No. 22 Group RAF


No. 22 Group Royal Air Force is one of five groups currently active in the Royal Air Force, falling under the responsibility of Deputy Commander-in-Chief in Air Command. Its previous title up until 2018 was No. 22 Group. The group is responsible for RAF training policy and controlling the Royal Air Force College and the RAF's training stations. As such, it is the direct successor to Training Group. 22 Group provides training to all three service branches of the British Armed Forces; namely the Royal Air Force, the Royal Navy, and the British Army.

History

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 Group. It controlled No. 78 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 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, becoming part of Fighter Command on the day of Fighter Command's creation. In 1938, the group comprised 26 Squadron at RAF Catterick; RAF Hawkinge with 2 Squadron; RAF Odiham and No. 50 Wing, with 4, 13, and 53 Squadrons; RAF Old Sarum with the School of Army Co-operation and 16 and No. 59 Squadron RAFs; and group headquarters and No. 1 Anti-Aircraft Cooperation Unit at South Farnborough.
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 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 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. 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
  • Directorate of Joint Technical Training
  • Air Cadets
  • Core HQ
  • Defence College of Aeronautical Engineering
  • Defence College of Communications and Information Systems

    Current creation

The current creation of No. 22 Group was established on 30 October 2006, once again as No. 22 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. Flying trying is provided by Ascent Flight Training though the UK Military Flying Training System. It comprises the following units:
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:
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
  • * Air Training Corps
  • * Combined Cadet Force
  • * No. 2 Flying Training School
  • ** Central Gliding School – Grob Viking T1
  • ** No. 611 Volunteer Gliding Squadron – Grob Viking T1
  • ** No. 615 Volunteer Gliding Squadron – Grob Viking T1
  • ** No. 621 Volunteer Gliding Squadron – Grob Viking T1
  • ** No. 622 Volunteer Gliding Squadron – Grob Viking T1
  • ** No. 626 Volunteer Gliding Squadron – Grob Viking T1
  • ** No. 632 Volunteer Gliding Squadron – Grob Viking T1
  • ** No. 637 Volunteer Gliding Squadron – Grob Viking T1
  • ** No. 644 Volunteer Gliding Squadron – Grob Viking T1
  • ** No. 645 Volunteer Gliding Squadron – Grob Viking T1
  • ** No. 661 Volunteer Gliding Squadron – Grob Viking T1

    Royal Air Force College

The Royal Air Force College, based at RAF Cranwell, provides recruit and officer training, and oversees University Air Squadrons.