How does the Royal Air Force contribute to Joint (or coalition) Air Operations?
Recent deployments have seen RAF aircraft working alongside those of allied nations and this is likely to remain the case for the future. Aircraft such as the Tornado GR4A and its low-level reconnaissance ability can contribute a unique and highly specialized capability to an air campaign. Our Tristar and VC10 tankers also deployed to Afghanistan to provide aerial refuelling for US Navy aircraft even though no RAF combat aircraft were used. But it is not just with aicraft of other countries that the RAF works in a joint environment. Our Chinook, Puma and Merlin helicopters form part of the British Joint Helicopter Command. Here RAF personnel are trained to work alongside those from the Royal Navy and Army in their everyday duties, not just on operational deployments.
