The RAF Air Cadets teams took home four out of the ten major trophies at the Cadet Skill at Arms Meeting (SAAM) 2026.
The Cadet SAAM was held at Bulford Ranges over a week from the 18 to 25 October 2026, with the RAF Air Cadets teams competing against teams from across the cadet forces. The teams made up of four cadets compete across ten matches shooting the L98A2 Cadet GP rifle. The cadets were not just competing for trophies, but also the coveted "Cadet 50" badge awarded to the best 50 individual cadets.
At this year's Cadet SAAM the RAF Air Cadets were well represented in the Cadet 50 list, with 35 air cadets being awarded the badge.
The RAF Air Cadets trophy winners during Cadet SAAM 2026 were:
- Top Individual Cadet - Cadet Flight Sergeant Bland, Bristol & Gloucestershire Wing
- The Fire Control Match Gold Medal - Cadet Flight Sergeant Rafique, London Wing
- The Defence Match Gold Medal - London Wing A Team
- The Advance to Contact Match Gold Medal - Central Scotland Wing A Team
- Top RAF Air Cadet Team - 470 (Falkirk) Squadron
RAF Air Cadet teams also won silver medals as runners up in many of the matches, most significantly the Inter-Service Final missing out on the gold to the Army Cadet Force.
The cadets were supported by a dedicated team of volunteers, including the RAF Air Cadets range team, lead by WO Birch.
Wing Commander Oram from HQ RAFAC commented, "All the attending teams had clearly put in a lot of work to prepare for the competition, and they are congratulated on their successes."