Royal Air Force

The RAF continues to play a key role in contemporary conflicts. During the Falklands War, RAF Harriers operated with those carried by the Royal Navy on aircraft carriers, and Vulcans flew from the forward base at Ascension Island to bomb the airfield at Stanley. In the Gulf War RAF bombers and fighters supported the coalition forces, in disabling Iraq's command and control centres and maintaining air superiority. With the collapse of the Warsaw Pact and the end of the Cold War, however, the role of the RAF has changed dramatically. It has provided close air support to assist humanitarian aid for the United Nations' efforts in the former Yugoslavia, and within the framework of NATO played a significant role in both the Rapid Reaction Force in Bosnia and the air campaign against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia during the Kosovo crisis. In 2003 it repeated its role from the Gulf War when it provided invaluable support to the US-led invasion of Iraq that was designed to both disarm that nation and depose the regime of Saddam Hussein (see War on Iraq). During its short history, the highest British honour for bravery, the Victoria Cross, has been awarded to 51 members of the RAF—out of which 32 were awarded during World War II. The present-day RAF has 42 squadrons, including 6 nuclear-capable squadrons, flying Tornado bomber aircraft; 6 fighter squadrons flying Tornado F-3 fighter aircraft; and 5 ground attack aircraft squadrons.