No. 1 Air Control Centre RAF explained

Unit Name:No 1. Air Control Centre
Dates: – 24 September 1982
1 April 1995 – present
Country: United Kingdom
Type:Non-flying unit
Role:Deployable Air Surveillance and Control system (ASACS) capability
Command Structure:No. 1 Group
Garrison:RAF Boulmer
Garrison Label:Home station
Motto:Ever Alert[1]
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No. 1 Air Control Centre (also known as 1 ACC) is a deployable mobile command and control unit of the Royal Air Force that is currently based at RAF Boulmer in Northumberland. The unit acts in conjunction with the Control and Reporting Centre (CRC) also at RAF Boulmer, but also detaches staff to overseas locations when the Royal Air Force is engaged in operations. Some of these postings are permanent, such as in the Falklands Islands and at Cyprus.

1 ACC's remit is to protect the United Kingdom's, and deployed airspace, from hostile aircraft.

History

No. 1 Air Control Centre started out as No. 9 Signals Unit (9 SU) at RAF Rattlesden in Suffolk in 1964. A year later it was renamed as No. 1 Air Control Centre, and remained at Rattlesden. In 1967, it moved to RAF Wattisham, where it remained until 1979 until it moved to Nancekuke in Cornwall (later RAF Portreath and then RRH Portreath).[2]

Between 2006 and 2009, No. 1 ACC was deployed to Afghanistan on Operation Herrick.[3] [4]

In 2008, plans were announced in Parliament to relocate 1 ACC from RAF Kirton in Lindsey and the CRC from Scampton to RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire.[5] Whilst this move did not proceed as intended, 1 ACC moved to RAF Scampton in 2012 and the technical site at RAF Kirton in Lindsey was sold off, although the domestic site was retained for RAF personnel.[6]

In 2018, the RAF announced that RAF Scampton would close by 2022, which would involve moving all units out of the station to other locations.[7] 1 ACC moved to RAF Boulmer in early 2023, just before Scampton’s closure on 31 March 2023.

Staffing of the unit fluctuates with demand and role, but in 2015, the number of personnel at the unit was around 220.[8]

Role

The main role of 1 ACC is to provide deployed air control operations, both in the United Kingdom and on deployed operations worldwide.[9] [10] Whilst working in the United Kingdom, 1 ACC feeds into the CRC at RAF Boulmer and helps to protect UK airspace from hostile aircraft.[11] [12]

Locations

Permanent locations

Current

Historical

Short deployments

Notes and References

  1. Book: Pine . L G . A Dictionary of mottoes . 1983 . Routledge & K. Paul . London . 0-7100-9339-X . 67 .
  2. Web site: No 1 Air Control Centre . www.rafweb.org . 9 December 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190511015405/http://www.rafweb.org/Organsation/1ACC.htm . 11 May 2019 . live .
  3. News: Red Arrows air base to be sold off . 9 December 2019 . BBC News . 24 July 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20191209080122/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lincolnshire-44936234 . 9 December 2019 . live .
  4. News: RAF cuts: speech in full . 9 December 2019 . The Daily Telegraph . 12 October 2010 . subscription . https://web.archive.org/web/20191209091632/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/defence/8060071/RAF-cuts-speech-in-full.html . 9 December 2019 . live .
  5. Web site: ASACS Basing Study - Hansard . hansard.parliament.uk . 8 December 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20191208075516/https://hansard.parliament.uk/Commons/2008-10-28/debates/08102850000007/ASACSBasingStudy . 8 December 2019 . live .
  6. Web site: MINISTRY OF DEFENCE Defence Estate Rationalisation Update . assets.publishing.service.gov.uk . 8 December 2019 . 4 . PDF . https://web.archive.org/web/20190725211539/https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/167929/wms_de_rationalisation_update.pdf . 25 July 2019 . live .
  7. News: Home of the Red Arrows RAF Scampton will be closing in 2022 . 9 December 2019 . Gainsborough Standard . 24 July 2018 . en . https://web.archive.org/web/20191209080136/https://www.gainsboroughstandard.co.uk/news/home-of-the-red-arrows-raf-scampton-will-be-closing-in-2022-1-9267505 . 9 December 2019 . live .
  8. News: Farmer . Ben . RAF Typhoons: Meet the pilots on standby 24 hours a day to defend British skies . 9 December 2019 . The Telegraph . 27 March 2018 . subscription . https://web.archive.org/web/20191209081021/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/03/27/raf-typhoons-meet-pilots-standby-24-hours-day-defend-british/ . 9 December 2019 . live .
  9. Book: Turner . Barry . The Statesman's Yearbook : the politics, cultures and economies of the world. 2014 . 2013 . MacMillan . London . 978-1-349-59645-4 . 1,275 . United Kingdom.
  10. Book: Heyman . Charles . The Armed Forces of the United Kingdom 2014-2015. . 2014 . Pen & Sword . Barnsley . 978-1-78346-351-0 . 142.
  11. News: Haynes . Deborah . Red Arrows base RAF Scampton will be axed in cost‑cutting move . 9 December 2019 . The Times . 24 July 2018 . en . subscription . https://web.archive.org/web/20191209080134/https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/red-arrows-and-dambusters-base-raf-scampton-axed-in-cost-cutting-manoeuvre-rpcmlxzdq . 9 December 2019 . live .
  12. News: Osborne . Samuel . Red Arrows base to be sold off by Ministry of Defence . 9 December 2019 . The Independent . 24 July 2018 . en . https://web.archive.org/web/20191209080256/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/red-arrows-raf-scampton-sold-off-dam-busters-ministry-of-defence-budget-cuts-a8460951.html . 9 December 2019 . live .
  13. Web site: RAF Boulmer . 21 August 2023. Royal Air Force .
  14. News: Chief enjoys tour of bases . 8 December 2019 . infoweb.newsbank.com . 21 November 2013. subscription.
  15. Web site: Kirton in Lindsey Airfield History - BCAR.org.uk . www.bcar.org.uk . 9 December 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190526001630/http://www.bcar.org.uk/kirton-history.php . 26 May 2019 . live .
  16. Web site: Wattisham Anglia Radar – Subterranea Britannica . www.subbrit.org.uk . 9 December 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20191207155420/https://www.subbrit.org.uk/sites/wattisham-anglia-radar/ . 7 December 2019 . live .
  17. Web site: Deployments (Hansard, 6 March 2002) . api.parliament.uk . 9 December 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20191209114725/https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/written-answers/2002/mar/06/deployments . 9 December 2019 . live .
  18. Web site: RAF Boulmer (Hansard, 22 January 2004) . api.parliament.uk . 9 December 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20191209114721/https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/commons/2004/jan/22/raf-boulmer . 9 December 2019 . live .
  19. Web site: Thales and RAF100 . thalesgroup.com . 9 December 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20191209080302/https://www.thalesgroup.com/en/europe/united-kingdom/our-commitment-uk/trusted-partner/thales-and-raf100 . 9 December 2019 . live .
  20. News: Smith . Jon . 900 more UK troops to face the Taliban . 8 December 2019 . infoweb.newsbank.com . 11 July 2006. subscription.
  21. News: Homecoming parade for RAF troops . 8 December 2019 . infoweb.newsbank.com . 10 December 2009. subscription.

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