List of Royal Air Force operations
This following list of Royal Air Force operations includes both national and multi-national operations, as well as joint and air-only operations that the Royal Air Force has participated in.
Current
Name | From | To | Location | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
Aluminium | 2022, February | Present | Poland & Romania | UK contribution to NATO's response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.[1] |
Azotize | 2014, April | Present | Lithuania & Estonia[2] | UK contribution to NATO's Baltic Air Policing mission.[3][4] |
Biloxi | 2017, April | Present | Romania | UK contribution to NATO's Southern Air Policing mission.[5][6] |
Broadshare | 2020, January | Present | British Overseas Territories & overseas military bases | Military assistance to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic overseas. |
Kipion | 2011, June | Present | Oman, UAE, Qatar | UK air presence in the Persian Gulf & Indian Ocean.[7] |
Turus | 2014 | Present | Nigeria | Training and supporting the Nigerian Armed Forces to help it counter violent extremists.[8] |
Shader | 2014, 26 September | Present | Iraq & Syria, operating from RAF Akrotiri[9] | Providing humanitarian aid airdrops, reconnaissance and airstrikes as part of the military intervention against ISIL.[10] |
Previous
Name | From | To | Location | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
Accolade | Rhodes | Cancelled, part of the Dodecanese campaign, World War II.[11] | ||
Banner | 1969, August | 2007, July | Northern Ireland | Military support to the Royal Ulster Constabulary/Police Service of Northern Ireland |
Bolton | 1998 | 2003 | Southern Iraq | Part of Operation Southern Watch |
Boomster | 2018, March | 2018, March | United Kingdom | Military Aid following extreme weather conditions[8] |
Bushell | 1984, November | 1985, December | Ethiopia | Famine relief[12] |
Chocolate | 12 November 1942 | 13 November 1942 | Part of the Western Desert Campaign, World War II.[13] | |
Coral | 2003, 14 June | 2003, 10 September | Democratic Republic of Congo | Humanitarian operation in the Democratic Republic of Congo |
Corporate | 2 April 1982 | 14 June 1982 | Falkland Islands | Part of the Falklands War[14] |
Decisive Edge | January 1996 | December 1996 | Bosnia and Herzegovina Croatia |
Part of the NATO intervention in Bosnia and Herzegovina.[15] |
Deliberate Force | 30 August 1995 | 14 September 1995 | Bosnia and Herzegovina Croatia |
Part of the NATO intervention in Bosnia and Herzegovina.[15] |
Deliberate Guard | December 1996 | April 1998 | Bosnia and Herzegovina Croatia |
Part of the NATO intervention in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Formerly Op Decisive Edge.[15] |
Deny Flight | 12 April 1993 | 20 December 1995 | Bosnia and Herzegovina Croatia |
Part of the NATO intervention in Bosnia and Herzegovina.[15] |
Ellamy | 19 March 2011 | 31 October 2011 | Libya | Part of the 2011 military intervention in Libya |
Engadine | 1999 | 1999 | Kosovo | Part of NATO operations in Kosovo[16] |
Fingal | 1 January 2002 | 2002 | Afghanistan & Asia | Part of the War in Afghanistan (2001–2021)[17] |
Fresco | 2002 | 2003 | United Kingdom | Military support during the UK firefighters' dispute |
Granby | 1 October 1990 | March 1991 | Iraq & Asia | Part of the Gulf War |
Gritrock | 30 October 2014 | 13 November 2015 | West Africa | UK military contribution to the Ebola virus epidemic in West Africa |
Herrick | 20 June 2002 | 12 December 2014 | Afghanistan & Asia | Part of the War in Afghanistan (2001–2021) |
Highbrow | 2006 | 2006 | Lebanon via Cyprus | UK military support to evacuation operation from Beirut.[18] |
Jural | 1992 | 1998 | Southern Iraq | Part of Operation Southern Watch |
Khana Cascade | March 1973 | March 1973 | Nepal | Airlift to villagers.[19] |
Luminous | August 2013 | November 2013 | Cyprus | Protection of UK Sovereign Base Areas[20] |
Masterer | November 2019 | December 2019 | Iceland | UK contribution to NATO's Icelandic Air Policing Mission[21][22] |
Maturin | October 2005 | January 2006 | Pakistan and Kashmir | UK military contribution to humanitarian operations following earthquake.[23][24] |
Microbe | 13 September 1943 | 22 November 1943 | Rhodes | Part of the Dodecanese campaign, World War II.[11] |
Newcombe | 13 January 2013 | 14 November 2022 | West Africa | Operation Newcombe was the code name for two separate and concurrent RAF non-combat military operations in Mali. One operation involved logistical and airlift support for the French-led Operation Barkhane (previously Operation Serval), whilst the other encompassed peacekeeping in support of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA).[25][26][27] |
Palliser | May 2000 | September 2000 | Sierra Leone | UK military intervention in Sierra Leone |
Pitting | 13 August 2021 | 28 August 2021 | Afghanistan | Evacuating British nationals and eligible Afghans from Afghanistan following the 2021 Taliban offensive. |
Plainfare | 24 June 1948 | 12 May 1949 | Allied-occupied Germany | Part of the Cold War.[28] |
Rescript | 23 March 2020 | 2022 | United Kingdom | Homeland military operation to support tackling the COVID-19 pandemic. |
Resinate | 2001 | 2003 | Iraq | Maintaining no-fly zones in Iraq.[16] |
River | 27 May 1944 | Part of World War II.[29] | ||
Ruman | September 2017 | October 2017 | Caribbean | Providing relief to the British Overseas Territories in the Caribbean affected by Hurricane Irma.[30] |
Shaku | December 2016 | December 2016 | Northern England | Repairing flood defences during the 2015–16 Great Britain and Ireland floods.[31] |
Stamina | July 1944 | Part of World War II[32] | ||
Telic | 19 March 2003 | 22 May 2011 | Iraq & Asia | Part of the Iraq War |
Thursday | 5 March 1944 | Burma | Part of the Burma Campaign, World War II | |
Toral | 2015 | 8 July 2021 | Afghanistan | UK's contribution to NATO's Resolute Support Mission |
Trenton | 2017 | 2020 | South Sudan | British contribution to the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS). |
Veritas | 2001 | 20 June 2002 | Afghanistan & Asia | Part of Operation Enduring Freedom - Afghanistan |
Vigour | 12 December 1992 | 12 December 1992 | Kenya | Relief flights.[15] |
Warden | September 1991 | 1991 | Iraq | [15] |
Wildhorn | 1944 | 1994 | Poland | Part of the World War II.[33] |
References
Citations
- ^ "RAF Typhoons reinforce NATO's response to Russia-Ukraine crisis". www.raf.mod.uk. 26 February 2022. Archived from the original on 15 November 2023. Retrieved 15 November 2023.
