This following list of Royal Air Force operations includes both national and multi-national operations, as well as joint and air-only operations that the Royal Air Force has participated in.

Current

Name From To Location Notes
Aluminium 2022, Feb Present Poland & Romania UK contribution to NATO's response to the Ukraine-Russia Crisis.[1]
Azotize 2014, April Present Lithuania & Estonia[2] UK contribution to NATO's Baltic Air Policing mission.[3][4]
Biloxi 2017, April Present Romania UK contribution to NATO's Southern Air Policing mission.[5][6]
Broadshare 2020, January Present British Overseas Territories & overseas military bases Military assistance to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic overseas.
Kipion 2011, June Present Oman, UAE, Qatar UK air presence in the Persian Gulf & Indian Ocean.[7]
Turus 2014 Present Nigeria Training and supporting the Nigerian Armed Forces to help it counter violent extremists.[8]
Shader 26 September 2014 Present Iraq & Syria, operating from RAF Akrotiri[9] Providing humanitarian aid airdrops, reconnaissance and airstrikes as part of the Military intervention against ISIL.[10]

Previous

Name From To Location Notes
Accolade Rhodes Cancelled, part of the Dodecanese campaign, World War II.[11]
Banner 1969, August 2007, July Northern Ireland Military support to the Royal Ulster Constabulary/Police Service of Northern Ireland
Bolton 1998 2003 Southern Iraq Part of Operation Southern Watch
Boomster 2018, March 2018, March United Kingdom Military Aid following extreme weather conditions[8]
Bushell 1985, January 1985, December Ethiopia Famine relief
Chocolate 12 November 1942 13 November 1942 Part of the Western Desert Campaign, World War II.[12]
Coral 2003, 14 June 2003, 10 September Democratic Republic of Congo Humanitarian operation in the Democratic Republic of Congo
Corporate 2 April 1982 14 June 1982 Falkland Islands Part of the Falklands War[13]
Decisive Edge January 1996 December 1996 Bosnia and Herzegovina
Croatia 		Part of the NATO intervention in Bosnia and Herzegovina.[14]
Deliberate Force 30 August 1995 14 September 1995 Bosnia and Herzegovina
Croatia 		Part of the NATO intervention in Bosnia and Herzegovina.[14]
Deliberate Guard December 1996 April 1998 Bosnia and Herzegovina
Croatia 		Part of the NATO intervention in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Formerly Op Decisive Edge.[14]
Deny Flight 12 April 1993 20 December 1995 Bosnia and Herzegovina
Croatia 		Part of the NATO intervention in Bosnia and Herzegovina.[14]
Ellamy 19 March 2011 31 October 2011 Libya Part of the 2011 military intervention in Libya
Engadine 1999 1999 Kosovo Part of NATO operations in Kosovo[15]
Fingal 1 January 2002 2002 Afghanistan & Asia Part of the War in Afghanistan (2001–2021)[16]
Fresco 2002 2003 United Kingdom Military support during the UK firefighters' dispute
Granby 1 October 1990 March 1991 Iraq & Asia Part of the Gulf War
Gritrock 30 October 2014 13 November 2015 West Africa UK military contribution to the Ebola virus epidemic in West Africa
Herrick 20 June 2002 12 December 2014 Afghanistan & Asia Part of the War in Afghanistan (2001–2021)
Highbrow 2006 2006 Lebanon via Cyprus UK military support to evacuation operation from Beirut.[17]
Jural 1992 1998 Southern Iraq Part of Operation Southern Watch
Khana Cascade March 1973 March 1973 Nepal Airlift to villagers.[18]
Luminous August 2013 November 2013 Cyprus Protection of UK Sovereign Base Areas[19]
Masterer November 2019 December 2019 Iceland UK contribution to NATO's Icelandic Air Policing Mission[20][21]
Maturin October 2005 January 2006 Pakistan and Kashmir UK military contribution to humanitarian operations following earthquake.[22][23]
Microbe 13 September 1943 22 November 1943 Rhodes Part of the Dodecanese campaign, World War II.[11]
Newcombe 13 January 2013 14 November 2022 West Africa Operation Newcombe was the code name for two separate and concurrent RAF non-combat military operations in Mali. One operation involved logistical and airlift support for the French-led Operation Barkhane (previously Operation Serval), whilst the other encompassed peacekeeping in support of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA).[24][25][26]
Palliser May 2000 September 2000 Sierra Leone UK military intervention in Sierra Leone
Pitting 13 August 2021 28 August 2021 Afghanistan Evacuating British nationals and eligible Afghans from Afghanistan following the 2021 Taliban offensive.
Plainfare 24 June 1948 12 May 1949 Allied-occupied Germany Part of the Cold War.[27]
Rescript 23 March 2020 2022 United Kingdom Homeland military operation to support tackling the COVID-19 pandemic.
Resinate 2001 2003 Iraq Maintaining no-fly zones in Iraq.[15]
River 27 May 1944 Part of World War II.[28]
Ruman September 2017 October 2017 Caribbean Providing relief to the British Overseas Territories in the Caribbean affected by Hurricane Irma.[29]
Shaku December 2016 December 2016 Northern England Repairing flood defences during the 2015–16 Great Britain and Ireland floods.[30]
Stamina July 1944 Part of World War II[31]
Telic 19 March 2003 22 May 2011 Iraq & Asia Part of the Iraq War
Thursday 5 March 1944 Burma Part of the Burma Campaign, World War II
Toral 2015 8 July 2021 Afghanistan UK's contribution to NATO's Resolute Support Mission
Trenton 2017 2020 South Sudan British contribution to the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).
Veritas 2001 20 June 2002 Afghanistan & Asia Part of Operation Enduring Freedom - Afghanistan
Vigour 12 December 1992 12 December 1992 Kenya Relief flights.[14]
Warden September 1991 1991 Iraq [14]
Wildhorn 1944 1994 Poland Part of the World War II.[32]

