Editing British Armed Forces (section)

===Royal Air Force===
[[File:Royal Air Force Eurofighter EF-2000 Typhoon F2 Lofting-1.jpg|thumb|The [[Eurofighter Typhoon]] [[multirole combat aircraft]]]]
{{Main|Royal Air Force}}

The Royal Air Force has a large operational fleet that fulfils various roles, consisting of both [[List of active United Kingdom military aircraft|fixed-wing and rotary aircraft]].<ref>{{cite hansard|title=Military Aircraft|url=https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201212/cmhansrd/cm120131/text/120131w0002.htm#120131143001971|house=House of Commons|date=31 January 2012|speaker=Nick Harvey|position=Minister of State for the Armed Forces|access-date=14 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170917213512/https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201212/cmhansrd/cm120131/text/120131w0002.htm#120131143001971|archive-date=17 September 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> Frontline aircraft are controlled by [[RAF Air Command|Air Command]], which is organised into five [[Group (air force)|groups]] defined by function: [[No. 1 Group RAF|1 Group]] (Air Combat), [[No. 2 Group RAF|2 Group]] (Air Support), [[No. 11 Group RAF|11 Group]] (Air and Space operations),<ref name="RAF">{{Cite web |url=http://www.raf.mod.uk/structure/ |title=RAF – Structure |access-date=20 February 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070221205633/http://www.raf.mod.uk/structure/ |archive-date=21 February 2007 |url-status=dead}}</ref> [[No. 22 Group|22 Group]] (training aircraft and ground facilities) and [[No. 38 Group RAF|38 Group]] (Royal Air Force's Engineering, Logistics, Communications and Medical Operations units).<ref name="RAF" /> In addition [[No. 83 Expeditionary Air Group (United Kingdom)|83 Expeditionary Air Group]] directs formations in the Middle East and the [[No. 38 Group RAF|38 Group]] combines the expeditionary [[Combat Support|combat support]] and [[Combat Service Support|combat service support]] units of the RAF. Deployable formations consist of Expeditionary Air [[Wing (air force unit)|Wings]] and [[Squadron (aviation)|squadrons]]—the basic unit of the Air Force.<ref>[http://www.raf.mod.uk/rafcms/mediafiles/628864A8_EC65_BEBF_C4C64EC02534493A.pdf Transforming the Royal Air Force] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070610172134/http://www.raf.mod.uk/rafcms/mediafiles/628864A8_EC65_BEBF_C4C64EC02534493A.pdf |date=10 June 2007 }}, raf.mod.uk</ref><ref>[http://www.raf.mod.uk/structure/squadrons.cfm Royal Air Force Squadrons], raf.mod.uk {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140219044631/http://www.raf.mod.uk/structure/squadrons.cfm |date=19 February 2014 }}</ref> Independent [[Flight (military unit)|flights]] are deployed to facilities in Brunei, the Falkland Islands, Iraq, and the United States.<ref>[http://www.scramble.nl/uk.htm Aircraft Order of Battle], Scramble (magazine) {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120730094243/http://www.scramble.nl/uk.htm|date=30 July 2012}}</ref>

The Royal Air Force operates multi-role and single-role fighters, reconnaissance and patrol aircraft, tankers, transports, helicopters, unmanned aerial vehicles, and various types of training aircraft.<ref>[http://www.raf.mod.uk/equipment Royal Air Force – Equipment] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070217000203/http://www.raf.mod.uk/equipment/ |date=17 February 2007 }}, raf.mod.uk</ref>

Ground units are also maintained by the Royal Air Force, most prominently the [[RAF Police]] and the [[Royal Air Force Regiment]] (RAF Regt). The Royal Air Force Regiment essentially functions as the ground defence force of the RAF, optimised for the specialist role of fighting on and around forward airfields, which are densely packed with operationally vital aircraft, equipment, infrastructure and personnel.<ref>[http://www.raf.mod.uk/structure/rafregiment.cfm The Royal Air Force Regiment], raf.mod.uk {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121005150508/http://www.raf.mod.uk/structure/rafregiment.cfm |date=5 October 2012 }}</ref> The Regiment contains nine regular squadrons, supported by five squadrons of the [[Royal Auxiliary Air Force]] Regiment. In addition, it provides [[Forward air control|Forward Air Controllers]] to defence as well as a contribution to the [[Special Forces Support Group]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Forward Air Controllers {{!}} British FAC {{!}} JTAC |url=https://www.eliteukforces.info/forward-air-controllers/ |access-date=4 December 2023 |website=www.eliteukforces.info}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Immersive Close Air Support Simulator delivered to British military - UPI.com |url=https://www.upi.com/Defense-News/2015/04/01/British-military-gets-simulator-training-system-from-Selex-ES/1751427897019/ |access-date=4 December 2023 |website=UPI |language=en}}</ref>