RAF Regiment Training Wing

RAF REGIMENT

TRAINING WING

The RAF Regiment Training Wing at RAF Honington is responsible for Phase 0 (Attract & Select), Phase 2 (Role Specific Training) and Phase 3 (Leadership, Command, Continuation and Specialist) training for RAF Regiment Gunners and Officers – delivering safe, realistic, robust and operationally focussed training to over 2000 personnel per year.

Training delivery has continued at pace over the summer period and will continue to do so in to Autumn. Our Phase 2 and 3 Officers and Gunners have been honing their dismounted close combat skills both on and off base as we look to instil a step change in the terminology we employ with our trainees. It is incorrect terminology that the Complex Air Ground Environment is simply the preserve of ‘on base’ Force Protection activity. Rather Complex Air Ground Environment incorporates activity that spans the 5 domains (Land, Sea, Air, Cyber and Space). It is important that the student understands this as they progress on in their careers as Force Protection Specialists. Changing of terminology (part of the conceptual component of fighting power) is simply one sub-set of our Fighting Power Modernisation Strategy, which in simple terms aims to equip (physically and mentally) our Air Force Protection Close Combat Specialists for operations at home and abroad, through a strategy of ‘train as we fight’. We hope to update you more on this going forward.

Regimental Training Squadron (Advanced) The Specialist Courses Flight have successfully delivered an array of outputs including the highly demanding Close Quarter Battle Instructors Course. 12 students undertook an intensive range package where they honed their advanced marksmanship and the skill of transitioning between their primary and secondary weapons before focusing on developing the intricate tactical, command and control capabilities they require to tackle any given scenario. Tested in high pressure, realistic scenarios, all 12 are now qualified to deliver Close Quarter Battle training packages on return to their Units. The students on the Junior Regiment Officers Course 127 are progressing well in their training completing deployments on Ex CENTURION’s GAUNTLET and CENTURION’s DAGGER on STANTA, followed by a complex communications package. These inaugural exercises are designed to build the strong foundations of fieldcraft skills, known collectively as Module 1 which culminated in Ex CENTURION’s LONGBOW and places the student on patrol actions to demonstrate their level of competence. Module 2 exposes, the now Competent Patrol Members, into the heady world of basic command. The students were taught a conceptual military tactical planning process and before they knew it, they were deployed to Sennybridge Training Area for a 3-week long battle exercise, testing their physical and mental fortitude, in arduous terrain and high stress command assessments; this is not for the faint hearted!

Tactical Communication Information Systems (TacCIS) May to July was an extremely busy period, seeing a busy period of equipment upgrades whilst delivering two simultaneous Air Force Protection Manpack courses, doubling the number of students from 20 to 40. The Manpack course trained Junior Regiment Officers