Wings within the Royal Air Force have both administrative and tactical applications. Over the years, the structure and role of wings has changed to meet the demands placed on the RAF. Many of the RAF's numbered wings were originally Royal Flying Corps (RFC) or Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) units.

Wings can be found at every station in the RAF and also abroad, deployed on operations.

Wings by number

No. 1 Wing – No. 99 Wing

Wing Date of establishment Date of disestablishment Notes No. 1 Wing RAF 29 November 1914 5 March 1919 Originally Royal Flying Corps (RFC) Corps WingWings 1–50 at Air of Authority. 15 May 1919 ? At RAF Yatesbury 1 January 1926 12 April 1926 Army Cooperation Wing 23 September 1939 15 December 1937 General Reconnaissance Wing during Spanish Civil War with 209 and 210 Squadrons 25 August 1939 22 September 1939 Bomber Wing in Egypt with 30 and 55 Sqns 24 January 1940 24 June 1940 Barrage balloon Wing in France October 1958 September 1961 Signals Wing??Air Mobility Wing No. 2 Wing RAF 29 November 1914 12 September 1919 Originally RFC Corps Wing 15 May 1919 April 1920 At Plymouth with 238 Sqn 25 August 1939 21 September 1939 Bomber Wing in Egypt 3 November 1941 November 1941 112 Sqn and 3 Sqn RAAF ??Force Protection Wing No. 3 Wing RAF 1 March 1915 5 January 1918 Originally RFC Corps Wing1 August 1918 13 June 1919 Training Wing??Force Protection Wing No. 4 Wing RAF 29 November 1914 23 August 1916 RFC Training Wing 10 January 1917 15 May 1919 Originally RFC Reserve Wing 2 October 1935 24 August 1936 Flying Boat Wing??Force Protection Wing No. 5 Wing RAF 29 November 1914 1 April 1920 Originally RFC; 1917–18: Corps Artillery Wing in Palestine Brigade, with 14 and 113 Squadrons (RE 8 and Nieuport), 142 Squadron (RE 8 and Armstrong Whitworth)Bullock. 1 April 1923 April 1924 Controlled all fighter squadrons north of the Thames 16 October 1935 14 August 1936 Controlled 3, 35, 47 and 207 Sqns during the Abyssinia Crisis 13 December 1939 6 July 1940 Signals Wing controlling radar units in France1 April 1953September 1966Signals Wing?? Force Protection Wing No. 6 Wing RAF 20 August 1915 22 November 1919 Originally RFC Training Wing 31 January 1916 July 1918 Existed concurrently in East Africa, controlling 26 Sqn No. 7 Wing RAF 8 November 1915 12 September 1918 Originally RFC Training Wing 18 October 1919 9 July 1920 Training Wing??Force Protection Wing No. 8 Wing RAF 15 November 1918 30 June 1919 Training Wing 30 June 1919 27 April 1920 Training Wing No. 9 Wing RAF 6 May 1916 30 July 1919 Originally RFC HQ Wing 18 October 1918 ? ?Training Wing No. 10 Wing RAF 30 January 1916 5 March 1919 Originally RFC Army Wing 18 October 1919 7 February 1920 ?Training Wing No. 11 Wing RAF 10 February 1916 9 September 1919 Originally RFC Army Wing April 1920 15 January 1923 Irish Wing No. 12 Wing RAF 30 January 1916 20 September 1919 Originally RFC Army Wing 2 June 1922 7 February 1923 ?Irish Wing No. 13 Wing RAF 10 March 1916 1 March 1919 RFC Army Wing No. 14 Wing RAF 1 April 1916 14 March 1919 Originally RFC Army Wing; on Italian Front January–November 1918MacmIllan Appendix I: 'Commanding Officers RNAS/RFC/RAF in Italy: Brigade, Wings, Squadrons'. No. 15 Wing RAF 21 June 1916 20 March 1919 Originally RFC Reserve Army Wing 15 August 1943 12 July 1944 Fighter Wing No. 16 Wing RAF 25 June 1916 29 July 1916 RFC Home Defence Wing 20 September 1916 14 November 1919 Originally RFC Corps Wing 5 July 1943 20 April 1944 Mobile Wing 8 March 1946 3 June 1946 No. 17 Wing RAF 9 August 1916 12 August 1918 Originally RFC training Wing 28 September 1918 14 May 1919 Controlled units in Malta 4 July 1943 12 July 1944 Fighter Wing No. 18 Wing RAF 25 March 1916 1 October 1919 Originally RFC Training/Home Defence Wing December 1943 12 May 1944 Fighter Wing No. 19 Wing RAF 1 May 1916 25 March 1919 Originally RFC Training/Home Defence Wing December 1943 12 May 1944 Fighter Wing in 2nd Tactical Air Force No. 20 Wing