No. 83 Expeditionary Air Group

No. 83 Expeditionary Air Group
Active
  • 1 April 1943 (1943-04-01) – 21 April 1946 (1946-04-21)
  • 9 July 1952 (1952-07-09) – 16 June 1958 (1958-06-16)
  • 1 April 2006 (2006-04-01) – present
CountryUnited Kingdom
BranchRoyal Air Force
TypeOperational headquarters
Part ofRAF Air Command
Home stationAl Udeid Air Base, Qatar
Motto(s)A Deux Plus Forts
(French for 'Two heads are better than one')[1]
Commanders
CO of 83 EAG and Deputy Air Component Commander, Middle East
Group Captain Bishop

No. 83 Expeditionary Air Group is a group within the Royal Air Force, currently based at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar.

Originally formed in 1943, during the Second World War it formed part of the 2nd Tactical Air Force (2TAF) and was known as No. 83 (Composite) Group. It provided support to Allied forces during the liberation of Europe. After being disbanded in 1946 it was re-established as No. 83 Group in 1952 to lead the 2TAF's units in Germany, until it disbanded again in 1958.

On 1 April 2006 it was reformed as No. 83 Expeditionary Air Group Headquarters, to lead UK air operations in the Middle East. Activities include Operations Kipion (the UK's maritime presence in the Middle East) and Operation Shader (the UK's part of the military intervention against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL)).

  1. ^ Pine, L G (1983). A dictionary of mottoes. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul. p. 1. ISBN 0-7100-9339-X.