Airforces Monthly - February 2017

UNITED KINGDOM: ISTAR REVIEW
in’s Spies
In the Skies
In RAF jargon, we are now in the
era of ‘intelligent air power’. It is no
longer enough to have squadron upon
squadron of fast jets loaded with the
latest precision-guided munitions.
Unless you know what is happening on
the ground, it is simply not possible to
employ strike aircraft to their full effect.
Crucially for the senior leadership of
the RAF, having a full range of modern
ISTAR platforms and supporting systems
differentiates the service from other
European air forces. The RAF can
fight independently or became a toplevel
partner in a coalition operation
thanks to its own ISTAR capability.
“Our ISTAR gives us a unique
understanding of the modern battlespace,”
a senior RAF officer commented to
AFM. “No-one else in NATO can do
what we do with ISTAR — this makes us
the coalition partner of choice for our
American allies. During operations with
our European friends, we always get a
seat at the top table because we have
the best ISTAR capability around.”
Combat ISTAR 2017
The RAF ISTAR Force Headquarters was
formed in the aftermath of the UK’s 2010
Strategic Defence and Security Review
(SDSR) to provide overarching direction
to the service’s main ISTAR assets, units
and specialist personnel. By bringing all
the ISTAR capability under the control
of an air commodore, based at RAF
Waddington, Lincolnshire, it was hoped that
the operational output of the force could
be maximised. The RAF coined the term
‘Combat ISTAR’ and placed the ISTAR Force
under the control of 1 Group, alongside
its offensive fast jet fleets, to emphasise
that it viewed ISTAR as an integral part
of air warfare. No longer would ISTAR
be ‘just’ a support asset; it would drive
every aspect of RAF combat operations.
At the start of 2017, the RAF ISTAR Force
boasted a full spectrum of capabilities to
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