Exercise Global Eagle saw over 200 RAF Police and RAF Regiment personnel from 2 FP Wg based at RAF Leeming join a similar number from Commando Parachutistes de l’Air 20 of the French Air Force at Caylus training area near Toulouse.
In a news release, the RAF say that they trained together for two weeks to prove the interoperability of the Force Protection (FP) in a multinational environment. Air FP scenarios included controlling air support, dealing with chemical and biological threats, detection of explosives and evacuation of captured persons.
Deputy Force Protection (FP) Force Commander, Group Captain Steve Horne said:
“Exercise Global Eagle has been extremely valuable for ourselves and our French partners, both in terms of interoperability and sharing best practice. We’ve proved that we can work together across a range of scenarios and it shows the very close co-operation we have with our French colleagues as we progress along a force protection road-map that has been in place for a number of years.
In addition, Exercise Global Eagle has given 2 FP Wing the opportunity to prove a new concept, that of a Force Protection Contingency Flight where RAF Regiment and RAF Police, including military working dogs, are trained to operate together in a contested environment and are held at high readiness. We’re very proud that the RAF is the main contributor to FP doctrine in NATO and our enduring relationship with partners ensures that Air FP provision is fit for the next generation of Air power.”
Wing Commander Morgan Williams, the commander of No 2 RAF FP Wing added:
“Exercise Global Eagle has given us an excellent opportunity to test our early-entry capabilities alongside our French colleagues. Deployed in defence of the Caylus Tactical Landing Zone, 2 FP Wg has exercised its RAF Regiment Gunners, RAF Police men and women, Military Working Dogs and Tactical Air Control Party alongside Paratroopers, CBRN specialists and Heli-Snipers of Commando Parachutist de l’Air 20 under the tactical command of the 2 FP Wg HQ.
In a contested scenario against a hybrid force, the exercise has demonstrated the value of interoperable Force Protection specialists in securing and defending Air Force assets. Should we be called upon, I have full confidence in our ability to work seamlessly alongside our French allies in securing the global reach of our respective Air Forces.”
The RAF has worked closely with the French Air Force in many areas of the world recently, including Mali in North Africa and in hurricane relief efforts in the Caribbean in 2017.
Two weeks of opening and closing a vehicle barrier, dressing up in very clean and unused “ally” gear and wandering off to the cafe for chips and video games, the RAF Reg boys must be exhausted. Tho not half as tired as the Army Cadets who were instructing! Go on, I’m waiting……..lol
I’m with you. Raf reg are a joke
Side note, those 416s the French now have are the dogs bollocks.
..But only in limited units.
The FAMAS will still be around for a long time to come.
Agreed, the HK416 is a cracking weapon. Stoppage rates are next to zero… I’m pretty sure they even fire submerged as any water trapped in the action can be vented through the stock or something like that. Good for the RAF Reg lads when they’re sat in the hot tub 🙂
Commando Parachutistes working with the RAF Reg is like having marines working with the people who clean portaloos!!! Both are in uniform and have funky tools but are not in the same class.
BV
Or “allying it” wandering up and down the boardwalk, with a pizza in one hand and a cold coke in the other, in KAF! Those Playstations don’t play themselves you know Mr Weston lol.
The Crab Regiment is a joke, I cry when good quality infantry Regiments have been merged or axed, and these jokers are still around. The role of gaurding ground assets could of been absorbed by the army quite easily.
I’m interested. Who would you suggest from the army take on the role?
Daniele, please see my reply to Sid below lol
The RAF has the RAF Reg because it doesn’t fully trust the Army.
The Army has the AAC because it doesn’t fully trust the RAF.
The Royal Navy has the Marines and FAA because it doesn’t fully trust the Army or RAF.
Just makes the case for a single unified Defence Force incorporating all functions…
as could the merger between the RAF and the fleet air arm.
Guys the Army has the Army Air Corps and the Navy has the Fleet Air Arm for the same reason. They’re not prepared to pay for the 75% of the RAF that do sweet flip all for a living. The guys who fly and maintain the aircraft are as dedicated and hard working as anyone in the forces. But they’re in a small minority.