References

Citations

  1. ^ "RAF Typhoons reinforce NATO's response to Russia-Ukraine crisis". www.raf.mod.uk. 26 February 2022. Archived from the original on 15 November 2023. Retrieved 15 November 2023.
  2. ^ "RAF Typhoons Wow Lithuanian Crowds". www.raf.mod.uk. Retrieved 29 December 2016.
  3. ^ "Op Azotize: What Was The RAF's Role In Lithuania?". Forces Network. 2 September 2020. Retrieved 17 October 2023.
  4. ^ "Permanent Representatives to NATO visits Operation Azotize | Royal Air Force".
  5. ^ "RAF Typhoons hand over NATO Romania duties to Canada". Royal Air Force. 29 August 2017. Retrieved 29 August 2017.
  6. ^ "Members of Parliament visit RAF personnel on Enhanced Air Policing mission, Operation Biloxi | Royal Air Force". www.raf.mod.uk. Retrieved 22 July 2018.
  7. ^ "RAF - 83EAG". www.raf.mod.uk. Retrieved 29 December 2016.
  8. ^ a b "RAF flies supplies into snowed-in areas". BBC News. 5 March 2018. Retrieved 28 July 2018.
  9. ^ Grzeszczyk, Sian (26 September 2022). "Eight years of Operation Shader: The UK's mission against IS". Forces Network. Retrieved 21 October 2023.
  10. ^ "Six Years of Operation Shader | Royal Air Force".
  11. ^ a b Grant 1979, p. 121.
  12. ^ Grant 1979, p. 119.
  13. ^ "Spirit of the Air Volume 2 Number 4 2007 - Falklands Commemorative" (PDF). www.raf.mod.uk. Retrieved 29 December 2016.
  14. ^ a b c d e f Cotter 2008, p. 72.
  15. ^ a b AirForces Monthly. Stamford, Lincolnshire, England: Key Publishing Ltd. April 2016. p. 6.
  16. ^ Cotter 2008, p. 73.
  17. ^ "Spirit of the Air: December 2006" (PDF). www.raf.mod.uk. pp. 21–24. Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 December 2011. Retrieved 29 December 2016.
  18. ^ Cotter 2008, p. 71.
  19. ^ "RAF Akrotiri - History". www.raf.mod.uk. Retrieved 29 December 2016. By 2013, There was increasing concern that escalating violence in Syria was threatening to destabilise neighbouring nations. In Aug 13, 121 Expeditionary Air Wg was deployed to RAF Akrotiri in support of Op LUMINOUS. Op LUMINOUS cemented the Stations work on contingency it affirmed the decision to split Ops Wg into an Ops and a Logs Wg on 10th June 2013. This enabled Logs to concentrate on enablement the inflow of personnel and equipment while allowing Ops to concentrate on the operation itself. Activity during LUMINOUS was frenetic and the 'plug and play' of support Units into the Stn proved a success. Op LUMINOUS wound down in Nov 13 and a number of significant Lessons Identified have or are being implemented.
  20. ^ Redefyne. "NATO: RAF Typhoons over Iceland - EU Today". eutoday.net. Retrieved 5 June 2020.
  21. ^ "Royal Air Force". Royal Air Force. Retrieved 5 June 2020.
  22. ^ Westminster, Department of the Official Report (Hansard), House of Commons. "House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 22 Nov 2005 (pt 25)". www.publications.parliament.uk. Retrieved 29 December 2016.((cite web)): CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  23. ^ "Spirit of the Air; Volume 1" (PDF). www.raf.mod.uk. pp. 6–12. Retrieved 29 December 2016.
  24. ^ "Three Royal Air Force Chinooks arrive in Mali". UK Defence Journal. 19 July 2018. Retrieved 22 July 2018.
  25. ^ "Mali: RAF C17 cargo plane to help French operation". BBC News. 13 January 2013. Retrieved 29 December 2016.
  26. ^ "Mali: RAF surveillance aircraft Sentinel deployed". BBC News. 25 January 2013. Retrieved 29 December 2016.
  27. ^ Grant 1979, p. 154.
  28. ^ Grant 1979, p. 139.
  29. ^ "Operation Ruman".
  30. ^ AirForces Monthly. Stamford, Lincolnshire, England: Key Publishing Ltd. March 2016. p. 30.
  31. ^ Grant 1979, p. 141.
  32. ^ Grant 1979, p. 145.

Bibliography

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