The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) is the aerial warfare branch of the Australian Defence Force. It directly continues the traditions of the Australian Flying Corps (AFC), formed on the 22nd of October, 1912. The RAAF provides support across a spectrum of operations such as air superiority, precision strikes, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, air mobility and humanitarian support. Today, the air force owns 14, 120 active personnel, 4, 273 reserve personnel, and 259 aircraft.
The RAAF has served in the Berlin Airlift, Korean War, Malayan Emergency, Indonesia – Malaysia Confrontation and the Vietnam War. More recently, the RAAF has participated in operations in East Timor, the Iraq War, the War in Afghanistan, and the military intervention against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. The air forces have had a major presence worldwide, providing assistance to our allies Britain and America, since the alliances were initially declared. |