The Air Warfare Centre Mission is to contribute to the military capability of Strike Command (STC) by developing and implementing operational and tactical doctrine and providing essential and timely integrated mission support to RAF operational units in peace and in war. Additionally, the Air Warfare Centre, as host to the collocated Defence Electronic Warfare Centre, is to contribute to the military capability of all 3 Services by providing Electronic Warfare (EW) support direct to Permanent Joint Headquarters (PJHQ) and all operational units.

Based at RAF Waddington, and 11 other locations throughout the UK, the primary mission of the Air Warfare Centre is the provision of timely integrated mission support to the front line. The Defence Electronic Warfare Centre is an integral part and is jointly staffed by RN, Army, Air Force and civilian personnel. Operational level Doctrine and Development (D&D) issues are addressed as part of the remit of the Doctrine and Collective Training staff of the Operations Division, in addition to their responsibilities for providing (in conjunction with the Liaison Officers from the RN, Army and USAF) operational support to air and joint headquarters and training tasks. The great majority of the remainder of Air Warfare Centre personnel provide: tactical level mission support in the form of production and maintenance of the Defence Electronic Warfare Database; Electronic Warfare Operational Support (EWOS) for all aircraft, ships and some Army units; operational evaluation of all aircraft types, associated equipment and weapons through the various Operational Evaluation Units; administration and instruction of all joint air warfare courses. Scientific support to all Air Warfare Centre activities is provided by the Operational Analysis staff.

There are 4 separate, albeit integrated, areas of responsibility as follows:

DEVELOPMENT DIVISION

Development Division is responsible for the implementation and supervision of the Unit's development functions in the capability acquisition process, to which it provides the full range of Air Warfare Centre specialist support. The Division's responsibilities also include the direction, control and management of the work of the Operations Evaluation Unit, the Joint Airborne Transport Evaluation Unit (JATEU), and Rotary Wing Operational Evaluation Trial Unit (RWOETU). It co-ordinates Strike Command's live, guided-weapons training, operational evaluations and Service trials. It is also responsible for providing aero systems training.

OPERATIONS DIVISION

Operations Division co-ordinates and provides Integrated Mission Support (IMS) for operations, training and trials. Included in the Division's responsibilities are the development, dissemination and teaching of Air Environmental Doctrine, Air Warfare Training and the co-ordination of Synthetic Command and Control Training as well as wargaming, developing air tactics and weaponeering. Operations Division is responsible for the development of Air Command and Control capability through workshop, study and experimentation. In addition, it provides Tactical Leadership and Combined Qualities Weapons Instructor training, and it co-ordinates the activities of the Command and Battlespace Management (Air) Working Group. Within Operations Division, Electronic Warfare Operations provides timely mission-dependent information, data and software support to both the front line and the systems support areas.

OPERATIONS SUPPORT DIVISION

Operations Support Division provides timely, fused, all-source operational air intelligence support and intelligence planning. It acts as the focus for targeting issues and supports the Air Warfare Centre's Integrated Mission Support responsibilities. It is responsible for the management of the Defence Electronic Warfare Database (DEWDB) and specifically for the maintenance and segmental development of the database, as well as the provision of associated data and information to all 3 Services, including the provision of the national Electronic Order of Battle. The Division encompasses 591 Signals Unit, 7006(VR) Squadron, 7010(VR) Squadron and 7630(VR) Squadron RAuxAF and is Operational Sponsor for the Operations Support (Intelligence) Specialisation and Intelligence Analyst (Intelligence) Trade.

OPERATIONAL ANALYSIS (OA) ELEMENT

The Operational Analysis Element conducts studies and provides scientific advice on any issue which affects the conduct of air operations. It plans, directs and manages activities to meet the scientific studies and advice requirements of the Air Warfare Centre.

CONCLUSION

The Air Warfare Centre has given the RAF a coherent mission support organisation for the first time in its history. However, the application of air power is an evolving science and in a similar way the Unit continues to evolve to meet any future challenges. Its guiding principle may be aptly summarised in the quotation from Lord Trenchard at the opening of the RAF Staff College, Andover in 1922, "Remember that the one thing to which you should at all times apply your thoughts and brains is the expansion of the power of material and personnel without increasing either".