defence was to be transferred to the Army and the four Royal Air Force Regiment Rapier squadrons (15 Sqn; 16 Sqn; 26 Sqn and 37 Sqn) are to be disbanded.

The phased timings associated with this phased programme will allow the Army’s Royal Regiment of Artillery to take over the overall UK Ground Based Air Defence (GBAD) in a progressive manner.

The UK MoD states that “As part of the changes, both 3 Squadron RAF Regiment, based at RAF Aldergrove, and the Queen's Colour Squadron, based at RAF Uxbridge, will be expanded by around 40 personnel each in order to enhance their operational capability to match that of the other four regular RAF Regiment Field Squadrons. This will improve the units' ability to deploy on operations and so enhance the operational flexibility of the RAF Regiment in its Force Protection role”.

It is expected that about 340 RAF Regiment personnel posts will be affected by this restructuring. Other RAF Regiment elements will be affected by this restructuring as follows:

• 1 Squadron RAF Regiment will move from RAF St Mawgan to RAF Honington by March 2007.

• 2625 (County of Cornwall) Squadron Royal Auxiliary Air Force Regiment, based alongside 1 Squadron at RAF St Mawgan, will be disbanded with effect from November 2006.

As of 1 April 2006, RAF Regiment units are as follows:
 

Field Squadrons

No 1 Squadron

No 2 Squadron

RAF Honington

Field/Parachute Squadron

*STO - Survive to Operate

Note: Joint CBRN Regiment: No 27 Squadron RAF Regiment provides some of the 244 personnel of the Joint CBRN Regiment alongside two squadrons of the Royal Tank Regiment all of whom are stationed at Honington.

Specialist RAF Regiment training for gunners is given at the RAF Regiment Depot at Honington. On completion of training at the RAF College Cranwell officers also undergo further specialist training at RAF Honington and, in some cases, the School of Infantry at Warminster in Wiltshire or the Royal School of Artillery at Larkhill.

The RAF Regiment also mans the Queen's Colour Squadron (QCS) which undertakes all major ceremonial duties for the Royal Air Force. These duties involve mounting the Guard at Buckingham Palace on an occasional basis, and providing Guards of Honour for visiting Heads of State. The Queen's Colour Squadron also has a war role as a field squadron.

The regiment is not alone in defending any RAF station. Every airman based at a station has a ground defence role and is trained to defend his place of work against ground attack and attack by NBC weapons. Training for this is given by RAF Regiment instructors who provide courses at station level for all personnel on various aspects of ground defence.