RAF 25 July 1916 22 July 1919 Originally RFC Training Wing in Egypt December 1943 12 May 1944 Fighter Wing No. 21 Wing RAF 9 August 1916 18 February 1919 RFC Training Wing 1 January 1944 12 May 1944 Base Defence Wing 1 May 1960 31 August 1963 Air Defence Missile Wing No. 22 Wing RAF 14 September 1916 20 May 1919 Originally RFC Training Wing 9 January 1944 20 April 1944 Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) Fighter Wing No. 23 Wing RAF 13 November 1916 31 May 1919 Originally RFC Training Wing 20 January 1944 20 April 1944 Fighter Wing No. 24 Wing RAF 25 September 1916 8 April 1919 Originally RFC Training Wing 16 February 1944 12 May 1944 Base Defence Wing 1 April 1959 31 August 1963 Air Defence Missile Wing No. 25 Wing RAF 18 September 1916 1 July 1918 Originally RFC Training Wing 1 March 1944 12 May 1944 Base Defence Wing No. 26 Wing RAF 1 May 1917 4 April 1919 Originally RFC Training Wing No. 27 Wing RAF 5 May 1917 1 April 1919 RFC Training Wing 1946 Maritime Strike Wing No. 28 Wing RAF 15 May 1917 15 May 1919 RFC Training Wing No. 29 Wing RAF 1 June 1917 9 April 1919 Originally RFC Flying Training Wing based at Shawbury (No. 9 TDS) No. 30 Wing RAF 1 June 1917 October 1918 Originally RFC Training Wing 15 April 1941 2 July 1941 Became RAF Iceland No. 31 Wing RAF 5 June 1917 January 1920 Originally RFC HQ/Corps Wing; became Mesopotamia Wing 15 April 1941 15 December 1941 Became RAF Long Kesh No. 32 Wing RAF 5 November 1917 15 May 1919 Originally RFC Training Wing in Egypt 15 August 1941 1 July 1943 Army Cooperation Wing No. 33 Wing RAF 30 August 1917 15 May 1919 Originally RFC Training Wing 15 August 1941 1 July 1943 Army Cooperation Wing No. 34 Wing RAF 8 September 1917 12 October 1918 Originally RFC Training Wing 22 August 1941 30 September 1945 Army Cooperation Wing June 1944: reconnaissance wing in 2nd TAF at Northolt with Nos 16 (Spitfire PRXI), 69 (Wellington XIII) and 140 (Mosquito PRIX/XVI) Squadrons;Delve, 'Orders of Battle, June 1944'.Ellis, Normandy, Appendix VI: 'Allied Air Forces'. September 1944 – May 1945: in 2nd TAF in North West Europe (composition as before) Ellis, Germany, 'Appendix V: The Allied Air Forces'. 1 April 1953 1 January 1961 Reconnaissance Wing 1 April 2006 Deployable Expeditionary Air Wing (EAW) (ISTAR) at Waddington No. 35 Wing RAF 22 September 1917 9 April 1919 Originally RFC Training Wing 22 August 1941 22 June 1946 Army Cooperation Wing June 1944: reconnaissance wing in 84 Group, 2nd TAF at Gatwick with Nos 2 (Mustang II), 4 (Spitfire PRXI) and 268 (Mustang IA) Squadrons September 1944 – May 1945: in 84 Group, 2nd TAF in North West Europe with 2, 4 (PR) and 268 Sqns (Spitfire) No. 36 Wing RAF 8 October 1917 23 June 1918 Originally RFC Training Wing 15 August 1941 16 July 1943 Army Cooperation Wing No. 37 Wing RAF 15 October 1917 9 April 1919 Originally RFC Training Wing August 1941 28 July 1943 Army Cooperation Wing No. 38 Wing RAF 9 November 1917 15 April 1919 Originally RFC Training Wing 19 January 1942 11 October 1943 Army Cooperation Wing, raised to status of 38 Group September 1943: in Northwest African Troop Carrier Command with 296 Squadron (Albemarle)Molony, Vol V, Appendix 4, 'Orders of Battle Royal Air Force and United States Army Air Forces'. 1 April 2006 2011 Deployable Expeditionary Air Wing (Air Transport) at Lyneham2011Deployable Expeditionary Air Wing formed by RAF Brize Norton and RAF Northholt Deployed to Barbados on Operation Ruman in September 2017 comprised: Elements of No. XXIV Squadron and No. 47 Squadron RAF with Hercules C4/C5. Elements of No. LXX Squadron RAF with Atlas C1. Elements of No. 99 Squadron RAF with Boeing C-17 Globemaster III. Elements of No 1 Air Mobility Wing No. 39 Wing RAF 27 October 1917 4 April 1919 Originally RFC Training Wing 3 December 1942 7 August 1945 RCAF Reconnaissance Wing June 1944: in 83 Group, 2nd TAF at Odiham with Nos 168, 414 (RCAF) and 430 (RCAF) Squadrons (Mustang I), 400 (RCAF) Squadron (Spitfire PRXI)