No. 1 Group, Royal Air Force is one of the force's five groups. In the mid-2020s, the group is referred to as the Air Combat Group, as it controls the RAF's combat fast-jet aircraft and has airfields in the UK, as well as RAF Support Unit Goose Bay at CFB Goose Bay in Canada. The group headquarters is at RAF High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire.

The current Air Officer Commanding No 1 Group is Air Vice-Marshal Simon Strasdin, who took up the post in August 2026.

History First World War No. 1 Group was originally formed on April 1918 in No. 1 Area, which was renamed the South-Eastern Area on 8 May 1918, Southern Area on 20 September 1919 and Inland Area on 1 April 1920.

The Group was renumbered as No. 6 Group on 19 May 1924 at RAF Kenley, and was reformed on the same day at RAF Kidbrooke. Two years later on 12 April 1926 the Group disappeared from the order of battle by being renumbered as No. 21 Group.

The next year the Group was reformed on 25 August 1927 by the renaming of Air Defence Group. This designation lasted until 1936 when it became No. 6 Group again. As in 1924 the Group was reformed the same day, this time as a bomber formation.

By this time the Group had shrunk to ten squadrons, all equipped with Fairey Battle aircraft and located in pairs at RAF Abingdon, RAF Harwell, RAF Benson, RAF Boscombe Down and RAF Bicester.

Second World War

On receipt of orders to move to France in 1939, Headquarters No. 1 Group became Headquarters Advanced Air Striking Force and the station headquarters and associated squadrons became Nos. 71, 72, 74, 75 and 76 Wings respectively.Bomber Command , accessed November 2008 The Group re-emerged a few days later within Bomber Command on 12 September, but only lasted just over three months, being dropped on 22 December 1939.

It was reformed at Hucknall in Nottinghamshire on 22 June 1940. On 20 July the Group Headquarters moved to Bawtry Hall (RAF Bawtry) near Doncaster, where it was based for 44 years, until 1983. During the Second World War, the Group was primarily based at airfields in north Lincolnshire, like RAF Swinderby.Airfields of Lincolnshire – Patrick Otter – p15).

Between 1940 and 1945, the group included a number of Polish and Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) personnel. By the beginning of March 1943, the aircraft operated by its squadrons were: Vickers Wellington: 166 & 199 Sqns RAF, and 300 Polish, 301 Polish & 305 Polish Sqns. Avro Lancaster: 12, 100, 101, 150 & 103 Sqns RAF, and 460 Sqn RAAF. All of the Wellington squadrons subsequently converted to Lancasters. No. 1 Group was later augmented with other units, including 304 Polish Squadron which served form April 1941 to May 1942. By the end of the war the group consisted of 14 operational Lancaster squadrons, of which one (460 Sqn) was RAAF, and one (300 Sqn) was Polish.

During Bomber Command's Second World War campaign, No. 1 Group dropped a higher tonnage of bombs per aircraft than any other group, this was mainly due to its South African commander, Air Vice-Marshal Edward Rice, who was determined to maximise bomb loads, though it was a policy which contributed in no small measure to No. 1 Group having higher than average losses.Airfield of Lincolnshire – Patrick Otter- p20/21. Rice would later be involved in the development of the Rose turret, sometimes known as the "Rose-Rice turret".

