The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) is the air force of Canada, formed on 1 April 1924. The original Canadian Air Force existed from 1920 to 1924, succeeding the short-lived World War I-era air force, which had two squadrons. The RCAF fought alongside the British Royal Air Force during World War II, first fighting in the Battle of Britain in 1940. The RCAF would also take part in the Battle of the Atlantic, strategic bombing in Europe, and the Western Front during the war, and the RCAF also took part in the Korean War, the Gulf War, Operation Deliberate Force, the Kosovo War, the Afghanistan War, Operation Freedom Falcon, and Operation Impact. In 2008, the RCAF had a strength of 14,500 regulars, 2,600 reservists, and 2,500 civilian employees.