# RAF Air Support Command

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Former command of the Royal Air Force

Royal Air Force Air Support Command Command badge Founded 1 August 1967- 1 September 1972 Country United Kingdom Branch Royal Air Force Type Command Role support aircraft Headquarters RAF Upavon Mottos Ferio Ferendo Latin: "I Strike by Carrying"[1] Insignia crest heraldry A golden griffon in front of a globe

Military unit

RAF Air Support Command [Bristol Sycamore](/source/Bristol_Sycamore) communications helicopter in 1968

**Air Support Command** of the [Royal Air Force](/source/Royal_Air_Force) was formed on 1 August 1967 by the redesignation of [Transport Command](/source/RAF_Transport_Command).[2] Its change of name reflected the change of emphasis of the Command from solely transporting materials and manpower around the world to providing general support to RAF operations around the world.

The result of this broader role meant that Air Support Command, unlike its predecessor [Transport Command](/source/RAF_Transport_Command), possessed strike aircraft such as [Hawker Hunters](/source/Hawker_Hunter).[3] With the contraction of the RAF, it only lasted a short time as a command, and it was absorbed into [Strike Command](/source/RAF_Strike_Command) on 1 September 1972[4] forming [No. 38 Group](/source/No._38_Group_RAF) and [No. 46 Group](/source/No._46_Group_RAF) within Strike Command. The former was designated as a tactical support and the latter as a strategic support group.[5]

Order of Battle: April 1972 - HQ at Upavon[6]

- [RAF Andover](/source/RAF_Andover) - [No. 21 Squadron RAF](/source/No._21_Squadron_RAF) - Devon, Pembroke

- [RAF Benson](/source/RAF_Benson) - [Queen's Flight](/source/Queen's_Flight) - Andover, Chipmunk, Heron & Whirlwind

- [RAF Brize Norton](/source/RAF_Brize_Norton) - [No. 10 Squadron RAF](/source/No._10_Squadron_RAF) - VC10 - [No. 53 Squadron RAF](/source/No._53_Squadron_RAF) - Belfast - [No. 99 Squadron RAF](/source/No._99_Squadron_RAF) - Britannia - [No. 511 Squadron RAF](/source/No._511_Squadron_RAF) - Britannia - [No. 241 Operational Conversion Unit RAF](/source/No._241_Operational_Conversion_Unit_RAF) - Belfast, Britannia & VC10

- [RAF Coningsby](/source/RAF_Coningsby) - [No. 228 Operational Conversion Unit RAF](/source/No._228_Operational_Conversion_Unit_RAF) - Phantom

- [RAF Lyneham](/source/RAF_Lyneham) - [No. 216 Squadron RAF](/source/No._216_Squadron_RAF) - Comet

- [RAF Northolt](/source/RAF_Northolt) - [No. 32 Squadron RAF](/source/No._32_Squadron_RAF) - Andover, Dominie, Basset & Whirlwind

- [RAF Odiham](/source/RAF_Odiham) - [No. 240 Operational Conversion Unit RAF](/source/No._240_Operational_Conversion_Unit_RAF) - Puma & Wessex

- [RAF Thorney Island](/source/RAF_Thorney_Island) - [No. 242 Operational Conversion Unit RAF](/source/No._242_Operational_Conversion_Unit_RAF) - Andover & Hercules

- [RAF Wittering](/source/RAF_Wittering) - [No. 233 Operational Conversion Unit RAF](/source/No._233_Operational_Conversion_Unit_RAF) - Harrier

## Commanders in Chief

Commanders-in-Chief included:[7]

- 1 August 1967 - [Air Marshal](/source/Air_Marshal) Sir [Thomas Prickett](/source/Thomas_Prickett)

- 1 July 1968 - Air Marshal Sir [Lewis Hodges](/source/Lewis_Hodges)

- 1 October 1970 - Air Marshal Sir [Harry Burton](/source/Harry_Burton_(RAF_officer))

## See also

- [List of Royal Air Force commands](/source/List_of_Royal_Air_Force_commands)

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** Pine, L.G. (1983). [*A dictionary of mottoes*](https://archive.org/details/dictionaryofmott00tion/page/74) (1 ed.). London: Routledge & Kegan Paul. p. [74](https://archive.org/details/dictionaryofmott00tion/page/74). [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-7100-9339-X](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-7100-9339-X).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** [British Military Aviation in 1967](http://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/milestones-of-flight/british_military/1967.cfm) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20081010182126/http://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/milestones-of-flight/british_military/1967.cfm) 10 October 2008 at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine) RAF Museum

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** [Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation - Air Marshal Sir Harry Burton](http://www.rafweb.org/Biographies/Burton_H.htm)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** [British Military Aviation in 1972](http://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/milestones-of-flight/british_military/1972.cfm) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20110105103651/http://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/milestones-of-flight/british_military/1972.cfm) 5 January 2011 at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine) RAF Museum

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** Darling, Kev (2012). *RAF Strike Command, 1968-2007*. Barnsley: Pen & Sword Aviation. p. 85. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-1-84884-898-6](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-84884-898-6).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEDelve199490_6-0)** [Delve 1994](#CITEREFDelve1994), p. 90.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** [Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation - RAF Home Commands formed between 1958 - 2002](http://www.rafweb.org/Organsation/Cmd_H4.htm), accessed February 2022.

- Delve, K. (1994). *The Source Book of the RAF*. Shrewsbury, UK: Airlife Publishing. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [1-85310-451-5](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/1-85310-451-5).

Preceded by Transport Command Air Support Command 1967–1972 Succeeded by Strike Command

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [RAF Air Support Command](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Air_Support_Command) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Air_Support_Command?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.