Battle of Normandy Although No.1 (B) Group wasn't directly involved in the Battle of Normandy, they did participate in the bombing of the shore and area. During this period, the group was organised as: No. 1 (B) Group HQ, RAF Bawtry, West Yorkshire RAF Hemswell Station HQ No. 1 Lancaster Finishing School (training with Lancaster I/III) Night Bomber Tactical School 150 Squadron Lancaster I (C flight from 550 Squadron) RAF Ingham (satellite of RAF Hemswell) Station HQ No. 1481 (Bomber) Gunnery Flight RAF equipped with Wellington III and Miles Martinet No. 1687 Bomber (Defence) Training Flight RAF equipped with Supermarine Spitfire & Hawker Hurricane RAF Sturgate (satellite of RAF Hemswell) No. 11 Base RAF Lindholme Station HQ No. 1656 Heavy Conversion Unit RAF, RAF Lindholme equipped with Avro Lancaster I/III No. 1662 Heavy Conversion Unit RAF, RAF Blyton equipped with Avro Lancaster I/III & Handley Page Halifax II/V No. 1667 Heavy Conversion Unit RAF, RAF Sandtoft equipped with Handley Page Halifax V No. 1 Group Servicing Section, RAF Lindholme No. 12 Base RAF Binbrook Station HQ No. 100 Squadron RAF, RAF Grimsby equipped with Avro Lancaster I/III No. 9100 Servicing Echelon No. 460 Squadron RAAF, RAF Binbrook equipped with Avro Lancaster I/III No. 9460 Servicing Echelon No. 625 Squadron RAF, RAF Kelstern, equipped with Avro Lancaster I/III No. 9625 Servicing Echelon No. 1 Ground Gunnery School, RAF Binbrook No. 13 Base RAF Elsham Wolds Station HQ No. 103 Squadron RAF, RAF Elsham Wolds equipped with Avro Lancaster I/III No. 9103 Servicing Echelon No. 166 Squadron RAF, RAF Kirmington equipped with Avro Lancaster I/III No. 9166 Servicing Echelon No. 550 Squadron RAF, RAF North Killingholme equipped with Avro Lancaster I/III No. 9550 Servicing Echelon No. 576 Squadron RAF, RAF Elsham Wolds equipped with Avro Lancaster I/III No. 9576 Servicing Echelon No.14 Base RAF Ludford Magna Station HQ No. 12 Squadron RAF, RAF Wickenby equipped with Avro Lancaster I/III No. 9012 Servicing Echelon No. 101 Squadron RAF, RAF Ludford Magna equipped with Avro Lancaster I/III No. 9101 Servicing Echelon No. 300 Polish Bomber Squadron, RAF Faldingworth with Avro Lancaster I/III No. 9300 Servicing Echelon No. 626 Squadron RAF, RAF Wickenby equipped with Avro Lancaster I/III No. 9626 Servicing Echelon No. 15 Base operational between October 1944 and October 1945 RAF Scampton Station HQ RAF Dunholme Lodge RAF Fiskerton RAF Hemswell

Cold War

By June 1948, 1 Group consisted of: 9 Sqn, RAF Binbrook, Avro Lincoln B.2 12 Sqn, RAF Binbrook, Lincoln B.2 101 Sqn, RAF Binbrook, Lincoln B.2 617 Sqn, RAF Binbrook, Lincoln B.2 83 Sqn, RAF Hemswell, Lincoln B.2 97 Sqn, RAF Hemswell, Lincoln B.2 100 Sqn, RAF Hemswell, Lincoln B.2 50 Sqn, RAF Waddington, Lincoln B.2 57 Sqn, RAF Waddington, Lincoln B.2 61 Sqn, RAF Waddington, Lincoln B.2 109 Sqn, RAF Coningsby, de Havilland Mosquito B.35 139 Sqn, RAF Coningsby, Mosquito B.35

During the Cold War, No. 1 Group also operated the Thor ballistic missile between 1958 and August 1963 ("Project Emily"), with ten squadrons each with three missiles being equipped with the weapon.Martin Powell, "The Douglas Thor in Royal Air Force Service" , Rossendale Aviation Society – Article, accessed 2 June 2008 1 Group had two sets of five stations, centred respectively on Hemswell and RAF Driffield. When Bomber Command was subsumed into the new Strike Command on 1 April 1968, No. 1 Group took on the old role of the command, directing the bomber and strike aircraft of Strike Command.

On 17 November 1983, No. 38 Group RAF was subsumed within Headquarters No. 1 Group.

In around 1984, Headquarters No. 1 Group moved from RAF Bawtry in South Yorkshire to RAF Upavon in Wiltshire. No. 207 Squadron RAF, part of 1 Group flying Devons from RAF Northolt alongside No. 32 Squadron RAF, was disbanded on retirement of the remaining Devons on 30 June 1984.Burney, p411; Isby and Kamps, Armies of NATO's Central Front, 1985.

After the end of the Cold War, RAF Germany was reduced in status to become No. 2 Group RAF. 2 Group was then disbanded by being absorbed into No. 1 Group on 1 April 1996. 2 Group was then reformed on 7 January 2000, splitting out of 1 Group. 1 Group transferred over the RAF's air transport, air-to-air refuelling and airborne early warning functions.

