The Royal Air Force currently has 485 fixed-wing aircraft in service, with 86 undergoing long-term maintenance and 27 held in storage, according to a written parliamentary answer.
Responding to a question from Baroness Goldie, Defence Minister Lord Coaker said that 86 of the RAF’s fixed-wing aircraft are in maintenance for longer than three months, while a further 27 are in what is described as “fleet management storage”.
The RAF also operates 86 rotary-wing aircraft, of which 17 are in long-term maintenance. None of the rotary fleet are currently in storage.
The Ministry of Defence said extended maintenance periods are a routine part of fleet management, noting that “detailed depth maintenance inspections… often take a period greater than three months to complete.”
Aircraft scheduled for retirement are not included in the figures, as they are no longer considered to be in service, the minister added. The figures offer a snapshot with a significant portion of aircraft across both fleets undergoing maintenance cycles.
In Museums ?
Starmer’s magnificent government, so concerned about defense, is probably already assessing how many of those aircraft can be retired or sold. At least another 10 A400s and about 100 additional fighter jets are needed. Of course, with this government, that’s impossible; we already know that.
Much of this is the result of long-term planning and since Starmer hasn’t been PM that long then you should really focus on the affects of 14 years of Tory austerity which cut all of our armed forces to the bone whilst still committing them to global operations.
Of course, long lead items, equipment for major projects need to be ordered first, a few years ahead.
No, because they are not on a war footing. There are two violent conflicts, one in Europe and one in the Middle East, and there is no sign of urgency from the treasury. Trump is correct to question Starmer’s backbone. However, the rest of our European neighbours are in the same situation and require NATO to call an urgent ‘War Council’ and get matters in hand. A reserve call-up (exceptional) should be the first measure to get them up to fighting standard en masse to ensure readiness if and when required. Advanced preparation for conscription should at least be addressed both in parliament and media to prepare those eligible to attune to the prospect in a timely manner. I doubt any of what I suggest will see the light of day.
Calm down. There is zero reason to be calling up reservists.
Chickenhawks gonna chickenhawk.
That’s the problem, Luke. Too many in government are thinking like you.
Im 100% behind increased spending and improving capabilities. Im actually an ex mobalised reservist myself, the TA as was then, Royal Welsh. Theres zero need to be mobalising our reserve forces now.
Who do you think they are going to be fighting??????
Luke, thanks for your service, mate. The need to activate the country’s reserves is a means of reducing our reaction time if the balloon goes up. Up to 2022 I would have agreed to your view, but Ukraine changed the military balance overnight. Russia’s full-scale invasion immediately triggered the possibility of an expanded war involving the majority of Europe, something that ‘war gamers’ had conceived up to that point. That war could still spill over borders and draw in UK troops within weeks. The Iranian war has all the same instabilities as the former, which may quickly engage UK troops, either directly or in a peace-monitoring role. The current full-time army is now too small to be engaged on two fronts without support from reservists, and they need to hit the ground running, and that means preparation beyond the current annual refreshers.
Calling up the reserve in peace time is insane, it’s would destroy the reserves long term, where woukd you even send them. We have no troops deployed anywhere and no need of them.
But Jim, it’s not peace time for hell’s sake! Many senior voices are now calling for heightened readiness of British forces, and I’m suggesting a major call-up exercise (exceptional) for reservists to achieve an immediate plan if mobilisation is activated. The current Trump could well reduce his forces in Europe in the near future, leaving substantial gaps in capability, especially logistics. Once the extraordinary reservist call-up is completed, they can return to civil duties but at a heightened level of preparedness. As for conscription, if matters are not resolved in Ukraine and Iran, then the government may have to consider some plan of action. The UK army is currently too small to handle two potential fronts without a backfill of personnel.
Sorry, don’t know what the ‘current’ Trump is?
Agreed Maurice. These now come under Urgent Operational Requirement. We need 5% or more of GDP on Defence NOW. Promises from Labour are not worth the toilet paper they wrote their manifesto on. We are back to 1937 when the whole of Europe knew there would be a 2nd world war – except the British government. That’s why it lasted 6 years. The problem is that modern ‘bush-fire’ wars don’t last long enough to design and build aircraft ships or anything.
If we haven’t got the aircraft on the runway, the tanks ready for battle (the Challenger 3 is probably the best tank there is, but we need 3 times what we have,) and of course the trained soldiers then we might lose.
We need to catch up as usual.
Reeves is probably frightened that if we produced the ammunitions and kit we need then it would employ all those she had made unemplyed.
Labour might actually then do something for the working man – keep him in a job. What if!
Thankfully, John, even the dosiest of MPs are beginning to twitch at the state of the country’s defences. The thorny issue on the horizon is what Trump will do in terms of revenge for Europe’s lack of support for his war with Iran. Britain is right in the firing line for not dropping its trousers when asked, as so many times before. The prospect can only have one outcome, even more defence expenditure beyond what has been announced. Sadly, trust in America is at an all-time low, and I guess that won’t improve anytime soon, which will have a huge knock-on effect on NATO members’ budgets. How long will it be before Starmer faces those immortal words, ‘In God’s name go!’
