The Royal Air Force’s Air Mobility Force (AMF) has demonstrated its capability and readiness in the recent Exercise Venture Spirit.
Based out of RAF Lossiemouth and RAF Honington, the exercise involved multiple units including XXIV Squadron, Atlas Force, 99 Squadron, and various Global Enablement forces, focusing on agile combat employment skills crucial for rapid global deployments.
During the intensive week-long exercise, personnel were tested in a variety of dynamic scenarios that mimicked real-world crisis response operations. Key activities included loading and securing 1 Squadron RAF Regiment’s Foxhound Armoured Vehicles into an Atlas C Mk.1 aircraft, showcasing the precision and efficiency of the AMF’s operations.
Delighted to host an A400 as it performed a range of training sorties over 🏴 https://t.co/LJJcj4U9DQ pic.twitter.com/5ep5su1A1U
— RAF Lossiemouth (@RAFLossiemouth) April 22, 2024
Group Captain Gareth Burdett, Commander Air Wing, was quite as saying:
“Exercise Venture Spirit is how we take our junior crews who are capable of worldwide Air Transport, and turn them into competent warfighters. It is our prime opportunity to practice flying as we would on live, contested operations, and to do so with our key partners in 16 Air Assault Brigade Combat Team and the RAF’s own Global Enablement Force.”
Good to see you are doing a little more than forwarding emails Bryan, you seem to be writing the articles. Suggest you amend your profile to reflect what you are now doing as the current one looks a little boring.😀
Am I right in thinking that the role of the RAF regiment is to take, support and defend Airbases ? That all came about after the fiasco at Melame during the Battle of Crete, when we failed to defend the key Airbase.
They no longer have any AA or SAM capability (CBRD ?) and the chances of us needing to capture a foreign airfield is pretty minimal. And to be fare it was set up about the same time as the Parachute Regiment and SF, who would be the force used to take an Airfield.
I see they were deployed in Afghanistan but no idea of what they did ? Anyone know ?
If they aren’t needed would it make sense to get rid, move the active service personnel over to the Army and give the job of guarding RAF UK bases to either the Reservists or local Army units.
I had a Quick Look at its structure and it just seems to be a lot of Wings, Squadrons, Auxiliary RAF Squadrons and Base Defence Forces and 1500 bods.
Quite baffling !
Yes RAF Regiment was to defend airbases. They even had armored cars, Rolls Royce in WW2 and Polsten 20mm guns
They are for Force Protection mate, so not capturing airfields as such. That role is for SF primarily or elements of 16 or 2 Sqn RAF Reg, which has a para role and also supports the SFSG.
They used to be lead in CBRN but that role went back to the army.
They do not actually guard RAF UK bases, even though they are located at RAF Stations.
That is the job of a mix of RAF Police, MDP, and the MPGS. RAF Reg Sqns, which form part of Force Protection Wings, are based aligned to the air elements that they would deploy with and protect.
So, 1 Wing is with the F35s.
1 Wing with the ISTAR force.
1 Wing with the AT/AAR force.
2 Wings with Typhoons, and so on.
I suggested the ides of getting army to do it once to Airborne and he rightly corrected me, it would be a waste of a valuable infantry battalion and other army units have other roles. There are already several army units with a force support role regards RAF aviation, but on the supply, signals and logistical side, not force protection.
They do actually have a very small SAM capability. 2 ( CUAS ) Wing have some Starstreak as well as the CUAS kit, ORCUS.
Aster will soon be available
Airborne is your man, he’ll tell you all about them 😁