RAF Regiment personnel have completed Arctic warfare training in Norway as part of preparations for Exercise Cold Response 2026, the Royal Air Force stated.
The training took place more than 200 miles inside the Arctic Circle and focused on developing the skills needed to protect airfields and support NATO air operations in extreme cold-weather environments.
According to a news update, members of 51 Squadron RAF Regiment conducted the activity under Exercise Nordic Cheetah in Evenes, Norway. The programme included winter survival training designed to prepare personnel for operating in conditions that featured temperatures as low as –21°C, deep snow and limited daylight.
The survival phase involved navigation exercises, shelter construction and techniques for sustaining operations in severe cold. Personnel also carried out ice-breaking drills intended to prepare them for operating on or near frozen terrain.
Group Captain Wiseman, Commander RAF Regiment, visited the exercise alongside Corps Warrant Officer WO Cashmore as personnel completed the survival phase.
“RAF Regiment personnel have demonstrated the resilience and professionalism needed to operate in one of the world’s toughest environments. Their work here directly enhances NATO’s ability to maintain secure and effective air operations in the High North.”
Following the survival phase, the squadron moved into winter warfare training, focusing on tactics and procedures required to protect air assets and infrastructure in mountainous and snow-covered terrain.
“The competencies gained here – survival, mobility and protection – are vital contributions to collective defence and to our wider NATO commitments.” said Warrant Officer Cashmore.
how about they train in the Med and learn how to protect RAF bases with no Air Defence equipment? Who clever idea was it to gap the RAF’s own GBAD.
Labour, in 2004 I recall.
GBAD wasn’t needed against rebels in the desert, so was cut along with so mych else.
The RAF Regiment do defend RAF bases with no GBAD, that is their role – Force Protection.
But yes, if they’re given GBAD back they’ll need expanding as the FP role won’t suddenly go away.
When did the RAF Regt give up Rappier,
2004 sort of time I think.
Sounds about right, daft not yk replace it with some thing there abd then but it is what it is. Hopefully a lesson from Cyprus might wake some up and get them to address it fully rather than like now. Some new equipment but not much to go round and limited range . Hope springs eternal
The task of GBAD for RAF aorfields was handed over to the Army some years back so, mebe go on their pages and express your concerns.
But
History shows that pre 1942 when the Army had responsibility for airield defence, they back then like many now thought it umimportant and then suffered the consequences.
Thats why the RAF Regiment was formed.
Is this situation a case of not learning lessons taught and reinventing the wheel?
Why have an RAF Regt that can not protect an RAF base, and in Cyprus the Army do force protection i know i did it there not the RAF Regt.
When did the RAF give up Rapier? They still had it after the Army retired it.
It’s not hard is it, RAF Base protected by the RAF Regt other wise what is the point of them? Not the Armys fault nor should it be the Armys job. Blaming the Army is a cop out, RAF Base RAF guard and protect it.
Its a big gap, but we do have a lot them over the past 25 years with no end in sight. The RAF Regts role as force protection is there for out dated and no one any where likes to admit it, An RAF base with no GBAD none at all , whos great idea was that. More of cut save money hope we do not need train of thought. Yes CDS etc of the let this happen, strange not one high ranker has ever been held to account abot the last 30 years under thier watch.
In all fairness to the various Chiefs over the last 35 years, they have had a genuinely difficult job. In essence, they have been asked to provide military capability within a budget defined by the treasury. It’s no surprise that capabilities that weren’t needed for the last few decades (even if they were needed for a theoretical peer on peer war) have melted away and not been prioritised.
Just imagine for a second as a thought exercise. You are CGS in 2008. Troops are dying due to IEDs and that’s creating a severe toll – and you decide that you are going to invest in a layered GBAD, but not in protected wheeled mobility “because one day you might need to fight Russia”. Ok, you might argue in private that we need both, but the treasury won’t budge, and no one really believes we’ll ever actually have to fight Russia. How well do we think that would have gone?
Agreed that is fair point, it’s always the same gave kit then hope we do nit need ut. Ok what idiot gave all our AS90 away and all our B1 MKRS? Yes we should of helped you Ukraine but ti give them the lot? Who signed that off? And 4 years later still no working replacements apart from 14 Archers and 2 A2 MLRS. Remove Rappier from the RAF but do not replace it? Remove AWACs but no working replacement, Remove CVRT but no working replacement. When does some hold thier hand up and accept blame? In our military never.
RAF Regt do have GBAD. According to the Times the drones that attacked Irbil were taken down by an RAF Regt GBAD team using Martlet LMM fired from a Rapid Sentry mount.
Correct. But that’s just 34 Sqn RAF Regiment, and possibly 63 KCS, who have the CUAS role. They form 2 CAUS Wing, at Leeming.
They also have ORCUS, an EW based jammer type.
And Rapid Sentry acquisition numbers are not known, they might be a mere handful.