Spot on Maurice 10. It’s Gordon Brown again only he was never elected in. He dodged a general election for a year or so then was elected out.
Starmer & Trump are alike. All ego. Not a man between them.
England needs a leader. Kemi Badenoch seems good. Farage appears to have the edge though. We need to re-arm. Our elder son is deployed already. British Army always first in, last out. Give it 2 years for US to see which way wind blows and they might join in but on Russia’s side as Putin has too much info on Trump’s misdemeanours in 80s & 90s.
Spot on Micki. Starmer is all for benefits but if we lose the next attack those will be unable to be paid – even with the Dalek Mrs Joicey aka Reeves borrowing record sums. 5% we pay on 10 year Gilts – that’s how little the bond markets trust the Labour party.
He’s like Trump; it’s all about his ego. He has never achieved anything. Public sector jobs where all he had to do was turn up.
Drones and training aircraft should be reported seperately, but this is standard Gov BS fiddling numbers to make nice sound bite for media.
Drones aren’t “fixed-wing aircraft” 🤦🏻♂️
Fixed-wing drones are.
You may not be aware but the idea of almost all airforces in the next twenty years is to become mostly drones. If you don’t report drones as part of the force then airforces will cease to exist.
That drones and other things, bluffing the numbers with semi honest story, That included 3 AWAC’s in bits in hanger and how many of deep maintance aircraft will fly again ?. A press release evey day from the MOD statiing something thats nearly true and fiddling the books, every day while no orders, low ammo, and a delayed DIP that will fall well short as most expect.
Do tell how a Wedgetail “in bits in a hanger” is able to fly?
Does it work? is it in service? one is able to fly, one of only 3. Its taken longer convert the aircraft than took to build the plane it is being converted from, great idea money well spent, gap Awac’s the find the people converting it are not that good and in no rush. Out standing idea no AWACs for years
If you bothered to use this thing called Google, you’d know the answer to these questions, which would be an idea before running your mouth off in public stating things that aren’t true. It would save you a lot of public embarrassment 🤷🏻♂️
so angry, do need a hug?
You’re projecting your own inadequacies again…
Still not answered the question have you, none are in service, we have no AWAC’s, and have had none for a few years now. What a great plan retire them before a replacement is ready and just go with out. Seems you know every thing so please enlighten me as to when the first Wedgtail AWAC’s will be fully in service for the RAF?
Not true, 3 Wedgetails are in bits! One Wedgetail is nearly ready for service. 2nd has already flown, being fully kitted out, to be systems tested. 3rd, to have first flight later in the year.
What does ready for service mean, its on trial, crew traning, or the Labour MOD answer which can mean any thing? i am happy to be corrected.
Liar, you clearly despise being corrected.
You’ll find Martin “can’t handle the truth” to quote from an old movie 😏
Carm down dear, high light of my day getting you to bite, have a nice day.
What a sad, miserable, lonely life you lead, if the highlight of your day is being slapped down for lying.
It’s also more than a bit masochistic…
My old service is heading towards the same fate as the RN and without new orders very soon the 100 FGR4s we have are going to be fragged given op commitments and tempo.
Attrition is what really worries me. We have such a small number of aircraft, and while proponents may yawn on about how they’re adequate for our needs, how can they be? What happens when they reach their maximum limits of flying time? What happens to crashes, malfunctions, ones sabotaged on the ground, components that fail or wear out etc? And if we do go into action, what happens if we start losing multiple Typhoons, as we have no way to replace them?
Even under Harold Wilson, the RAF had over 2000 aircraft…
Sounds impressive.
That figure will include Grob Tutor, Grob Prefects, all of which are either COMO or COCO, and probably the glider fleet as well!
The same phenomenon is evident in the RAF Squadrons pages on the official website.
Once, including in books when Internet didn’t exist, only flying Squadrons were included, and things like TSW. Now, with the widespread renaming of supporting ground elements with Squadron numberplates long lost from the flying roster, all are included, which inflates the figures nicely to the uninformed perusing those pages.
It’s all spin. Subtle, and in the best tradition, technically true, they are Squadrons and the Gliders have a fixed wing.
But come on…..
And breaking news? The BBMF Lancaster is being adapted to carry Storm Shadow. Honest, including gliders and trainers in overall numbers is a sick joke. I left regular service in 1980, we had 670 active combat aircraft then. All in service. Like all UK assets now, a shadow and distant memory.
Remember who caused this, politicians.
1980 – height of Cold War that’s why…
I left the same year and agree with your sentiments. You would have thought after the Falklands War and Gulf War 1 we would have maintained a decent Defence posture but sadly its been cuts ever since.
Wow impressive. That still leaves us with less than the French and Italian air force and not much more than the German compliment of fixed wing aircraft
Very SAD days for our once most highly respected services in the World. Reduced to minimum levels by foolish so called leaders from both outside and within. Defend the UK? Not a chance. You must have strength of numbers as well as high tech of the right kind to ensure peace and our safety. So where does all the monies go? Certainly we don’t get value for money like all the other State departments…………..
