No. 22 Group RAF

Although No. 22 Group was due to be formed on 1 April 1918, the same day as the Royal Air Force was established, it was not activated until , in the RAF's North Western Area. It was activated at RAF East Fortune, but moved its headquarters to the Station Hotel, Stirling. The next month, on 8 August 1918, it received the designation 'Operations', making its full title No. 22 (Operations) Group. It controlled No. 78 (Operations) Wing, and stations at East Fortune and Luce Bay. With the post First World War Royal Air Force force reductions, No. 22 Group was disbanded on . The next creation of No. 22 Group came on , when the group was re-formed from No. 7 Group within Inland Area. The group's designation was No. 22 (Army Co-operation) Group, and its headquarters was at South Farnborough. On 17 February 1936, No. 22 Group was transferred from the control of Inland Area to that of the Air Defence of Great Britain. Later that same year, on 1 May, the group was raised to command status. However, only just over two months later, on 14 July, the newly created command was reduced back to group status, On 24 June 1940, No. 22 Group was once again raised to command status and later that year, on 1 December, the new command was expanded to become RAF Army Cooperation Command. On 1 August 1943, the group was re-established as No. 22 (Technical Training) Group in Technical Training Command out of 20 and 72 Groups, with its HQ at Buntingsdale Hall, Market Drayton. The group continued in its training function for nearly thirty years, until it was disbanded 31 January 1972. Training Group Defence Agency Training Group (TG) was formed on 1 April 1994 from the AOC Training Units with Personnel and Training Command its controlling formation. Prior to 1 April 2006 Training Group held British Government agency status, operating as the Training Group Defence Agency (TGDA). Upon the loss of its agency status, the formation became known simply as Training Group. The Group had seven areas of responsibility: • RAF College Cranwell and Directorate of Recruiting • Directorate of Flying Training (DFT) • Directorate of Joint Technical Training (DJTT) • Air Cadets (ACO) • Core HQ • Defence College of Aeronautical Engineering (DCAE) • Defence College of Communications and Information Systems (DCCIS) Current creation The current creation of No. 22 Group was established on 30 October 2006, once again as No. 22 (Training) Group. This creation was a renaming of Training Group which ceased to exist as No 22 Group was re-established. 22 Group is responsible for: • Youth engagement across the UK; • Recruiting, selection and basic training; • Defence technical training – communications & engineering; • UK Military Flying Training System; • RAF Force Development, adventurous training, survival and specialist training; • RAF-wide training assurance; • Accreditation and resettlement; • All RAF sport. == Component units ==

