Engineers and logisticians from Royal Air Force Wittering, participated with other Force Elements from Global Enablement, in the inaugural Exercise AUXILIUM FORT, a Support Force-lead exercise, which was specifically designed to train and test technical skills along with war fighting skills.
Under the direction of Commander Support Force, Group Captain Nick Huntley, personnel came together to conduct the collective training exercise at RAF Wittering. Attendees included personnel from high-readiness engineering, logistics and catering squadrons within 42 and 85 Wings, Tactical Medical Wing, the Combat and Readiness Force, the Air Security Force, 90 Signals Unit and 1 Air Mobility Wing, all of which regularly deploy to support Global Air Operations.
Gp Capt Huntley said: “Exercise AUXILIUM FORT has been a fantastic opportunity for our people to develop both personally and professionally. Being prepared and ready is a fundamentally important part of our business and I am absolutely delighted with the quality and outcomes of this significant step forward in training.”
The demanding exercise followed a scenario of Force Elements deploying overseas in support of enhanced Air Policing in a friendly country under threat of attack and included additional protective security measures to address the threat of attack. Alongside preparing an airfield for aircraft operations, transporting and processing people and their equipment, and establishing medical and communication links, exercising personnel had to deal with local unrest, attacks on their logistic supply convoys and the base.
The exercise enabled Global Enablement Forces to train for peer-vs-peer combat operations in a Contested and Degraded Operating Environment (CDOE). The goal, to enable delivery of decisive Air and Combat Power for operational employment. Working through the different challenges together, enhanced integration, leading to the readiness of Agile Combat Employment in support of Air Operations in many different environments and situations.
On visiting the exercise, Air Commodore Jamie Thompson said: “The opportunity to bring together various elements of the global enablement federation working in the support forces principal exercise has helped us to really understand what it is that we can deliver from global enablement to allow Air and Space power to operate at a time and place of our choosing.”