RAF Police | Force Protection

About

The Royal Air Force Police plays a central role in maintaining the security and resilience of the Royal Air Force by providing a unique blend of counter intelligence, law enforcement, aviation security and protective security skills which includes Military Working Dogs. Our Regular and Reserve military personnel, our civil servants and our contractors work continuously to protect, secure and enable the Royal Air Force to carry out successful Air and Space operations in the United Kingdom and across the world.

The RAF Police protects the physical, intellectual and moral components of Air power - assuring confidentiality, integrity and availability of all components of this cutting-edge technological Air Force 24/7/365. The RAF Police specialises in:

Counter Intelligence – Our Counter Intelligence teams align with specific Air and Space capabilities and operate as multi-domain threat hunters wherever the RAF operates, harnessing information, fusing data and achieving advantage over adversaries and competitors. Their threat focused work enables them to detect, identify and understand Air’s most critical risks.

Protective Security – Protective Security personnel deliver security provision for all elements of the RAF’s capabilities throughout their life cycles. Protective Security personnel work on Stations providing security focused advice to Commanding Officers as well as providing assurance to critical capabilities. The RAF Police’s Security Consultancy Flight develop higher-end Protective Security capability for Air’s assets.

Law Enforcement – Law Enforcement personnel are employed to detect, deter and deny criminal activity on RAF stations. Our current model delivers three levels of law enforcement: practitioners at Royal Air Force stations; specialist unit investigative elements at a number of stations; and specialists and experts within RAF Specialist Investigation Branch.

Aviation Security - Aviation Security Flight deliver specialist aviation security to protect the Air Mobility Force when deployed throughout the world, in support of UK Defence taskings. Additionally, Aviation Security Flight screen all passengers and freight travelling to ensure dangerous air cargo and prohibited articles are identified and regulated whilst also providing specialist security guidance to aircrew ensuring Defence is kept safe and secure whilst transiting by air.

Military Working Dogs - Military Working Dogs are employed to detect, deter, disrupt and deny our adversaries from accessing our information, assets and personnel. We utilise a range of Military Working Dog capabilities to achieve these aims, dependant on the threats and the environments that we are required to operate within. As a force multiplier, Military Working Dogs can significantly reduce the requirement to employ workforce solutions to security and policing tasks. Whether the task is guarding or searching, Military Working Dogs provide an efficient and effective solution.

The RAF Police has five regular squadrons and one reserve squadron organised in to three wings:

Provost Marshal (RAF)

Group Captain Russ Foster-Jones MA RAF

Group Captain Russ Foster-Jones joined the Royal Air Force in 1995, after graduating from Leeds University, where he gained a bachelor’s degree in Economics. He commenced his first tour in 1996 and roles as a junior officer included Station Security Officer tours at RAF High Wycombe and RAF Northolt and Operations Officer on Tactical Police Wing. Operational deployments included Saudi Arabia, Qatar and latterly Iraq, serving at Main Operating Base Basra with 4 Force Protection Wing.

Promoted to Squadron Leader in 2007, his first tour was as the Northwood HQ Security Officer, a period that was dominated by the on-site rebuild of Permanent Joint Headquarters. This was followed by an 18-month family accompanied tour to the Falkland Islands, where he commanded the Joint Security and Police Squadron. In rank, he also deployed to Operation HERRICK as the Second In Command of the UK's Intelligence Exploitation Task Force and completed a short tour as Chief of Staff of the RAF Force Protection Centre in 2012.

Promotion to Wing Commander later that year saw redeployment on Operation HERRICK as Deputy Chief J2 with a US led anti-corruption task force, before a year as Head of Security and Resilience with the Services Personnel and Veterans Agency, safeguarding the operational confidentiality, availability and integrity of Joint Personnel Administration. Advanced Command and Staff Course followed in 2014 before he assumed command of 1 RAF Police Wing in August 2015, which at the time was configured around the RAF Police flights dispersed geographically from RAF Wittering to RAF Lossiemouth and a combined RAF Counter Intelligence and Special Investigations Squadron.

This was followed, in 2017, by a tour in Defence Intelligence as the MOD Desk Officer and Senior National User to a cross-government cyber programme. Promoted to Group Captain in early 2020 into a follow-on role within the area. He was appointed as Deputy Commander RAF Force Protection Force and Provost Marshal (RAF) in December 2021.