RAF Air Mobility ‘backbone’ of UK carrier strike ops

As the UK Carrier Strike Group (CSG25) is set to begin its eight-month Operation Highmast, the Royal Air Force has underlined the critical role of its Air Mobility Force, describing it as essential to the success and sustainability of the UK’s naval power projection.

In a feature published by the RAF, the service highlights its contribution to the deployment, which includes rapid resupply, personnel movement, medical evacuation, and air-to-air refuelling across vast distances.

“The RAF Air Mobility Force will supply the Voyager, C-17, and A400M during this important Operation,” said Group Captain Andy McIntyre, Commander of the Air Mobility Air Wing.

“We are providing air-to-air refuelling with many Voyagers along the route, as well as logistical support from C-17 and A400M, including pre-positioning supplies and personnel. We are also ready for aeromedical recovery if needed.”

According to the RAF, the scope of air mobility goes well beyond cargo transport. It enables rapid response, ensures freedom of movement, and supports the joint operations of 13 participating nations. The ability to maintain secure air and sea lanes, while adapting to changes in mission plans, is seen as central to CSG25’s success.

“What sets the RAF apart is our speed and range,” McIntyre continued. “We can deploy over long distances with meaningful payloads. We can be wherever the CSG needs us ahead of time, managing changes to their program and offering support along the way.”

The update emphasised that the Voyager fleet is providing critical air-to-air refuelling, while C-17 Globemasters and A400M Atlas aircraft are tasked with pre-positioning equipment, moving personnel, and delivering essential freight—functions the RAF describes as key to sustaining operations at sea.

The RAF also warned that without a reliable resupply chain, even the agility of a modern strike group can be compromised. With limited air defence and long-distance operations, particularly in the Indo-Pacific, maintaining supply lines while keeping a low profile is a strategic balancing act that requires detailed planning.

The 65,000-tonne aircraft carrier at the centre of the group is described by the RAF as depending on “proximity to objectives, availability of key resupply points, and the ability to secure air and sea routes.” These elements, according to the service, have been central to air mobility planning for years and are now being put to the test in a dynamic maritime environment.

As Operation Highmast kicks off, the RAF says its air mobility capability will continue to serve as a vital enabler—not just for logistics, but also for medical support, rapid deployment, and maintaining strategic reach, underscoring the UK’s ability to respond to global threats and reinforce its status as a leading military power.