Royal Air Force Mountain Rescue Service

rdf:langString Royal Air Force Mountain Rescue Service

rdf:langString RAF Mountain Rescue Service

rdf:langString Badge of the RAF Mountain Rescue Service

rdf:langString *RAF Valley *RAF Leeming *RAF Lossiemouth

rdf:langString Home stations

rdf:langString Whensoever

rdf:langString Headquarters and three teams

rdf:langString Search and rescue organisation

rdf:langString RAF Mountain Rescue Service

rdf:langString The Royal Air Force Mountain Rescue Service (RAFMRS) provides the UK military's only all-weather search and rescue asset for the United Kingdom. Royal Air Force mountain rescue teams (MRTs) were first organised during World War II to rescue aircrew from the large number of aircraft crashes then occurring due to navigational errors in conjunction with bad weather and resulting poor visibility when flying in the vicinity of high ground. The practice at the time was to organise ad-hoc rescue parties from station medical sections and other ground personnel. Experience demonstrated that this could be dangerous. While the mountains of the United Kingdom are not very tall, they contain much formerly glaciated terrain with steep cliffs, talus slopes, high peaks and cirque basins, and generally experience a sub-Arctic climate at relatively low altitudes. Snow and high winds, sometimes in excess of 100 mph (161 km/h), are possible any month of the year. Rescue operations in these conditions require personnel with specialised mountaineering training and equipment. The Royal Air Force mountain rescue teams are credited with some of the earliest development of mountain rescue techniques and teams in the United Kingdom and overseas. RAFMRS teams continue to contribute to life-saving and mountain safety. Since the closure of military Search and Rescue (Helicopter) RAFMRS moved from 2 Group to the newly reformed 38 Group in 2015 until its disbandment in 2020 and has now direct oversight by No. 85 (Expeditionary Logistics) Wing RAF.