This list of Royal Air Force groups is an overview of all groups, current and former, of the Royal Air Force (RAF). An air force group is a high-level controlling organisational formation, subordinate only to command level. Individual groups within the Royal Air Force have overall command and responsibility for major operational tasks of the RAF; for example: combat, combat support, training and administration.
, there are only five active groups. Four are in the United Kingdom while the fifth, a more skeleton organisation, is in the Middle East. No. 1 Group (1 Gp), No. 2 Group (2 Gp), No. 11 Group (11 Gp), No. 22 Group (22 Gp) are in the UK. All four groups are now effectively subdivisions and staff branches of the larger Air Command headquarters, as all are at High Wycombe. No. 83 Expeditionary Air Group (83 EAG), the renamed UK Air Component Headquarters in the Middle East, has its headquarters at Al Udeid in Qatar.
List Current RAF group Dates active DescriptionNo. 1 Group RAF1918–19261927–1939 Originally formed on 1 April 1918 (same day as the Royal Air Force creation) in London, it was renumbered 21 Group on 12 April 1926. Reformed on 25 August 1927 by renaming the Air Defence Group, but disbanded on 22 December 1939. Reformed on 22 June 1940 within Bomber Command, post-war it operated the Thor ballistic missile. From 1968, it operated bomber and strike aircraft of Strike Command. It now administers most flying squadrons.No. 2 Group RAF1918–19201936–19471948–19581993–19962000–presentFormed as No. 2 (Training) Group on 1 April 1918, it disbanded on 31 March 1920. Reformed as No. 2 (Bombing) Group within Bomber Command on 20 March 1936. In May 1943, it was transferred to the Second Tactical Air Force (2TAF) within Fighter Command, until the formation of the Allied Expeditionary Air Force. Disbanded on 1 May 1947, but reformed on 1 December 1948 as part of the British Air Forces of Occupation (BAFO). It rejoined 2TAF on 1 September 1951, and disbanded on 15 November 1958. Reformed on 1 April 1993 by renaming Royal Air Force Germany (RAFG), then disbanded on 1 April 1996 when absorbed into 1 Group.Reformed on 7 January 2000 to control air transport, air-to-air refuelling, and airborne early warning within the RAF. On 1 April 2006, it absorbed 3 Group.No. 11 Group RAF1918–19201936–19601961–19631968–19962018–presentFormed on 1 April 1918 as No. 11 (Equipment) Group, and disbanded on 17 May 1918. It reformed on 22 August 1918, but reduced to 11 Wing in May 1920. Reformed on 1 May 1936 as No. 11 (Fighter) Group by renaming Fighting Area, and transferred to Fighter Command on 14 July 1936. Disbanded on 31 December 1960, but reformed on 1 January 1961 by renaming 13 Group. Renamed No. 11 (Northern) Sector on 1 April 1963. Reformed on 1 April 1968 within Strike Command to take over the role of Fighter Command. Renamed No. 11 (Air Defence) Group in January 1986. Amalgamated with 18 Group on 1 April 1996.Reformed in 2018 to leads the RAF's response to new and evolving threats in the air, cyber and space domains, the group now runs day-to-day RAF operations.No. 22 Group RAF1918–19191926–19401943–19722006–presentFormed on 1 April 1918 as No. 22 (Operations) Group, in Scotland, and disbanded on 30 May 1919. Reformed on 12 April 1926 from 7 Group as No. 22 (Army Co-operation) Group, and on 1 December 1940, expanded to become Army Cooperation Command. Reformed on 1 August 1943 as No. 22 (Training) Group, Technical Training Command, until disbanded on 31 January 1972.Reformed on 30 October 2006 as No. 22 (Training) Group.No. 83 Expeditionary Air Group RAF1943–19461952–19582006–presentFormed on 1 April 1943 as No. 83 (Composite) Group, Second Tactical Air Force (2TAF), and was absorbed into 84 Group on 21 April 1946 . Reformed on 9 July 1952 as No. 83 Group, part of the British Air Forces of Occupation in Germany, until disbanded on 16 June 1958.Reformed as No. 83 Expeditionary Air Group on 1 April 2006 in the Middle East to support operations in the region.
Former (inactive)