RAF St Mawgan has kicked off an intensive series of readiness activities designed to sharpen green skills, strengthen resilience and ensure every member of the Whole Force is prepared for the challenges of a rapidly changing global security landscape. So far this year the Station has had two local exercises and one RAF-wide exercise.
Station Exercises January/February
In January station personnel practised first aid scenarios in their normal working environment. In February personnel headed to Trebelzue Training Ground at RAF St Mawgan to rotate through three dynamic training stands, following an intelligence brief delivered by 505 Reserve Squadron. Working alongside the Military Provost Guard Service, otherwise known as MPGS, teams carried out vehicle and body searches, practised patrol awareness and rehearsed the correct response to suspicious packages. Civil servants and contractors were invited to observe, reinforcing the Whole Force approach.
One RAF participant summed up the value of the day:
“I was nervous at first as I didn’t know what to expect, but I now feel much more confident dealing with situations that would have challenged me before.”
AGILE WARRIOR 26
On Monday 2 March, the RAF launched Exercise AGILE WARRIOR 26 (AW26), a major homeland defence exercise designed to test the Service’s ability to operate under contested, degraded and high pressure conditions.
At RAF St Mawgan, the exercise began with all available personnel attending a scenario-setting intelligence brief before adopting their exercise roles which would involve them dealing with complex scenarios as if it were real life. Refresher training was provided in the first week which included radio procedures and reporting protocols. Both service and civilian staff took part, embracing the challenge. As one Ground Engineering Flight civilian member of staff put it:
“It’s like learning a different language, but we could all be involved so we need to be ready.”
By the end of the 2-week exercise, teams had responded to a suspect package, managed a simulated main gate incident and worked through tabletop exercises covering power loss, cyber disruption, protest activity and the prospect of losing critical infrastructure. A drone and an intruder were also swiftly dealt with as part of the scenario.
Executive Officer, Squadron Leader Rob Farrant said: The way one of our civilian contractors immediately stepped in to challenge and intercept the intruder reflects a security culture we can be proud of. Everyone took responsibility, everyone played their part, and it’s been genuinely reassuring to witness.
Reflecting on the exercise, Station Commander, Wing Commander Helen Simpson said:
Throughout this exercise, teamwork, communication and calm professionalism shone through, not just here at RAF St Mawgan, but across the RAF as people up and down the country worked through the scenario together. We have identified valuable lessons, and this exercise has focused minds on why we are ramping up our training. It is essential that the RAF remains prepared, resilient and ready to respond whenever we are needed.
