No. 1 Air Control Centre RAF

The No. 1 Air Control Centre, often called 1 ACC, is a special unit in the Royal Air Force. It is based at RAF Boulmer in Northumberland. This unit can move to different places and set up to help control the air.

1 ACC works closely with another group at the same base, called the Control and Reporting Centre. Sometimes, members of 1 ACC go to faraway places when the Royal Air Force is doing important jobs there. For example, some of them stay permanently in the Falklands Islands and at Cyprus.

The main job of 1 ACC is to keep the skies over the United Kingdom and where British forces are working safe from any enemy aircraft. They help make sure that the air stays secure and protected.

History

No. 1 Air Control Centre began as No. 9 Signals Unit at RAF Rattlesden in Suffolk in 1964. It was renamed No. 1 Air Control Centre in 1965 and stayed there until moving to RAF Wattisham in 1967. Later, it moved to Nancekuke in Cornwall, which later became RAF Portreath and then RRH Portreath.

Between 2006 and 2009, the unit served in Afghanistan during Operation Herrick. In 2012, it moved to RAF Scampton after plans to move to RAF Coningsby changed. In early 2023, the unit moved to RAF Boulmer just before RAF Scampton closed in March 2023. The unit’s size changes depending on its needs, with about 220 staff in 2015.

Role

The main job of 1 ACC is to help control the air, both in the United Kingdom and in other places around the world. When it works in the UK, 1 ACC works together with the CRC at RAF Boulmer to keep the sky safe from any planes that might be a threat.

Locations

Permanent locations

Current

The unit is currently based at RAF Boulmer and also has staff at Mount Olympus in Cyprus, Mount Alice, Byron Heights, and Mount Kent in the Falklands.

Historical

In the past, the unit was located at RAF Rattlesden, RAF Wattisham, RAF Portreath, RAF Boulmer, and RAF Kirton in Lindsey during different years.

Short deployments

The unit has also been deployed for short periods in Zambia, during Exercise Saif Sareea II, Operation Telic, and Operation Herrick.