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)

No. 38 EAW

• RAF Brize Norton (Air Mobility)

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 Typhoon FGR4
  • Elements of No. 8 Squadron with Sentry AEW1
  • Elements of No. 216 Squadron with Tristar
  • Elements of No.1 Air Control Centre with T101 Radar
  • Elements of No. 4 Force Protection Wing
• Deployed to Amari 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 Constanta, in Romania in April 2017 in support of the NATO air policing mission with Typhoon FGR4^[8]

No. 138 EAW

• RAF Marham ^[2]
• Believed to have deployed to West Africa in 2014 for Operation Turus with Tornado GR4^[9]

No. 140 EAW

• RAF Lossiemouth
• Deployed to RAF Akrotiri from August to December 2014 for Operation Shader, succeeded by 903 EAW, comprised:^[10]
  • 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 Amari Air Base^[5] from April to September 2016 for Operation Azotize^[11] 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

No. 901 EAW

• Current:
  • Unknown deployed location.^[12]
    • Provides support to Headquarters No. 83 Expeditionary Air Group and Headquarters Joint Force Communication and Information Systems (Middle East).
• Previous:
  • A Flight
    • Unknown.
      • Lockheed Hercules C4^[13]
  • B Flight (reformed in 2013 as unknown):^[12]
    • Unknown
      • Boeing C-17A Globemaster III
  • C Flight (disbanded March 2015):^[12]
    • Bahrain International Airport:^[14]
      • 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.^[15]
• Previous:
  • During 2008: Muscat International Airport, Oman.
    • Hawker Siddeley Nimrod MR2 & R1^[13]
  • 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

• RAF Akrotiri in support of Operation Shader (14 December 2014 – present):^[16]
  • 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
• Previous:
  • Contingency Operating Base Basra/Basra Airport, Iraq for Operation Telic (2003- 2009).^[16]
  • Camp Bastion, Afghanistan for Operation Herrick (2009-2014)^[16]

No. 906 EAW

• Al Minhad Air Base, United Arab Emirates (15 January 2013 – present):^[17]
• Previous:
  • Gioia del Colle Air Base, Italy in support of Operation Ellamy (2011) comprising:^[18]
    • 10 × Eurofighter Typhoon multirole fighters from RAF Coningsby and RAF Lossiemouth,^[19]
    • 16 × Tornado GR4 interdictor/strike aircraft from RAF Marham^[20][21]

British Forces South Atlantic Islands

No. 905 EAW

• RAF Mount Pleasant, Falklands Islands^[22] (1 April 2006 – present)
  • No. 1312 Flight RAF
    • Lockheed Hercules^[13]
    • Voyager KC2^[23]
      • Previously VC10 and Tristar
  • No. 1435 Flight RAF
    • 4 x Eurofighter Typhoon^[22][24]
      • Previously Panavia Tornado F3s^[13]
• Previous:Unknown

Disbanded Wings

No. 904 EAW

• Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan for Operation Herrick (2006-2015).^[25]

No. 907 EAW

• RAF Akrotiri in support of Operation Ellamy (2011) comprising:^[18]
  • 3 × Sentry AEW1 AWACS aircraft from RAF Waddington^[26]
  • 1 x Nimrod R1 signals intelligence aircraft from No 51 Squadron^[27] – 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.^[28]
  • 1 x Sentinel R1 airborne standoff radar aircraft from No V(Army Cooperation) Squadron^[18]

See also

• RAF Advanced Air Striking Force

References

Citations

Bibliography

• Cotter, Jarrod (2008). Royal Air Force celebrating 90 years. Stamford, UK: Key Publishing Ltd. ISBN 978-0-946219-11-7. 

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Expeditionary Air Wing.