Exercise Auxilium Fort is a recurring Royal Air Force (RAF) exercise designed to train and test the capabilities of the RAF's six Global Enablement forces.
These forces comprise support specialists, including engineers, logisticians, force protection personnel, air security, air movements, communications, and medical teams. Exercise Auxilium Fort focuses on the RAF's ground-based component, ensuring their ability to support rapid deployment of air power, which included testing the Global Response Team. The exercise will see personnel secure and operate in a simulated decommissioned airfield for military aircraft, showcasing technical and core skills essential for operational readiness.
The Global Response Team is drawn from RAF Global Enablement and is a deployable unit trained to support ‘Air Point of Departure’ operations. Their primary role is to aid Defence's Crisis Response efforts by enabling air operations such as Humanitarian Aid and Disaster Relief or Non-Combatant Evacuations. The exercise focuses on preparing high-readiness teams to respond to a variety of threats and scenarios they might encounter when deployed overseas. This includes simulating attacks, multi-vehicle accidents, attacks on their base and convoys, and maintaining operations in austere and contested environments.
The exercise often incorporates scenarios that simulate the challenges of operating in a contested and degraded operating environment (CDOE); these are environments where there might be near-peer adversaries and limited external support. This emphasises the importance of adaptability and making the most of available resources.
This year marks a significant milestone as colleagues from France are also taking part for the first time. The involvement of the French Air and Space Force, French Service de l’Énergie Opérationelle, and Commando Parachutiste de l'Air 20 enhances interoperability and fosters mutual understanding among allied forces.
Exercise Auxilium Fort stands as a testament to the RAF's operational preparedness, collaborative international engagements, and unwavering dedication to global security.