Post 2000

In January 2000 the RAF was restructured and the Group took on its present role. The Group is responsible for UK air defence operations through QRA North at RAF Lossiemouth and QRA South at RAF Coningsby. However, since the disestablishment of Combined Air Operations Centre 9 at RAF High Wycombe, actual control of the fighters is now carried out from a NATO Combined Air Operations Centre in Denmark, CAOC 1 at Finderup. However, High Wycombe retains an air defence direction capability, and the UK Representative there could take back control over QRA South if it was necessary to respond to a terrorist threat from the air.Andrew Brooks, UK AIR DEFENCE,Air Forces Monthly – October 2008 No. 1 Group also has responsibility for the UK's Carrier Strike capability, with the joint RN/RAF Lightning Force, eventually planned to consist of two squadrons from the RAF and two from the Fleet Air Arm, which will be based at RAF Marham when not operating from the UK's .

The Defence Reform Report ("Levene Report") of 2011 heralded more trimming of the Armed Forces' command superstructure. Following the Levene Report's publication, in 2012-2013, the post of Commander-in-Chief, RAF Air Command, the last of the RAF's major command (military formation)s, was abolished/discontinued. The move of the Chief of the Air Staff's office from MOD Main Building to High Wycombe effectively meant the disbandment of Air Command. The function of Air Command slid into the role of the three-star Air and Space Commander, who now supervises the groups.

Component units As of November 2025, No. 1 Group comprises the following elements and units. Unless indicated otherwise, subordinate units are located at the same location as the unit they report to.

Air and Space Warfare Centre

The Air and Space Warfare Centre is based at RAF Waddington and provides advice to support current and future RAF operations, including in relation to electronic-warfare, cyber and information environments. It comprises the following units:

Headquarters Air and Space Warfare Centre (RAF Waddington) No. 17 Test and Evaluation Squadron – F-35B Lightning (Edwards AFB, California) No. 41 Test and Evaluation Squadron – Eurofighter Typhoon FGR4 (RAF Coningsby) No. 56 Test and Evaluation Squadron – Poseidon MRA1, Protector RG1, RC-135W Airseeker and Shadow R1 No. 92 Tactics and Training Squadron No. 206 Test and Evaluation Squadron – A400M Atlas and C-17 Globemaster III (RAF Brize Norton) No. 216 Squadron – drone swarm technology testing Empire Test Pilots' School (MOD Boscombe Down) Rotary Wing Test and Evaluation Squadron – various helicopters (MOD Boscombe Down) Joint Air Delivery Test & Evaluation Unit (RAF Brize Norton)

Air Mobility Force

The Air Mobility Force is based at RAF Brize Norton and provides the RAF's airlift capability in support of overseas operations and exercises, as well as air-to-air refuelling for fast jets, both on operations and in support of UK homeland defence. It comprises the following units:

Headquarters Air Mobility Force (RAF Brize Norton) No.10 Squadron – Voyager KC2/KC3 No. 24 Squadron – A400M Atlas and C-17 Globemaster III No. 30 Squadron – A400M Atlas No. 32 (The Royal) Squadron – Envoy IV CC1 (RAF Northolt) No. 70 Squadron – A400M Atlas No. 99 Squadron – C-17 Globemaster III No. 101 Squadron – Voyager KC2/KC3 No. 622 (Reserve Aircrew) Squadron (RAuxAF) Airborne Delivery Wing Headquarters and Operation Squadron Performance Development Squadron Parachute Engineering Squadron Parachute Training Squadron Support Squadron Airport of Embarkation Wing

Combat Air Force

The Combat Air Force generates, operates and sustains combat air power in all tasked roles and environments to defend the UK and its interests globally. It also defends UK sovereign airspace 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and 365 days a year. It comprises the following units:

Headquarters Combat Air Force (RAF Coningsby) No. 1 Squadron – Typhoon FGR4 (RAF Lossiemouth) No. 2 Squadron – Typhoon FGR4 (RAF Lossiemouth) No. 3 Squadron – Typhoon FGR4 (RAF Coningsby) No. 6 Squadron – Typhoon FGR4 (RAF Lossiemouth) No. 9 Squadron – Typhoon FGR4 (RAF Lossiemouth)