Available RAF assets 1989:
ROYAL AIR FORCE - GERMANY
Information from official squadron histories, with additional info from squadron histories on RAFWeb.org
1. Bruggen, FRG:
a. No. 9 Squadron: 12 Tornado GR Mk 1 (became Tornado in 1983)
b. No. 14 Squadron: 12 Tornado GR Mk 1 (became Tornado in 1985)
c. No. 17 Squadron: 12 Tornado GR Mk 1 (became Tornado in 1985)
d. No. 31 Squadron: 12 Tornado GR Mk 1(became Tornado in 1984)
2. Gutersloh, FRG:
a. No. 3 Squadron: 16 Harrier GR Mk3 (GR Mk5 in March 1989)
b. No. 4 Squadron: 16 Harrier GR Mk3 (GR Mk7 in Sept 1990)
c. No. 18 Squadron: 18 Chinooks (see note)
d. No. 230 Squadron: 16 Puma
3. Laarbruch, FRG:
a. No. 2 Squadron: 12 Jaguars (Recon) (former 1/89, may have been Tornado GR Mk 1A recon)
b. No. 15 Squadron: 12 Tornado GR Mk 1 (became Tornado in 1983)
c. No. 16 Squadron: 12 Tornado GR Mk 1 (became Tornado in 1984)
d. No. 20 Squadron: 12 Tornado GR Mk 1 (became Tornado in 1984)
4. Wildenrath, FRG:
a. No. 19 Squadron: 12 Phantom FGR Mk 2
b. No. 92 Squadron: 12 Phantom FGR Mk 2
c. No. 20 Squadron: 12 Tornado GR Mk 1
d. No. 60 Squadron: Andovers
5. Berlin, FRG
a. Flight of Chipmunk T.10
ROYAL AIR FORCE - UNITED KINGDOM
1. Binbrook, Lincs, UK:
a. No. 5 Squadron: 12 Tornado F3 (Lightning until 1987) (may have been at Coningsby)
b. No. 11 Squadron: 15 Tornado F3 (Lightning until May 1988, re-formed with F3 in August 1988)
2. Leuchars, Fife, UK:
a. No. 43 Squadron: 12? Phantom FGR Mk 2 (became F3 in 1990)
b. No. 111 Squadron: 12 ? Phantom FGR Mk 2 (became F3 in early 1990s)
c. No. 228 Squadron: OCU for Phantom units
3. Lossiemouth, Morayshire, UK:
a. No. 12 Squadron: 16 Buccaneer Mk 2b
b. No. 208 Squadron: 16 Buccaneer Mk 2b
c. No. 237 Squadron: 16 Buccaneer Mk 2b (OCU for Buccaneer units)
d. No. 226 Squadron: 16 Jaguar GR Mk 1 (OCU for Jaguar units)
e. No. 8 Squadron: 6 Shackleton AEW Mk 2 (became Sentry in 1991)
4. Marham, Norfolk, UK:
a. No. 27 Squadron: 12 Tornado GR Mk 1
b. No. 617 Squadron: 12 Tornado GR Mk 1
5. Wattisham, Suffolk, UK:
a. No. 56 Squadron: 12 Phantom FGR Mk 2 (15)
b. No. 74 Squadron: 12 Phantom F-4J(UK) (15)
c. No. 23 Squadron 12-15 Tornado F3 (formed 1988) (may have been at Leeming)
6. Wittering, Cambs, UK:
a. No. 1 Squadron: 16 Harrier GR Mk 3 (began converting to GR Mk 5 in June 1987)
b. No. 233 Squadron: Harrier OCU (began converting to GR Mk 5 in 1989)
7. Coltishall, UK:
a. No. 6 Squadron: 16 Jaguar GR Mk 1
b. No. 54 Squadron: 16 Jaguar GR Mk 1
c. No. 41 squadron: 16 Jaguar GR Mk 1 (Recon)
8. Leeming, UK
a. No. 25 Squadron 12-15 Tornado F3 (formed Aug. 1 1989)
9. Honington
a. No. 13 Squadron: 16 Tornado GR Mk 1a (formed Jan. 1 1990)
b. No. 45 Squadron: Tornado Weapons Conversion Unit
10. Conigsby, UK
a. No. 29 Squadron 15 Tornado F3 (became Tornado in 1987)
11. Cottesmore, UK
a. NATO Tri-National Training Unit:
1. 20 Tornado GR Mk 1 (UK)
2. 10 Tornado IDS (Italy)
3. 22 Tornado IDS (FRG)
12. Brawdy, UK
a. No. 1 Tactical Weapons Unit: Hawk T.1A with secondary air defense role
13. Chivenor, UK
b. No. 2 Tactical Weapons Unit: Hawk T.1A with secondary air defense role
12. Falkland Islands
a. No. 1435 Flight: 4 F-4 Phantom FGR.Mk2
b. No. 1312 Flight: 1 VC-10, 1 Hercules C-130K
c. No. 78 Squadron: Sea King and Chinook HC1
13. Belize
a. No. 1417 Flight: Harrier
b. No. 1563 Flight: Puma
Non-Combat Squadrons
1. Brize Norton, UK:
a. No. 101 Squadron: 13 VC10 C.1 (Long range transport)
b. No. 216 Squadron: Tristar KC1 (aircraft undergoing conversion to tanker role)
2. Kinloss, UK
a. No. 201 Squadron: Nimrod
b. No. 206 Squadron: Nimrod
c. No. 120 Squadron: Nimrod (may have been at St. Mawgan)
d. No. 235 Squadron: Nimrod OCU (may have been at St. Mawgan)
e. No. 42 Squadron: Nimrod (may have been at St. Mawgan)
