Defence & security
Royal Air Force
35,978
1 July 2026 · ▲ 351 vs 1 April 2026
Ageing · as of 23 Sept 2026no date announced
25d old · Quarterly, published by the MOD
How many personnel are in the Royal Air Force?
Ministry of Defence · Quarterly service personnel statistics reports 35,978 for 1 July 2026.
Published: 23 Sept 2026 · Data age: 25d old · Next release: no date confirmed
Ministry of Defence · Quarterly service personnel statistics — original publicationMinistry of Defence
What this figure means
The published all-service personnel measure includes reserves. It is not the number of aircraft, deployable personnel or regular personnel alone.