903 Expeditionary Air Wing
Active1 December 1944 – 31 October 1945
2003 – 2014
2015 – present
CountryUnited Kingdom
BranchRoyal Air Force
TypeExpeditionary Air Wing
RoleRAF deployable elements
Based atRAF Akrotiri
WebsiteOfficial website
Aircraft flown
AttackTyphoon FGR4
TransportA400M Atlas
TankerVoyager KC3

No. 903 Expeditionary Air Wing (903 EAW) is an Expeditionary Air Wing of the Royal Air Force (RAF). It is currently based at RAF Akrotiri on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus, and is tasked with conducting operations against Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) in Iraq and Syria.

It was activated during 2003 in its current form as part of a modernisation package to make the RAF more deployable on an expeditionary basis. It was stationed at Camp Bastion in Afghanistan controlling RAF operations at the airbase there between Summer 2009 and November 2014. It used to report to No. 83 Expeditionary Air Group (83 EAG).

History

Second World War

The wing was active from 1 December 1944 to 31 October 1945 as a tactical wing, part of No. 224 Group RAF, Third Tactical Air Force.[1] It was formed at Chittagong Airfield from RAF HQ Patenga. In December 1944, it was temporarily at Comilla with No. 67 Squadron RAF (Supermarine Spitfire);[2]

In May 1945, the wing provided close support to ground forces as they recaptured Rangoon before being redeployed to attack concentrations of Japanese forces remaining in Burma. On 12 September, No. 903 Wing was stationed at Kallang, the old civil airport of Singapore City when Lord Louis Mountbatten accepted the formal surrender of all Japanese forces in south-east Asia. It included No. 31 Squadron RAF (Douglas Dakota).[3] On 31 October 1945, No 903 Wing was disbanded, becoming Station Headquarters Kallang.

Operation Telic

903 EAW Badge (2018)
image icon https://twitter.com/BattleBackGolf/status/989938521342464001/photo/1

The wing was re-commissioned into service during 2003, and sent to Contingency Operating Base Basra as part of Operation Telic.[1]

The wing stayed at Basra until May 2009.[1]

Operation Herrick

During mid-2009, the wing was moved to Camp Bastion in Afghanistan as part of Operation Herrick.[1] It consisted of:

It also supported the following:

Camp Bastion was transferred to the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) when the United Kingdom withdrew from Afghanistan, and 903 EAW was stood down in November 2014.[21]

Operation Shader

In December 2015, the wing reformed at RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus to replace No 140 EAW as part of Operation Shader.[1] It consists of:

  • Elements of the RAF Typhoon Force (9 x Typhoon FGR4 multi-role combat aircraft (6 active, 3 reserve))
  • Elements of the RAF Air Mobility Force:
    • 2 x Hercules C5 tactical transport aircraft (1 withdrawn during 2014; all C-130 Hercules aircraft withdrawn from RAF service in 2023; replaced by Airbus A400M Atlas)
    • 2 x Voyager KC3 multi-role tanker transport aircraft
  • Elements of the RAF ISTAR Force

RAF aircraft have been using RAF Akrotiri as their home base whilst carrying out these operations.[22] In February 2019, the Tornado GR4 force (previously involving up to ten strike aircraft on rotation) returned to RAF Marham for the types' retirement. The Tornado role in theatre is being undertaken by the Typhoon FGR4 detachment.[23] Sentry AEW1 AEW&C aircraft from No. 8 Squadron were previously employed on operations. However, the aircraft was withdrawn from RAF service in 2021. The previously employed Sentinel R1 ISTAR aircraft from No. V(AC) Squadron was similarly retired in March 2021.

