903 Expeditionary Air Wing | |
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Active | 1 December 1944 – 31 October 1945 2003 – 2014 2015-present |
Country | United Kingdom |
Branch | Royal Air Force |
Type | Expeditionary Air Wing |
Garrison/HQ | RAF Akrotiri |
Website | Official website |
No. 903 Expeditionary Air Wing is an Expeditionary Air Wing of the Royal Air Force. It is currently based at RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus and is tasked with conducting operations against ISIL in Iraq & Syria.
It was activated during 2003 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 air base there between Summer 2009 and November 2014. It used to report to No. 83 Expeditionary Air Group.
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.
903 EAW Badge (2018) | |
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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. [4]
The wing stayed at Basra until May 2009. [4]
During mid-2009 the wing was moved to Camp Bastion, Afghanistan as part of Operation Herrick. [4] It consisted of:
It also supported the following:
Camp Bastion was handed over to the ANSF as the United Kingdom withdrew from Afghanistan and 903 EAW was stood down in November 2014. [22]
In December 2015 the Wing reformed at RAF Akrotiri to replace No 140 EAW as part of Operation Shader. [23] It consists of:
Aircraft have been using RAF Akrotiri as their home base whilst carrying out these operations. [24] In February 2019, the Tornado force (previously involving up to 10 strike aircraft on rotation) returned to RAF Marham for retirement. Their role in theatre is being undertaken by the Typhoon detachment. [25] 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.
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... it operated the Afghanistan airbridge continuously from February 2006 until December 2013, flying first into Kabul, then Kandahar and finally Camp Bastion.