Force Development
Those who choose to join the RAF in any of its wide variety of branch options will be faced with a challenging and rewarding lifestyle. Tomorrow's RAF officer will need to be Air warfare minded and able to lead tomorrow’s recruit; this will take a rare mix of strong leadership attributes and excellent managerial skills from an individual that is:
- Military minded and of a courageous and determined fighting spirit
- Mentally agile and physically robust
- Politically and globally astute
- Technologically competent
- Capable of understanding and managing inter-personal relationships
- Flexible, adaptable and responsive
- Willing to take risks
- Able to handle ambiguity
It is on the development of these skill sets that the UAS system is now focused. Achieving these wide ranging development goals will centre on the weekly (currently Thursday nights) THQ town nights in Southampton (pictured right). There is normally a short lecture from a visiting speaker, or by one of the Squadron staff, followed by drinks in the bar upstairs.
The lectures will be based on leadership and personal development aspects as well as nurturing an understanding of the core business of air power. This may be as diverse as a talk by a test pilot from Boscombe Down, or a front-line pilot discussing operations they have been flying recently.
Students are also encouraged to develop their own knowledge of the forces by various exercises with different braches of the RAF. These can range from a force protection Ex with the RAF Regiment, to a Summer Vacation Attachment with an Air Traffice Control Flight - the choice really is down to the individual Officer Cadet. Service ties are also encourages through numerous Tri-Service events with the other university military units throughout the year.
Tri-Service
Following studies in 1994, the United Kingdom Ministry of Defence announced major tri-Service initiatives. This included establishing the Permanent Joint Headquarters (PJHQ) at Northwood in North London to plan and execute UK led joint, combined and multinational operations and the formation of the Joint Rapid Reaction Force capable of rapid and global intervention across a wide spectrum of conflict. The chiefs of staff wished to maximise the opportunities for the common understanding of the approach to warfare and defence as a whole, consistent with the increasing importance of the joint, combined, multinational and inter-agency nature of future operations.
In this modern tri-service environment the Royal Air Force is not the only service providing training and opportunities to university undergraduates. Those keen on pursuing a career with the Royal Navy or with the British Army have the opportunity to join Southampton University Royal Naval Unit and Southampton University Officer Training Corps respectively. An important part of our training is to liaise with our sister services and through the medium of Tri-Service sports events, socials and visits we gain a better knowledge and awareness of the roles that the Royal Navy, the British Army and their respective personnel have within the UK's Armed Forces.