Activities include Operations Kipion (the UK's maritime presence in the Middle East) and Operation Shader (the UK's part of the military intervention against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL)).

The Group headquarters was at RAF Eindhoven from 1 October 1944 to 10 April 1945.

83 Group was re-formed on 9 July 1952 within the Second Tactical Air Force in Germany to control its southern area.

By 1956, the group controlled five wings with a total of fourteen squadrons equipped with Hawker Hunter day fighters, de Havilland Venom fighter-bombers, Supermarine Swift fighter-reconnaissance aircraft, Gloster Meteor night-fighters and English Electric Canberra interdiction and reconnaissance aircraft.

83 Group was re-formed on 1 April 2006 from the UK Air Component Headquarters in the Middle East.

Since that time it has controlled a varying number of Expeditionary Air Wings.

They were responsible to the Permanent Joint Headquarters for the command and control of all RAF units engaged in Operations Kipion and Shader.