Exercise Venture Spirit is an Air Mobility Force (AMF) wide exercise to train agile combat employment skills, which enable the force to deploy rapidly anywhere in the world to support global operations.
Exercise Venture Spirit took place in north-east Scotland and Suffolk, with the base of operations being RAF Lossiemouth and RAF Honington. It was a collaborative exercise with XXIV Squadron, Atlas Force, 99 Squadron and several Global Enablement forces, all training for the delivery of a speedy response to crisis’ as a cohesive unit.
Venture Spirit tested all personnel in their respective tasks, the engineering team worked round the clock to ensure serviceability and availability of the aircraft for each days tasking, which ran from morning till night. Reacting to a changing flying program and overcoming technical snags in a dynamic environment. The operations enablers, including 47 Air Despatch, Safety Equipment fitters, movements staff, Ops support staff and a Tactical Medical Wing Aeromedical Team were on hand throughout, exercising in deployed conditions using a Hardened Aircraft Shelter as an operating base and maintaining their respective deployable equipment to keep the aircraft flying.
During Venture Spirit, the junior co-pilot cadre expanded their skills and knowledge of the Atlas C Mk.1 (A400M), flying tactical low-level sorties in the Scottish Highlands, dropping light stores to a drop zone in the Rannoch Moor area and practicing essential flying skills within a threat zone. The newest co-pilots were tested in the Non-permissive Air Transport role both day and night, continuing their work up to combat ready status. The Air Loadmasters were exposed to cargo hold operations covering aeromed, troops and fighting vehicles, oversized Army engineering vehicles and ALARS (Air Land Air Refuelling) to provide a refuel option for aircraft at austere Tactical Landing Zones (TLZ). They also conducted live air drop serials and multiple engine running offloads of passengers and vehicles both at the TLZs and main operating bases. All personnel worked incredibly hard over the weeklong exercise and have taken a big step forward in preparation for deployed global tactical air transport operations.
Commander Air Wing, Group Captain Gareth Burdett said:
“Exercise Venture Spirit is how we take our junior crews who are capable of worldwide Air Transport, and turn them into competent warfighters. It is our prime opportunity to practice flying as we would on live, contested operations, and to do so with our key partners in 16 Air Assault Brigade Combat Team and the RAF’s own Global Enablement Force.
“On this iteration we’ve worked seamlessly with our Army colleagues, exercised our Tactical Fire, Air Traffic, Police and Medical Services, all from an unprepared airfield and deployed a forward refuelling capability. Training is always best when it meets multiple objectives, and these units have all got as much from integrating with our A400Ms and C17s as we have with them.”
Group Captain Gareth Burdett
Commander Air Wing
During Exercise Venture Spirit, No. 1 Expeditionary Logistics Squadron, based at RAF Wittering, deployed to RAF Honington in order to practice loading and unloading an air transportable refuelling system carrying out a defuel of an Atlas, in order to refuel to another fixed wing aircraft, in this exercise a Globemaster (C-17). This exercise gave the Squadron’s Fuels Support Team (FST) the opportunity to test their ability to deploy and set up a fuel site anywhere in the world.
The Combat Readiness Force (CRF), 1 Squadron RAF Regiment and Tactical Air Traffic Control also played a key part in the exercise. This collaborative endeavour focused on integration with the RAF Air Mobility Force, reinforcing the CRF's commitment to seamless operational coordination. The exercise served as a platform for the highly skilled lead elements to hone their capabilities in preparation for future warfighting operations. The exercise underscored the Combat Readiness Force's dedication to maintaining peak operational performance and ensuring the RAF's continued effectiveness in any operational environment.
The success of Air Mobility Force is its ability to deliver what is required, when, in any threat level and come back safely. Whether this is in support to non-combatant evacuations, humanitarian aid and disaster relief missions or combat operation. This training and Exercise Venture Spirit maintains the agility, responsiveness, and flexibility the Force needs to support this.
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