The RAF has ditched the terms “airmen” and “airwomen” in favour of the gender neutral title “aviator”.
The policy change was quietly unveiled in the force’s magazine Air Clues.
Today Air Chief Marshal Sir Mike Wigston confirmed the move as more than one in five of RAF recruits are now women.
He said: “The title ‘airmen’ does not reflect a modern, diverse Royal Air Force. Our business is aviation.
“The Army has soldiers, the Royal Navy has sailors, and the Royal Air Force has aviators.”
But Conservative MP and former Army colonel Patrick Mercer blasted the gender plans as “woke b*****ks”.
He said: “You have two perfectly good, historic, tried-and-tested terms which
have never caused any difficulties.
“It is needless wokery.”
