Chapter 4 - Formations, Vessels, Aircraft and Vehicles of the Armed Forces
                                       
Table 4.9 Aircraft fleets by type of aircraft for the Royal Air Force Air Command including
                    Operational Conversion Units and Training Aircraft, at 1 April each year
The RAF no longer identified separate Required Operating Fleets for Operational Conversion Units with effect from 1 April 2005. Operational Conversion Units train qualified aircrew for different aircraft types. As at 1 Apr 07 Strike Command and Personnel and Training Command amalgamated into Air Command which now controls all RAF flying assets.
  Required Operating Fleet   FAF1  
Aircraft Role Aircraft type 1990   1997   2003 2004   2005     2006   2007   2008   2009  
Air - Combat Tornado GR 166   128   110 110 || 101   || 106   106   108   106  
  Jaguar GR1/A/3/3A 40   40   38 38   32   || 13   13   - 2 -  
  Jaguar T2A/T4 7   7   7 7   5   || 3   -   -   -  
  Harrier GR3/5/73 63   51   * *   *   || *   *   *   *  
  Harrier T4/103 14   9   * *   *   || *   *   *   *  
  Tornado F34 99   104   90 90   83   || 72   59   47   14  
  Typhoon -   -   - -   -   || 25   32   34   42  
                                       
C4 and ISTAR Nimrod R1 3   3   3 3   3   || 3   3   3   3  
  Canberra PR9 3   4   4 4   4   || 3   - 5 -   -  
  Canberra T4 6   1   1 1   1   || -   - 5 -   -  
  Sentinel -   -   - -   -     -   -   -   5 6
  Sentry AEW -   6   6 6   6   || 6   6   6   6  
                                       
Maritime Nimrod MR2 32   24   20 20   14   || 14   14   14   14 7
                                       
Air Support VC10 C1K 10   10   10 10   10   || 10   10   10   10  
  VC10 K3 4   4   4 4   4   || 4   4   4   4  
  VC10 K4 -   5   4 4   2   || 2   2   1   1  
  Sea King HAR3/3A8 16   19   21 21   23   || 23   23   23   23  
                                       
  Tristar K1 1   1   1 1   1   || 1   1   1   1  
  Tristar KC1 4   4   4 4   4   || 4   4   4   4  
  Tristar C2 2   3   3 3   3   || 3   3   3   3  
  Hawk (100 Sqn) *   *   * * || 16 9 || 16   14   16   14  
                                       
Logistics BAe 125 CC3 10   7   5 5   5   || 5   5   5   5  
  BAe 146 CC2 2   3   2 2   2   || 2   2   2   2  
  C-17 -   -   4 4   4   || 4   4   5   6  
  Hercules C1/C3/C4/C5 59   50   51 51   50   || 50   44   44   38  
                                       
Support Helicopters10 Chinook 28   27 || * *   *   || *   *   *   *  
  Puma 35   33 || * *   *   || *   *   *   *  
  Wessex 46   17 || * *   *   || *   *   *   *  
 
Training Aircraft
Aircraft Role Aircraft type 1990   1997   2003 2004   2005     2006   2007   2008   2009  
Elementary Training11 Viking ..   82   82 87   72   || 72   82   82   82  
  Vigilant ..   53   61 61   61   || 61   63   63   63  
                                       
Basic Training11 Tucano ..   66   73 73   44 12 || 44   52   52   52  
  Jetstream T1 ..   10   9 9   11   || -   -   -   -  
  Dominie T1 ..   8   9 7   9   || 9   8   8   8  
                                       
Advanced Training11 Hawk T1/T1A/T1W ..   62   72 65 || 61   || 61   55   49   49  
  Hawk 128 -   -   - -   -     -   -   -   4  
                                       
RAF Aerobatic Team Hawk T1/T1A ..   10   10 10   13   || 13   13   13   13  
(Red Arrows)                                      
Source: MOD Resources and Plans
1.   Forward Available Fleet - see Introduction to Chapter 4.
2.   Jaguar GR1A/3/3A were declared non-operational with effect from 30 April 07.
3.   Harrier aircraft were transferred to the Joint Force Harrier on 1 April 2000. See Table 4.10.
4.   Tornado F3 are reducing and due to be disbanded.
5.   Canberra was declared non-operational with effect from July 2006.
6.   Sentinel entered service in November 2008.
7.   The Nimrod MR2 are to be replaced by the Nimrod MRA4.
8.   Excludes two Sea King aircraft attached to 78 Sqn (based in the Falkland Islands).
9.   Prior to 2005, 100 Sqn were included under Personnel and Training Command, and not Strike Command. Up to 1 Apr 2007 the data shown in the table are
      for Strike Command only.
10. Support helicopters were transferred to the Joint Helicopter Command on 1 October 1999. See Table 4.10.
11. Air Command also use Beechking Air 200, Tutor, Firefly, Squirrel and Griffin aircraft owned by a private contractor in training roles.
12. Reduction in Tucano ROF reflected maturing Resources and Management programmes.