Fundamental to everything the RAF tries to achieve is the equipment we have at our disposal, much of which relies on world-beating, cutting-edge high technology that has been tested in conflict. It is this equipment that when operated, maintained and supported by highly professional personnel, makes the RAF a truly potent deliverer of Air Power.

In defence of our airspace at home and abroad, the Tornado F3 maintains our Quick Reaction Alert with the ASRAAM missile, which is the most up-to-date and effective air-to-air missile deployed anywhere in the world.

The next generation air-to-air missile, the Meteor, a fire-and-forget missile, will give the RAF a further significant advance in missile capability when it enters service early in the next decade. The combination of Typhoon and Meteor will defeat all current and projected air-to-air threats for the foreseeable future.

For expeditionary operations overseas, the backbone of the RAF’s offensive aircraft is the recently upgraded ground-attack version of the Tornado, called the GR4, which carries a comprehensive suite of sophisticated weapons and equipment. Also in this role is one of the RAF’s most versatile combat aircraft, the Harrier GR7. In time, the Harrier GR7 will be updated with new engines and avionics and will be redesignated the GR9. Looking even further ahead, the GR9 will be replaced with the Short Take-Off and Vertical Landing variant of the Lockheed Martin Joint Strike Fighter, which will incorporate stealth technology and is capable of carrying twice the payload of a Harrier, over twice the distance.

As well as upgrading aircraft, the RAF is buying a new range of offensive weapons, which combine pinpoint accuracy with a very high survivability rate. One such weapon is Storm Shadow, which was highly successful during the recent hostilities in Iraq. As well as providing improved operational capability, these precision weapons will reduce greatly the risk of collateral damage and civilian casualties.

Reconnaissance remains one of the most vital functions of the RAF. The reconnaissance versions of the Tornado GR4, the Jaguar GR3 and the Harrier GR7 are used in the tactical reconnaissance role. This capability has been further enhanced by the recent introduction into service of the Raptor pod for the Tornado GR4, which provides high-resolution imaging at an extremely long range and represents the most sophisticated dualband reconnaissance system for tactical jets in the world. Operated together, Raptor and the Tornado GR4 are a truly world-beating combination. In the electronic intelligence gathering role, the introduction of the Sentinel R1 in 2005 will complete the third arm of the ISTAR triad of Sentinel R1, E-3D Sentry and Nimrod R1.

These capabilities are supported by Air Transport and Support Helicopter fleets, which are also enjoying enhancements with the recent arrival of the C-17 Globemaster for strategic heavy-lift operations and the introduction into service of the Hercules C-13OJ and the Merlin HC3 helicopter. Development work on the A400M is moving forward and work on other projects, such as the selection of the future strategic tanker aircraft, is underway.

The purpose of this publication is to detail the wide range of equipment that is used by today’s RAF and to introduce the platforms and systems of the future. Overall, the RAF’s current equipment programme is the most exciting it has ever had and it will ensure that the RAF can command air superiority and dominate the battlespace across land, sea and air. I hope that you enjoy reading it.

Air Commodore Paul Thomas MBE BSc RAF
Director Corporate Communication (RAF)
Ministry of Defence
Room 1/50
Metropole Building
Northumberland Avenue
WC2N 5BP

Download Royal Air Force Aircraft & Weapons

PDF format, 5.6MB, 104Pages. Provided by RAF.

Aircraft & Weapons:

Fast Jet
Tornado F3 4
Tornado GR4 6
Harrier GR7 8
Jaguar GR3 10
Typhoon F2 12
Joint Combat Aircraft 14

Reconnaissance
E-3D Sentry 16
Sentinel RMk1 18
Nimrod R1 20
Canberra PR9 22

Transport & Refuelling
C-130K / C-130J 24
C-17A 26
A400M 28
VC10 30
Tristar 32
BAE 146 34
HS125 36

Maritime
Nimrod MR2 38
Nimrod MRA4 40
Flying Training
Hawk TMk1/1A 42
Tucano TMk1 44
Tutor 46
Firefly T67 M260 48
Dominie TMk1 50
Jetstream TMk1 52
Vigilant TMk1 54
Viking TMk1 56

Helicopters
Chinook HC2/2A/3 58
Merlin HC3 60
Puma HC1 62
Sea King HAR 3/3A 64
Griffin HT1 66
Squirrel HT1 68
Twin Squirrel 70

Air-to-Air
Sidewinder 74
Skyflash 75
AMRAAM 76
ASRAAM 77
Meteor 78

Air-to-Ground
1000lb Bomb 79
540lb Bomb 79
Paveway II LGB 80
Paveway III LGB 81
BL-755 Cluster 82
CRV-Rockets 83
ALARM 84
Storm Shadow 85
Maverick 86
Brimstone 87
Harpoon 88
Stingray 89

Aircraft Guns
Mauser 27mm cannon 90
Aden 30mm cannon 91
M134 Minigun 92
M60D Machine Gun 92

Laser Designator
TIALD 93

Reconnaissance Pods
RAPTOR 94
Joint Reconnaissance Pod 95

Regiment
Introduction 96
Rapier FSC 97
Field Squadrons 98
Common Weapons 100

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