As of November 2025, No. 22 Group comprises the following elements and units. Unless indicated otherwise, subordinate units are located at the same location as the unit they report to. Directorate of Ground Training The Directorate of Ground Training provides training and education policy, governance, assurance and support. It comprises the following elements: • Adventure Training • Air Power Education • Force Development • Training Policy and Plans Directorate of Flying Training The Directorate of Flying Training delivers provides trained military aircrew, air traffic controllers and flight operations personnel to meet front line requirements. • No.1 Flying Training School (RAF Shawbury) • 2 Maritime Air Wing • No. 202 Squadron (RAF Valley) – Airbus Jupiter HT1 • No. 660 Squadron Army Air Corps – Airbus Juno HT1 • 705 Naval Air Squadron – Airbus Juno HT1 • 9 Regiment Army Air Corps • No. 60 Squadron – Airbus Juno HT1 • No. 670 Squadron Army Air Corps – Airbus Juno HT1 • No. 3 Flying Training School (RAF Cranwell) • No. 16 Squadron – Grob Tutor T1 • No. 45 Squadron – Embraer Phenom T1 • No. 57 Squadron – Grob Prefect T1 (RAF Wittering) • No. 115 Squadron – Grob Tutor T1 (RAF Wittering) • No. 4 Flying Training School (RAF Valley) • No. 4 Squadron – BAE Systems Hawk T2 • No. 25 Squadron – BAE Systems Hawk T2 • No. 72 Squadron – Beechcraft Texan T1 • Central Flying School (RAF Cranwell) • Central Flying School (Helicopters) (RAF Shawbury) • Smith Barry Academy • Defence College of Air and Space Operations (RAF Shawbury) • School of Aerospace Battle Management • School of Air Operations Control Directorate of RAF Sport The Directorate of RAF Sport is based at RAF Halton and together with RAF sports associations supports the provision of sport to RAF personnel at an individual, unit, service and inter-service levels. Defence College of Technical Training he Defence College of Technical Training provides technical training and education to around 20,000 members of the RAF, Royal Navy and British Army per annum. Training is delivered through four Defence schools focussed upon specialisations of aeronautical engineering, electronic and mechanical engineering, marine engineering, and communications and information systems engineering. It comprises the following elements: • Headquarters Defence College of Technical Training (MOD Lyneham) • Defence School of Aeronautical Engineering (RAF Cosford) • No. 1 School of Technical Training • No. 2 School of Technical Training • Royal Naval Air Engineering and Survival School (HMS Sultan) • School of Army Aeronautical Engineering (MOD Lyneham) • Defence School of Communications and Information Systems (Blandford Camp) • No.1 Radio School (RAF Cosford) • Aerial Erectors School (RAF Digby) • 11th (The Royal School of Signals) Signals Regiment • Defence School of Electronic and Mechanical Engineering (MOD Lyneham) • No. 4 School of Technical Training • 8 Training Battalion, Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers • Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers Arms School Royal Air Force Air Cadets The RAF Air Cadets is a youth organisation and the world's largest youth air training organisation, supported by thousands of volunteer staff. It comprises the following elements: Headquarters RAF Cadets (RAF Cranwell) • Air Training Corps • Combined Cadet Force (RAF section) • No. 2 Flying Training School (RAF Syerston) • Central Gliding School – Grob Viking T1 • No. 611 Volunteer Gliding Squadron – Grob Viking T1 (RAF Honington) • No. 615 Volunteer Gliding Squadron – Grob Viking T1 (Kenley Airfield) • No. 621 Volunteer Gliding Squadron – Grob Viking T1 (Little Rissington Airfield) • No. 622 Volunteer Gliding Squadron – Grob Viking T1 (Trenchard Lines) • No. 626 Volunteer Gliding Squadron – Grob Viking T1 (RNAS Predannack) • No. 632 Volunteer Gliding Squadron – Grob Viking T1 (Ternhill Airfield) • No. 637 Volunteer Gliding Squadron – Grob Viking T1 (Little Rissington Airfield) • No. 644 Volunteer Gliding Squadron – Grob Viking T1 • No. 645 Volunteer Gliding Squadron – Grob Viking T1 (RAF Topcliffe) • No. 661 Volunteer Gliding Squadron – Grob Viking T1 (RAF Kirknewton) Royal Air Force College The Royal Air Force College, based at RAF Cranwell, provides recruit and officer training, and oversees University Air Squadrons. • RAF College Cranwell • Aviator Training Academy (RAF Halton) • Aviator Command Squadron • Recruit Training Squadron • RAF Officer Training Academy • RAF Recruitment and Selection • Robson Academy of Resilience • Aircrew SERE Training Centre • Defence Aviation Human Factors Training School • Defence Fire Training Unit (Fire Service College, Moreton-in-Marsh) • Defence Survive, Evade, Resist, Extract Training Organisation (RAF St Mawgan) • Resilience Wing (RAF St Mawgan) • Stress Management and Resilience Wing (RAF Cranwell and RAF Halton) • Specialist Training School (RAF Halton) • Tedder Academy of Leadership • No. 6 Flying Training School (RAF Cranwell) • No. 1 Air Experience Flight – Grob Tutor T1 (MOD St Athan) • No. 2 Air Experience Flight – Grob Tutor T1 (MOD Boscombe Down) • No. 3 Air Experience Flight – Grob Tutor T1 (Colerne Airfield) • No. 4 Air Experience Flight – Grob Tutor T1 (Glasgow Airport) • No. 5 Air Experience Flight – Grob Tutor T1 (RAF Wittering) • No. 6 Air Experience Flight – Grob Tutor T1 (RAF Benson) • No. 7 Air Experience Flight – Grob Tutor T1 • No. 8 Air Experience Flight – Grob Tutor T1 (RAF Cosford) • No. 9 Air Experience Flight – Grob Tutor T1 (RAF Leeming) • No. 10 Air Experience Flight – Grob Tutor T1 (RAF Woodvale) • No. 11 Air Experience Flight – Grob Tutor T1 (RAF Leeming) • No. 12 Air Experience Flight – Grob Tutor T1 (Leuchars Station) • No. 13 Air Experience Flight – Grob Tutor T1 (Aldergrove Flying Station) • Bristol University Air Squadron – Grob Tutor T1 (MOD Boscombe Down) • Cambridge University Air Squadron – Grob Tutor T1 (RAF Wittering) • East Midlands Universities Air Squadron – Grob Tutor T1 (RAF Cranwell) • East of Scotland Universities Air Squadron – Grob Tutor T1 (Leuchars Station) • Liverpool University Air Squadron – Grob Tutor T1 (RAF Woodvale) • Manchester and Salford Universities Air Squadron – Grob Tutor T1 (RAF Woodvale) • Northern Ireland Universities Air Squadron – Grob Tutor T1 (Aldergrove Flying Station) • Northumbrian Universities Air Squadron – Grob Tutor T1 (RAF Leeming) • Oxford University Air Squadron – Grob Tutor T1 (RAF Benson) • Southampton University Air Squadron – Grob Tutor T1 (MOD Boscombe Down) • University of Birmingham Air Squadron – Grob Tutor T1 (RAF Cosford) • Universities of Glasgow and Strathclyde Air Squadron – Grob Tutor T1 (Glasgow Airport) • University of London Air Squadron – Grob Tutor T1 (RAF Wittering) • Universities of Wales Air Squadron – Grob Tutor T1 (MOD St Athan) • Yorkshire Universities Air Squadron – Grob Tutor T1 (RAF Leeming) Other elements • RAF Central Training School (RAF Halton) • International Defence Training (RAF High Wycombe) ==Commanders==

, No. 22 Group is led by Air Vice-Marshal Ian Sharrocks, • May 2023 Air Vice-Marshal Ian Townsend • November 2025 Air Vice-Marshal Ian Sharrocks ==See also==