Heraldic badges of the Royal Air Force

Heraldic badges of the Royal Air Force are the insignia of certain commands, squadrons, units, wings, groups, branches and stations within the Royal Air Force. They are also commonly known as crests, especially by serving members of the Royal Air Force, but officially they are badges. Each badge must be approved by the reigning monarch of the time, and as such will either have a King's or Queen's Crown upon the top of the badge, dependent upon which monarch granted approval. The approval process involves a member of the College of Arms (the Inspector of RAF Badges) who acts as an advisory on all matters pertaining to the design and suitability of the insignia and motto.

Some badges that have been approved by either King Edward VIII or George VI will have simply adopted the Queen's Crown on her accession in 1952. The number of badges that King Edward VIII signed is limited due to his short time on the throne.

The first badge adopted by the RAF was the official Royal Air Force Badge, and was instituted on 1 August 1918, some four months after the formation of the Royal Air Force. Afterwards, units and squadrons adopted their own insignia and used them in a way similar to a regimental colour. For some squadrons, their unofficial badges would pre-date the formation of the RAF. In the case of 100 Squadron, their badge incorporated a skull and crossbones insignia that had been liberated from a French house of "ill-repute" in 1918, though they also had a Bulldog for some time when the squadron was located at RNAS Donibristle. Some mascots were back formations from the badge rather than supplying the idea for the badge. No. 234 Squadron had a "..a dragon rampant, with flames issuing from the mouth.." approved by King George VI in August 1940. By 1956, the squadron were at RAF Geilenkirchen in Germany and were looking for a suitable mascot for their squadron based on its dragon insignia; they reportedly would settle for an iguana.

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