Royal Air Force

The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the air force branch of the British Armed Forces. The RAF currently operates over 1000 aircraft and has over 40,000 regular personnel. The Royal Air Force is the world's oldest air force of any significant size to become independent of army or naval control. The RAF was formed on 1 April 1918 and has since taken a significant role in British military history since then, playing a large part in World War II and in conflicts such as the recent war in Iraq.