To view further details of each main Command development click on the Command
title on the right of the timeline
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| February
1961 |
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MEAF re-named Near East Air Force and BFAP
re-named Air Forces Middle East. |
| March 1961 |
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RAF aircraft started famine relief operations in
Kenya (until April) |
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| May 1961 |
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1 - UK Air Defence Region formed. |
| June 1961 |
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20/21 - First non stop flight UK - Australia by a
Vulcan flown by Sqn Ldr M G Beavis |
| July 1961 |
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RAF aircraft assist Kuwait against Iraq. |
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| October
1961 |
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RAF aircraft carry out food drops in Kenya until
January (Operation Tana Flood) |
| November
1961 |
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RAF fly supplies to Belize after Hurricane
'Hattie' (Operation Sky Help). Hawker Siddeley Argosy entered
service. |
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| February
1962 |
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Folland Gnat entered service |
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| May 1962 |
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HQ Near East Command disbanded |
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| November
1962 |
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Last Mosquitoes withdrawn from service |
| December
1962 |
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FEAF aircraft assist in quelling Brunei
Revolt. Blue Steel entered service. |
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| March 1963 |
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31 - No's 11 and 12 Groups re-named Sectors |
| April 1963 |
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1 - Directorate-General of Works transferred to
Ministry of Public Building and Works. |
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| August 1963 |
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Last Thor IRBM base closed. |
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| December
1963 |
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Operations begin in Malaya and Borneo against
Indonesian incursion. |
| January
1964 |
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15 - BMEWS at Fylingdales goes fully
operational. Westland Wessex entered service. |
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| April 1964 |
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Ministry of Defence formed. New RAF trade
structure introduced. |
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| September
1964 |
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RAF assumed responsibility for internal security
of British Guiana. |
| October
1964 |
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Technician and Craft Apprenticeships introduced,
replacing Aircraft Apprenticeships and Boy Entrants. Kestral
Evaluation Squadron set up at West Raynham. |
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| December
1964 |
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Vickers Valiants withdrawn from service owing to
fatigue problems. |
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| August 1965 |
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Handley Page Victors take over AAR Tanker role
from Valiants. |
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| October
1965 |
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Hawker Siddeley Dominie entered service. |
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| December
1965 |
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RAF undertake operations from Zambia following
Rhodesian UDI. |
| January 1966 |
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3 - RAF Technical College moved to RAF Cranwell.
Short Belfast entered service. |
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| April 1966 |
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1 - Airfield Construction Branch disbanded.
BAC VC10 entered service. |
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| August 1966 |
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Operations in Malaya and Borneo cease. |
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| October
1966 |
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Technical Branch re-named Engineer Branch. |
| November
1966 |
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Hawker Siddeley Andover entered service. |
| December
1966 |
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RAF operations in Zambia cease. |
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| March 1967 |
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RAF fighters bomb the tanker Torrey Canyon
aground off Cornwall. |
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| July 1967 |
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Lockheed Hercules entered service |
| August
1967 |
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1 - Transport Command re-named Air Support
Command |
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| November
1967 |
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British Forces make final withdrawal from Aden
having been under RAF control for 40 years. |
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| January 1968 |
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Handley Page Hastings withdrawn from service as
a transport. |
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| April
1968 |
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1 - 50th Anniversary of RAF. 31 - Strike Command formed
by merging Fighter, and Bomber Commands. |
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| June 1968 |
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1 - Training Command formed by merging FTC and
TTC. 14 - Queen attends 50th Anniversary flying display at Abingdon.
Avro Anson withdrawn from service |
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| August 1968 |
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1 - WRAF officers adopt RAF ranks. |
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| January 1969 |
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Signals Command disbanded. |
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| May 1969 |
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McDonnell Phantom entered service |
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| July 1969 |
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Nuclear deterrent role taken over by Royal Navy. |
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| October
1969 |
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Hawker Siddeley Harrier, Hawker Siddeley
Buccaneer and Hawker Siddeley Nimrod entered service. |
| November
1969 |
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Coastal Command absorbed into Strike Command. |
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| September
1970 |
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Graduate entry replaced Cadet entry at RAF
College, Cranwell. |
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| November
1970 |
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RAF took part in flood relief operations in
Pakistan (Operation Burlap) |
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| January 1971 |
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Aerospatiale Puma entered service |
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| November 1971 |
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FEAF disbanded |
| December 1971 |
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RAF complete withdrawal from Arabian Gulf. |
| January 1972 |
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Shackleton AEW Mk 2 entered service. |
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| September 1972 |
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Air Support Command absorbed by Strike Command. Hawker
Hunter re-entered service with Strike Command. |
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| November 1972 |
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RAF Museum at Hendon opened. |
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| March 1973 |
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RAF airlift supplies to Himalayan villages in Nepal (Operation
Khana Cascade) |
| April 1973 |
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Scottish Aviation Bulldog entered service. |
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| June 1973 |
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Scottish Aviation Jetstream entered service. |
| July 1973 |
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Aerospatiale Gazelle entered service |
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| September 1973 |
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Maintenance Command re-named Support Command. Sepecat
Jaguar entered service. |
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| March 1975 |
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Westland Wessex takes on SAR role. RAF assist in
evacuation of civilians from Cambodia |
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| June 1975 |
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Comet retired from service |
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| October 1975 |
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RAF assist in evacuation from Angola. |
| November 1975 |
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RAF take over defend of Belize (formerly British Honduras) |
| December 1975 |
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Bristol Britannia retired from service. |
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| March 1976 |
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NEAF disbanded |
| April 1976 |
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Vickers Varsity retired from service. |
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| September 1976 |
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Short Belfast retired from service |
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| June 1977 |
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RAF Support Command formed by merging Support Command and
Training Command. Handley Page Hastings withdrawn from service |
| July 1977 |
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Queen's Silver Jubilee Review at RAF Finningley. |
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| December 1977 |
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Westland Sea King HAR Mk 3 entered service |
| Jan 1978 |
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| Jan 1979 |
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| Jan 1980 |
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