U.S. Airmen from the 100th Security Forces Squadron took part in a simulated ground invasion as part of Skyway Chariot, a combat readiness inspection held at RAF Mildenhall, England, on 10 May 2025.
The exercise tested the ability of the 100th Air Refueling Wing to operate under constrained conditions in the face of a potential threat, simulating a hostile incursion against the installation.
Security Forces personnel secured key positions, responded to simulated attacks, and coordinated defensive actions during the scenario, which was designed to evaluate both tactical response and broader base-level resilience. These drills play a vital role in validating unit readiness and highlighting areas for improvement in security posture.
The 100th Security Forces Squadron is responsible for protecting the people, assets, and infrastructure of RAF Mildenhall, a strategically significant installation in eastern England.
RAF Mildenhall, located near Mildenhall in Suffolk, England, is a Royal Air Force station that primarily supports United States Air Force (USAF) operations. Though an RAF station in name, it serves as the home of the 100th Air Refuelling Wing (100 ARW), playing a key role in USAF missions in Europe. Originally used by RAF Bomber Command during the Second World War, the base was placed on standby status after 1945 before reopening in 1950 as a joint RAF-USAF facility.
Assigned to Strategic Air Command, RAF Mildenhall hosted B-50 Superfortresses and KC-97 Stratofreighters in the 1950s, later becoming a hub for U-2 and SR-71 Blackbird operations in the late 1970s and 1980s. The Military Air Transport Service also moved its main UK terminal there in 1958.
Although the U.S. Department of Defense announced plans in 2015 to close the base and relocate operations to Germany and other UK sites, this decision was reversed in 2020. Today, RAF Mildenhall, along with nearby RAF Lakenheath, represents the largest USAF presence in the United Kingdom.
The base also supports multiple tenant units, including elements of U.S. Special Operations Command Europe and the 352nd Special Operations Wing.
Exercises like Skyway Chariot reflect the increasing emphasis on base defence as part of the U.S. Air Force’s Agile Combat Employment (ACE) concept, which aims to enhance survivability and maintain operational tempo in contested environments.
Does the RAF conduct similar training exercises?
Yep – the main test is getting the RAF Regt duty bods from the Costa in the NAAFI to the front gate in under 30 minutes, whilst simultaneously conducting the CASEVAC of the overweight airmen (are they aviators now?) who have had an asthma attack whilst picking up a rifle.
Raf Veg don’t do Costa, they go into hard routine on the unit footy pitch in order to see what it’s all about 😀😃