What 75 % are you on about? I was in the RAF 22 years, ground comms and 11 years of that was on T.C.W than based out of Brize. I have been all over the world on Ops from the Gulf, all over the Balkans, Sierra Leon (before the Para’s/Army went in, O sorry that was to rescue two Army officers who got caught by the West Side boys in 1999, only suppose to be there for 10 days, was there for six weeks (Australian Army officer also held but he just walk out)) Afghanistan and numerous other places. I… Read more »
What 75 % are you on about? I was in the RAF 22 years, ground comms and 11 years of that was on T.C.W than based out of Brize. I have been all over the world on Ops from the Gulf, all over the Balkans, Sierra Leon (before the Para’s/Army went in, O sorry that was to rescue two Army officers who got caught by the West Side boys in 1999, only suppose to be there for 10 days, was there for six weeks (Australian Army officer also held but he just walk out)) Afghanistan and numerous other places. I… Read more »
To be fair they are the butt of most jokes, and in some cases the RAF Reg believe their own press. But they do a job, and it’s a job which we wouldn’t want to waste a line Infantry Battalion doing. It’s a crappy job, they dont do Brecon, and they run their own courses and cadres, and therefore have nothing to compare to when working with real Infantry soldiers. Yes they have lads at the SFSG, about 26 at the last count (a claim which they love to state) but those lads mainly comms, ground to air comms and… Read more »
Thanks Airborne.
I had indeed wondered on a previous thread if a light battalion could do the role and the regiment headcount used in other areas of the RAF.
And part of the justification to keep them is that they are “air minded” and understand the application of air and air power etc. That is pretty chuff as well as any formation/organisation could be made aware of that in a short period of time. It’s all to do with inter service rivalry as the RAF would never agree to lose the couple of thousand slots the RAF Reg fill and get a bunch of army lads to do the job. But let’s get serious here, if push comes to shove, and the RAF had to lose any more numbers,… Read more »
I don’t understand the reasoning behind taking air defence away from RAF Reg and giving it to RA.
What was the reason?
Interesting Airborne. Did not know 2 Sqn don’t do P Coy. I thought P Coy was the benchmark for all para trained troops.
Although I believe many of the supporting units of 16AA who also wear the wings don’t do P Coy either.
Agree on air minded. Army support the Chinooks with the JHSS just fine, 47 Sqn fly on aircraft all the time, as just two examples.
Steve. It is not so much that they “took it away” from the RAF Reg and “gave” it to the RA. The army had it anyway at the same time. Army had 2 Rapier Regiments, one of which was self propelled, plus the Starstreak / Blowpipe Regiments. RAF Reg had ADS defending Lossimouth and Leuchars in the UK, and Bruggen and Laabruch in Germany. They also provided ADS defending the US bases. The US supporting squadrons obviously got the chop first simply because the Cold War ended. The other RAF Reg Sqns as a result of cuts later on, with… Read more »
Steve, the RA has always been responsible for AD, and when the RAF Reg lost the AD of airfields, it was more to do with cuts than strategy. They reduced the number of rapier units, as they were going to rapier Field standard 2, and wanted to centralised training and equipment. The powers that be decided airfields were no longer threatend by air attack, and the primary threat is now ground based. The RAF Reg concept of ops is now supposed to be area control of the deployed airbase of up to 10 miles, with the use of mobile patrols… Read more »
Daniels, in regard to supporting arms in the Brigade, they wear the maroon beret, but any of those guys who have a set of wings on their arm do a 3 week pre para course and go and do all arms P Coy which is another 3 weeks. The only people who don’t have to do P Coy is RM, SPAG, and if you have done an “ardous”course such as selection and passed or the old 14 int, now SRR.
Sorry finger error, Daniele lol
Of course Airborne, my error. I meant the beret!
Is this to do with raf transports supporting the french in Mali and elsewhere, needing raf blokes on the ground and them needing to integrate with the excellent french military doing the hard work out there. They call it the moon I read, trekking round the desert in forty degrees plus . Probably a good idea
You know guys the work that goes into this comment section is just amazing and much better that the article. I learn a lot from reading all this.