I can see roughly how the MOD gets the RAF to 86 helicopters.
In service:
51 Chinooks
1 Jupiter 2
1 AW-109E
Rotary flying training:
7 Jupiter
29 Juno
Total 89, so 3 more than the MOD says?
Of that total, 14 Chinooks have been effectively withdrawn from service, pending future replacement by 14 new extended-range Chinooks. ‘Withdrawn from service’ seems to be interchangeable with ‘in long-term maintenance’. I imagine these 14 are going to be stripped for parts.
So basically the RAF has 20-30 frontline helicopters, which is not a lot. In fact, it’s wretchedly few. This is a legacy of primarily 14 years of serious underspending by the last lot. The total fleet will increase in numbers as we get the 5 Juno2 helis ordered, the 14 new Chinook ERs and the 23 AW-149s. That will take the fleet up to 81 helicopters, with another 36 in flying training.
It’s still a very small total. I think it will be symptomatic of the DIP when it comes, with such new money as there is being used to play catch-up. Better than nothing, but can’t see much increase in overall strength and equipment numbers up to 2027/8.
Yes, i was pondering that number total as well.
Only possible by including training helicopters from 1 FTS, the old DHFS still more familiar.
We sent @200 helicopters to the Falklands in 1982
For ‘the 5 Juno2 helis ordered’, read ‘5 Jupiter 2’.
You mean the HC145s? They are 6.
Yes, there are 6 HC145 helis on order. (They are called Jupiter 2 in RAF service).
I think only one has arrived so far, it went to Benson in December for instructor training. No doubt we will get most of the other five delivered this year.
I assume we must be gapping any rotary presence in Brunei and Cyprus just now, as the Bell 212s and 412s were withdrawn more than a year ago. The Wildcat and Merlin at Akrotiri are for a war mission, so not a substitute for the 412’s utility, transport, SAR and fire-fighting roles.
Chinook is in Cyprus. The Brueni commitment was being filled by Puma.
Interestingly, Cyprus 84 Sqn is RAF and the Brueni role given to the AAC, so who actually own the aircraft?
Being one of the highest defence spenders is really reaping benefits, isn’t it?
Where’s all the money going, and if we increase our spending as a proportion of GDP, is that all going to be flushed down the same toilet?
Huge sums going to defence nuclear,@40% of the equipment spend and likely to rise with AUKUS.
Combat aircraft: 172
137 typhoons
34 F35Bs – which is a fudge as these are “jointly” operated by the RAF and Fleet Air Arm
training aircraft (including gliders) :212
They are.
RAF Station. Infrastructure on it RAF, so the NOC, LOC, ITC, M&F all RAF owned I think.
Ground crews, pilots, mix of RAF and FAA. 617 Sqn I think is currently commanded by a RM Lt Col, 807 NAS by a FAA Commander.
But, I believe the F35 aircraft themselves are RAF owned, as they came from the Combat Air budget?
RN couldn’t afford to buy F35 and all the ships they need.
Its a stark and sobering comparison with the RAAF’s 108 frontline combat aircraft (72 F35A, 24 Super Hornets, 12 Growlers) all equipped with AESA radars and commitment to spiral upgrades in lock step with USAF and USN plus a wide range of weaponry – JASSM ER, JSOW, LRASM, JSM, HARM ARGM for SEAD/DEAD and will be first airforce outside USAF to field the AIM 265 (AMRAAM replacement).
Not to mention the aircraft types where RAAF matches or exceeds the RAF numbers (C17, E7 Wedgtail, P8, 4 Peregrine vs 3 Rivet Joint etc.) or UAV types that have no RAF equivalent (Ghost Bat, Triton).
Here’s hoping the DIP will see a significant investment in the RAF’s frontline aircraft numbers.
So the MOD boasts 485 fixed-wing aircraft.
We actually have only 237, excluding those in flying training:
– 151 fast jets (Typhoon, F-35b)
– 9 MR/ASW Poseidons
– 19 ISTAR (Rivet Joint, Shadow, Protector)
– 46 Transport (Voyager, C-17A, Atlas, Envoy)
– 12 Hawk T1 with Red Arrows
On current plans, that number will eventually increase by 29:
– 22 F-35B
– 12 F-35A
– 3 Wedgetail AEW
– 8 Protector UAV
Less 4 Typhoon F2 and probably the 12 Hawk T1s with the Red Arrows.
That figure might increase from 29 to 49 if the MOD can fund the two additional Wedgetails, 6 more Atlas and 12 fast jets to replace the Hawk T31s that the RAF wants.
That is a pretty dismal total, miles smaller than Germany and France can field. We need a much bigger boost to our airpower, but I think the above is the maximum we can afford up to 2027/8.
This is the RAF that cuts up Typhoons with just delivery hours after years retained in storage
Yes but almost 50% of those are Grobs.. and im not sure you can class them as a fixed wing asset.. I’m sure the army could go and buy a load of Dacia Springs and say it’s now doubled it vehicle fleet.