Iraq became a laboratory for expanding airpower capabilities during the British occupation in the 1920s. British politicians and airmen saw aviation as a way to provide security and stability for the country in conjunction with ground forces at a much-reduced cost. Although the Royal Air Force (RAF) did not have adequate doctrine or training for what became known as air control, Air Marshal Hugh Trenchard, Chief of the RAF, seized upon the mission to give his service continued relevance in the struggle for scarce defense funding.