- ^ "RAF Typhoons Wow Lithuanian Crowds". www.raf.mod.uk. Retrieved 29 December 2016.
- ^ "Op Azotize: What Was The RAF's Role In Lithuania?". Forces Network. 2 September 2020. Retrieved 17 October 2023.
- ^ "Permanent Representatives to NATO visits Operation Azotize | Royal Air Force".
- ^ "RAF Typhoons hand over NATO Romania duties to Canada". Royal Air Force. 29 August 2017. Archived from the original on 29 August 2017. Retrieved 29 August 2017.
- ^ "Members of Parliament visit RAF personnel on Enhanced Air Policing mission, Operation Biloxi | Royal Air Force". www.raf.mod.uk. Retrieved 22 July 2018.
- ^ "RAF - 83EAG". www.raf.mod.uk. Retrieved 29 December 2016.
- ^ a b "RAF flies supplies into snowed-in areas". BBC News. 5 March 2018. Retrieved 28 July 2018.
- ^ Grzeszczyk, Sian (26 September 2022). "Eight years of Operation Shader: The UK's mission against IS". Forces Network. Retrieved 21 October 2023.
- ^ "Six Years of Operation Shader | Royal Air Force".
- ^ a b Grant 1979, p. 121.
- ^ Green, William; Swanborough, Gordon (March 1986). "Operation Bushell Ends". Air International. Vol. 30, no. 3. pp. 118–123. ISSN 0306-5634.
- ^ Grant 1979, p. 119.
- ^ "Spirit of the Air Volume 2 Number 4 2007 - Falklands Commemorative" (PDF). www.raf.mod.uk. Retrieved 29 December 2016.
- ^ a b c d e f Cotter 2008, p. 72.
- ^ a b AirForces Monthly. Stamford, Lincolnshire, England: Key Publishing Ltd. April 2016. p. 6.
- ^ Cotter 2008, p. 73.
- ^ "Spirit of the Air: December 2006" (PDF). www.raf.mod.uk. pp. 21–24. Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 December 2011. Retrieved 29 December 2016.
- ^ Cotter 2008, p. 71.
- ^ "RAF Akrotiri - History". www.raf.mod.uk. Retrieved 29 December 2016.
By 2013, There was increasing concern that escalating violence in Syria was threatening to destabilise neighbouring nations. In Aug 13, 121 Expeditionary Air Wg was deployed to RAF Akrotiri in support of Op LUMINOUS. Op LUMINOUS cemented the Stations work on contingency it affirmed the decision to split Ops Wg into an Ops and a Logs Wg on 10th June 2013. This enabled Logs to concentrate on enablement the inflow of personnel and equipment while allowing Ops to concentrate on the operation itself. Activity during LUMINOUS was frenetic and the 'plug and play' of support Units into the Stn proved a success. Op LUMINOUS wound down in Nov 13 and a number of significant Lessons Identified have or are being implemented.
- ^ Redefyne. "NATO: RAF Typhoons over Iceland - EU Today". eutoday.net. Retrieved 5 June 2020.
- ^ "Royal Air Force". Royal Air Force. Retrieved 5 June 2020.
- ^ Westminster, Department of the Official Report (Hansard), House of Commons. "House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 22 Nov 2005 (pt 25)". www.publications.parliament.uk. Retrieved 29 December 2016.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ "Spirit of the Air; Volume 1" (PDF). www.raf.mod.uk. pp. 6–12. Retrieved 29 December 2016.
- ^ "Three Royal Air Force Chinooks arrive in Mali". UK Defence Journal. 19 July 2018. Retrieved 22 July 2018.
- ^ "Mali: RAF C17 cargo plane to help French operation". BBC News. 13 January 2013. Retrieved 29 December 2016.
- ^ "Mali: RAF surveillance aircraft Sentinel deployed". BBC News. 25 January 2013. Retrieved 29 December 2016.
- ^ Grant 1979, p. 154.
- ^ Grant 1979, p. 139.
- ^ "Operation Ruman".
- ^ AirForces Monthly. Stamford, Lincolnshire, England: Key Publishing Ltd. March 2016. p. 30.
- ^ Grant 1979, p. 141.
- ^ Grant 1979, p. 145.