Air power starts long before an aircraft takes off. Behind every sortie is a network of specialists who build, sustain, protect and recover the deployed operating base that makes flying possible.
Exercise Auxilium Fort 26 brought those people together, testing RAF Global Enablement’s ability to deploy, operate and protect air operations in demanding conditions. Running alongside Exercise Cobra Warrior 26-2, the exercise provided a realistic backdrop for RAF personnel and international partners to train together, strengthen interoperability and demonstrate what NATO First in action really means.
From logistics, engineering, communications and catering to medical support, RAF Police, force protection and Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) specialists, teams worked across a deployed operating base to replicate the pressures of modern operations. The exercise covered the full deployed cycle: establishing the operating base, sustaining flying activity, responding to escalating threats, managing incidents and recovering capability.
CBRN scenarios added further complexity, testing how the whole deployed force responds, adapts and continues operating when conditions change. CBRN activity, casualty decontamination, and command decisions demonstrated resilience across the force rather than a single capability in isolation.
International participation was central to the exercise. Personnel from the French Air and Space Force and Service de l’Énergie Opérationnelle trained alongside RAF teams, while Tactical Medical Wing was joined by personnel from the United States Air Force’s 48th Fighter Wing. Observers from the Royal Norwegian Air Force used the opportunity to share lessons, strengthen relationships and build shared understanding across allied forces.
The involvement of the British Army’s 39 Engineer Regiment further demonstrated the value of joint integration, showing how Defence brings specialist capabilities together to support operational output in a challenging environment.
Exercise Auxilium Fort 26 showed that readiness is built by people working as one team and as NATO First.
Training with our allies allows us to share expertise and prepare to operate together when it matters most.
For RAF Global Enablement, enabling air power means more than supporting aircraft. It means deploying at pace, protecting the force, sustaining operations and integrating with partners to keep the RAF ready to fly, fight and win.
