Editing RAF Fighter Command (section)

== Cold War years ==
[[File:Lightning.inflight.arp.750pix.jpg|thumb|The supersonic fighter [[English Electric Lightning]], a mainstay of Fighter Command during the Cold War years]]
In the aftermath of World War II, the role of Fighter Command was still to protect the UK from air attack. Only the threat had changed, from Germany to the [[Soviet Union]]. The [[Cold War]] saw the possibility of [[Soviet Air Forces]] bombers attacking the UK. A Canadian fighter wing, [[RCAF Station Marville|No. 1 Wing]], arrived at [[RAF North Luffenham]] in late 1951 to bolster [[NATO]]'s strength, and was in a position to assist Fighter Command until it relocated to bases in France and [[West Germany]] in 1954–55.<ref>{{Harvnb|Rawlings|1984|p=204.}}</ref> After 1949, those Soviet bombers could be carrying nuclear weapons, and so intercepting them was crucial if the UK was to be saved during a war. A long succession of fighter aircraft saw service with Fighter Command during the 1950s and 1960s, including the [[Gloster Meteor]], [[Hawker Hunter]], Gloster Javelin and [[English Electric Lightning]].<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1961/1961%20-%200231.html|title=Lightning Squadron |magazine=Flight |date=24 February 1961 |page=231 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305170112/https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1961/1961%20-%200231.html |archive-date=2016-03-05}}</ref>

The Lightning was the only purely British supersonic aircraft to enter service, owing to a defence review in 1957. During the mid-1950s, the performance of the new surface-to-air missiles was improving quickly. [[Duncan Sandys]], the [[Minister of Defence (UK)|Minister of Defence]] at the time, needed to find cuts in the British defence budget since the UK was in serious danger of being bankrupted by its defence spending. The rate of improvement of surface-to-air missiles seemed to indicate that they would soon be able to shoot down any manned aircraft. Consequently, in the [[1957 Defence White Paper]], the Sandys review declared that manned aircraft were obsolescent and would soon become obsolete. All programmes for manned aircraft that were not too far along were cancelled.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.aerosociety.com/media/8134/the-1957-defence-white-paper-cancelled-projects.pdf|title=The 1957 Defence White Paper The Cancelled Projects |first=Tony|last=Buttler |page=90|publisher=Journal of Aeronautical History|year=2018|access-date=21 November 2024}}</ref>

In 1961, RAF Fighter Command was assigned to NATO's air defence system. On 1 May, Air Officer Commanding in Chief, Fighter Command, Air Marshal Sir Hector McGregor, assumed the additional title of Commander United Kingdom Air Defence Region.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/milestones-of-flight/british_military/1961.cfm|title=British Military Aviation in 1961|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081121045900/http://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/milestones-of-flight/british_military/1961.cfm|archive-date=21 November 2008|df=dmy-all}}</ref> The ADR itself stretched some hundreds of miles to the north, west and south of the country and almost to the continental coastline in the east.<ref>''Flight International'', UK Air Defence Region, 27 June 1974, p.840</ref>

In organisational terms, Nos [[No. 11 Group RAF|11]] (14 July 1936 – 31 December 1960, 1 January 1961 - 1 April 1963) and [[No. 12 Group RAF|12]] Groups (1 April 1937 – 31 March 1963) continued in almost unbroken service until 1963. [[No. 13 Group RAF|No.13 Group]] (15 March 1939 – 20 May 1946) was reformed on 16 May 1955 and then disbanded 31 December 1961 at [[RAF Ouston]] (becoming 11 Group). From 1 April 1963 three sectors, [[No. 11 Sector RAF]]; [[No. 12 Sector RAF]]; and [[No. 13 Sector RAF]] were maintained. 13 Sector disbanded by amalgamation with No. 11 Sector on 17 March 1965.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.rafweb.org/Organsation/Grp02.htm | title=Groups 10-19_U }}</ref>