RAF and UK Space Command celebrate their respective 106th and third birthdays
Today marks 106 years since the formation of the Royal Air Force.
The UK became the first nation to form a separate and independent air force, in 1918.
In a post on social media platform X, the RAF said the dedication, professionalism and innovation the service was founded upon remain the same as it continues to fly and fight.
This week, the RAF delivered 27 tonnes of vital aid to Gaza following a third successful airdrop by an A400M Atlas aircraft.
Today, April 1, also marks three years since the establishment of the UK Space Command.
UK Space Command, which was launched in April 2022, is set to see some major milestones over the next 12 months.
Lieutenant Colonel Jim Cheesman, the capability development lead at UK Space Command, told Forces News: "2024 should see the launch of our first operational capability demonstrators, an electro-optical satellite up in low earth orbit.
"The idea is that we can start bringing data down, and for us it's less about what we're flying, it's the architecture and the system behind it that will allow us to essentially push data down from space right down to the mud for the soldier."
UK Space Command forms part of the Government's plan to increase Britain's ambitions in the domain of space.
When fully operational, it will take control of RAF Fylingdales, strategic military satellites known as Skynet and the UK Space Operations Centre (UK SpOC).
RAF Fylingdales in North Yorkshire offers early-warning capability to the US and UK against surprise missile attacks, while UK SpOC protects British assets in orbit.
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