Commanders

  • Group Captain Paul Burt (Op TELIC, 9/10 May – Nov 2007)
  • Group Captain Mike Wigston (Nov 2007 – Apr 2008)
  • Group Captain Andrew (during 2008)
  • Wing Commander Ian Richardson (during 2009).[24]
  • Wing Commander Mark Flewin (2014)
  • Group Captain Charles Dickens (2019)[25]
  • Group Captain Andrew Coope (Oct 2018 – Mar 2019)
  • Group Captain Jonathon Moreton (Apr 2019 – Oct 2019)
  • Group Captain Ian Townsend (Oct 2019 – Feb 2020)
  • Wing Commander Calvin Bailey (Feb 2020 – Jul 2020)
  • Wing Commander Dutch Holland (Jul 2021 – Jan 2022)

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "903 EAW". RAF.MoD.uk. Royal Air Force. Archived from the original on 18 March 2015. Retrieved 19 March 2017.
  2. ↑ Woodburn Kirby, Vol IV, Appendix 4, "Outline Order of Battle of Air Command, South East Asia, 12th December 1944".
  3. ↑ Woodburn Kirby, Vol V, Appendix 21: "Outline Order of Battle, RAF Malaya, 1st October 1945".
  4. ↑ "845 Naval Air Squadron". RoyalNavy.MoD.uk. Royal Navy (RN) – Fleet Air Arm (FAA). Retrieved 21 October 2014.
  5. ↑ "846 Naval Air Squadron". RoyalNavy.MoD.uk. Royal Navy (RN) – Fleet Air Arm (FAA). Retrieved 21 October 2014.
  6. ↑ "854 Naval Air Squadron". RoyalNavy.MoD.uk. Royal Navy (RN) – Fleet Air Arm (FAA). Retrieved 21 October 2014.
  7. ↑ "857 Naval Air Squadron". RoyalNavy.MoD.uk. Royal Navy (RN) – Fleet Air Arm (FAA). Retrieved 21 October 2014.
  8. ↑ "The Wessex Gunners". Army.MoD.uk. British Army – Royal Artillery (RA). Retrieved 21 October 2014.
  9. ↑ "The Hampshire & Sussex Gunners". Army.MoD.uk. British Army – RA. Retrieved 21 October 2014.
  10. ↑ "3 Regiment Army Air Corps". Army.MoD.uk. British Army – Army Air Corps (AAC). Retrieved 21 October 2014.
  11. ↑ "4 Regiment Army Air Corps". Army.MoD.uk. British Army – Army Air Corps (AAC). Retrieved 21 October 2014.
  12. ↑ "1310 Flight RAF Chinooks deliver on operations". RAF.MoD.uk. Royal Air Force. Retrieved 21 October 2014.
  13. ↑ "RAF - Number 10 Squadron". RAF.MoD.uk. Royal Air Force. Retrieved 23 February 2017.
  14. ↑ "101 Squadron". RAF.MoD.uk. Royal Air Force. Archived from the original on 1 November 2014. Retrieved 21 October 2014.
  15. ↑ "Tristar K1 | 1266". SquadronPrints.com. Squadron Prints. Retrieved 29 December 2016. ... it operated the Afghanistan airbridge continuously from February 2006 until December 2013, flying first into Kabul, then Kandahar and finally Camp Bastion.
  16. ↑ "99 Squadron". RAF.MoD.uk. Royal Air Force. Archived from the original on 6 October 2016. Retrieved 21 October 2014.
  17. ↑ "24 Squadron". RAF.MoD.uk. Royal Air Force. Archived from the original on 4 July 2014. Retrieved 21 October 2014.
  18. ↑ "30 Squadron". RAF.MoD.uk. Royal Air Force. Archived from the original on 9 September 2013. Retrieved 21 October 2014.
  19. ↑ "47 Squadron". RAF. Archived from the original on 7 March 2015. Retrieved 21 October 2014.
  20. ↑ "70 Squadron". RAF.MoD.uk. Royal Air Force. Archived from the original on 9 September 2015. Retrieved 21 October 2014.
  21. ↑ "How to close Camp Bastion". Forces TV. Archived from the original on 11 October 2014. Retrieved 21 October 2014.
  22. ↑ "Penny Mordaunt visits troops in Cyprus who are fighting against ISIL". Portsmouth.co.uk. Portsmouth News. 30 July 2015. Retrieved 23 February 2017.
  23. ↑ "Tornado jets return home after final flight". BBC.co.uk. BBC News. 5 February 2019. Retrieved 24 September 2019.
  24. ↑ "RAF ending 19-year Iraq mission". News.BBC.co.uk. BBC News. Retrieved 27 October 2014.
  25. ↑ "Inside Operation Shader". World.Eurofighter.com. Eurofighter World. Retrieved 19 January 2019.
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