3. Waddington, UK (Wyton?)
a. No. 51 Squadron: 3 Elint Nimrod R1
b. No. 1 Photo Recon Squadron: 5 Canberra PR9
c. No. 360 Squadron: Canberra T.17 in ECM training role
e. No. 100 Squadron: Canberra in target training role
f. No. 231 Squadron: Canberra OCU
4. Boulmer, UK
a. No. 22 Squadron: HQ at RAF Finningley, A Flight at Chivenor, B Flight at Leuchars, C Flight at RAF Valley, E Flight at Coltishall (D flight disbanded Nov 88): 2 Wessex HAR.2 per flight
b. No. 202 Sqadron: HQ at RAF Finningley, A Flight at Boulmer, B Flight at Brawdy, C Flight at Manston, D Flight at Lossiemouth, E Flight at Leconfield: 2 Sea King HAR.3 per flight
5. Odiham, UK
a. No. 7 Squadron: Chinooks (provided medium-lift support for Army)
b. No. 33 Squdron: Puma
c. No. 240 Squadron: Chinook, Puma OCU
6. Lyneham, UK
a. No. 24 Squadron: 12 Hercules C.1/C.3
b. No. 30 Squadron: 12 Hercules C.1/C.3
c. No. 47 Squadron: 12 Hercules C.1/C.3
d. No. 70 Squadron: 12 Hercules C.1/C.3
e. No. 242 Squadron: 12 Hercules C.1/C.3 (OCU for Hercules Sqadrons)
Note: 6 C.1 were configured as C.1K tanks, 30 total were stretched C.3s (equivalent to C-130H-30)
7. Northolt, UK
a. No. 32 Squadron: Metropolitan Communications Squadron with 12 HS.125, Andover CC.2, Gazelle
8. Aldregrove, UK
a. No. 72 Squadron: Wessex HC2
9. Marham, UK
a. No. 55 Squdron: Victor Tankers
10. Benson, UK
a. No. 115 Squadron: Andover E.3/E.3A, some C.1s
9. Akrotiri, Cyprus
a. No. 84 Squadron: Wessex HC2, some former RN Wessex HU Mk5
10. Sek Kong, Hong Kong
a. No. 28 Squadron: Wessex HC2
Note 1: The RAF, like the US but unlike most other air forces, appears to have held significant reserves of front-line aircraft. IISS Military Balance 89-90 lists the following aircraft in reserve: 51 Tornado GR1, 59 Tornado F2/F3, 55 Phantom, 55 Jaguar. Other data in this section comes from Flight International’s World Air Forces 1989. Where it conflicts, it is marked with an *.
Note 2: UK Aircraft Holdings (from Jane’s, as of late 1989-early 1990)
F-4: 14 F-4J, 35 FG1, 76 FGR2
Tornados: 122 F3, 176 GR1
Jaguars: 114 GR1, 24 T2
Harriers: 64 GR3, 37 GR5, 16 T2 4A
Buccaneer: 65+* S.2
Tankers: 12 (14*) Victor K2, 4 VC10 K2, 4 (5*) VC10 K3, 6 Hercules C1K, 9 Lockheed TriStar
Trainers: 74 Hawk T1, 87 Hawk T1A, 120 Jet Provost T5/T5A, 11 Jetstream T1, 119 Bulldog T1, 11 Chipmunk T10, 20 Domino T1
Transports: 13 VC10 C.1, 25 Hercules C.1/C.1P, 30 Hercules C.3
Others: 9 Canberra PR9 (recon), 36 Nimrod (patrol), 5 Shackleton (AEW), 3 Nimrod R1P (EW), 6 Canberra T17 (EW), 6 Canberra T17A (EW)
Helicopters: 41 Puma HC1, 32 (36*) Chinook HC1, 29 (30*) Gazelle SA341D HT3 trainers, 45 (67*) various Wessex, 18 Sea King HAR 3
Note 3: The two Chinook squadrons (Nos 7 and 18) held 27 CH-47s between them; another 5 were in an OCU squadron.
From wargamers who can be quite anal about their subject. (looks about right to me)