With every mission, you have to quickly adapt to unfolding situations, use your initiative, prioritise all the information received and produce tactical reports for military commanders. You can expect to fly several missions a week from the base in Lincolnshire, or from a Deployed Operating Base somewhere overseas.
Aircrew Weapon Systems Operator (Linguist) CURRENTLY RECRUITING
As a Weapon Systems Operator (Linguist) you will be fluent in two or more languages and will monitor, collect and analyse foreign-language voice transmissions and offer intelligence support.
Minimum Average Pay Over Your First Year £17,000+ + Benefits
Initial pay after training £33,936 + Benefits
Is this for you?
APPLICANTS MUST:
- Be aged 17.5 – 32 (Must attest before 33rd birthday)
- Have GCSEs at Grade C/4 or SNE at Grade 5 or SCE Standard Grades at Grade 2/SNE 5 in English and Maths and at least three other subjects.
- You must be a citizen of the United Kingdom since birth
- Must have resided in the UK for at least 7 years immediately preceding application
- Your parents/spouse must currently have UK citizenship
- Commit to minimum 12 years service
- Pass the Officer and Aircrew Selection Centre
- Pass a General Fitness Test
GREAT FOR THOSE INTERESTED IN:
- Aircraft
- Being creative
- Analysis and maths
WHAT WILL YOU DO?
TYPICAL RESPONSIBILITIES
- Interpret foreign transmissions in real time
- Provide up-to-date intelligence to military commanders
WHY JOIN THE RAF?
Thanks to subsidised food, travel, accommodation and free gym you get more money in your pocket.
Salary
Benefits Salary
Civilian Role
RAF Role
- Rent from £75p/m
- Free gym
- Subsidised food
- Health care
- World travel
- 6 weeks holiday
TRAINING AND CAREER
TRAINING YOU’LL RECEIVE
Your career will start with the 10-week Basic Recruit Training Course (BRTC) at RAF Halton in Buckinghamshire. The course is designed to help you adjust to a military environment. As well as fitness and military training, you will also learn about the RAF lifestyle. Following Recruit Training, you will complete the Non-Commissioned Aircrew & Controller Initial Training Course (NCACITC) at RAF College Cranwell in Lincolnshire. This 11-week course is designed to develop your leadership and management skills in an air minded context. It includes fitness development, military training and academic study as well as practical outdoor leadership challenges. This is followed by a 5.2 week Military Aviation Ground School (MAGS) course also at RAFC Cranwell. You will be taught generic aircrew subjects such as meteorology, aircraft systems and basic survival skills before progressing to your specialist language training.
You can find out more information about the NCACITC here.
SPECIALIST TRAINING
As a Linguist, you will undergo 18 months of intensive language training at Chicksands in Bedfordshire or Shrivenham in Wiltshire before proceeding to an Airborne Linguist Training Course that will build on previous MAGS subjects, adding airborne specific exercises. You will then be posted to RAF Waddington in Lincolnshire. Here you will complete a 4 month Technical Applied Language Course before proceeding to a 6 month Operational Conversion Course on the aircraft to which you have been assigned.
TRAINING AND CAREER
INITIAL TRAINING
Your training will start with a Basic Recruit Training Course (BRTC) consisting of 4 weekends at your chosen RAF Reserves Squadron, followed by a 15 day residential training course at RAF Halton in Buckinghamshire. This training course will prepare you for service life in one of the most respected military forces in the world; it is also designed to help you tune into the military environment and way of life. As well as military training, you will learn about the core values, code of conduct and history of the RAF, as well as its unique lifestyle.
SPECIALIST TRAINING
After successfully completing initial training, you will be trained for your specific role in the RAF either at your squadron or another RAF station in the UK.
Commitment and location
You will have to commit to 27 days per year for 12 years minimum.
Each year includes a 15-day block for general RAF training, and 12 separate days for extra training or exercises.
You might be deployed to a UK or overseas base for up to 6 months after the first year.
ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
ALL APPLICANTS MUST:
Be a citizen of the United Kingdom since birth and must not hold (and must never have held) any nationality or citizenship (including joint nationality) other than British or that of a British Overseas Territory.
Be aged between 17.5 and 32 years old. (Must attest before 33rd birthday).
NATIONALITY & RESIDENCY
You must be a UK citizen from birth.
You must have resided in the UK for 7 years immediately prior to application.
Your parents/spouse must currently have UK citizenship.
Following the MOD announcement that the UK Armed Forces will now be able to recruit commonwealth citizens without the 5 year residency requirement, please note that the RAF continues to apply standard residency requirements for security clearance, ie, DV employment requires 7-years UK residency immediately prior to enlistment; SC requires 3-years.
FITNESS REQUIREMENTS
You must be physically fit to complete both initial and specialist training, and to do your role effectively. To check your fitness levels, we put every candidate through two or three separate fitness tests as part of the application process: Selection Fitness Test, Pre-joining Fitness Test or Pre-recruit Training Course.
How fit you need to be to pass these tests can vary depending on role, age and gender.
| MALES - 100% pass rates: | ||||
| AGE | 2.4 Km Run | Multi-Stage Fitness Test | Press-ups | Sit-ups |
| (Mins) | (Score) | (No.) | (No.) | |
| 15-16 | 11.39 | 9.03 | 20 | 35 |
| 17-29 | 11.11 | 9.10 | 20 | 35 |
| 30-34 | 11.36 | 9.04 | 19 | 32 |
| 35-39 | 12 | 8.09 | 18 | 29 |
| 40-44 | 12.26 | 8.03 | 17 | 26 |
| FEMALES - 100% pass rates: | ||||
| AGE | 2.4 Km Run | Multi-Stage Fitness Test | Press-ups | Sit-ups |
| (Mins) | (Score) | (No.) | (No.) | |
| 15-16 | 13.54 | 6.07 | 10 | 32 |
| 17-29 | 13.23 | 7.02 | 10 | 32 |
| 30-34 | 13.47 | 6.08 | 9 | 29 |
| 35-39 | 14.13 | 6.04 | 8 | 26 |
| 40-44 | 14.48 | 5.08 | 7 | 23 |
You can see the protocols for Press Ups & Sit Ups here:
You can download an MP3 file of the Multi-Stage Fitness Test below, listen to the introduction file first:
RAF MSFT: Intro
RAF MSFT: Bleep Test
You can see a video demonstration of the PRTC Fitness Test here:
HEALTH REQUIREMENTS
BEFORE YOUR APPLICATION:
There are health requirements that must be met by all applicants:
- Body Mass Index requirements:
| Age | Male and female minimum | Male and female maximum | Male maximum with additional assessment | Female maximum with additional assessment |
| 18 + | 18 | 28 | 32 | 30 |
| 16 to < 18 | 17 | 27 | 27 | 27 |
- Calculate your BMI now, click here.
- Eyesight requirements vary for different roles. A requirement to wear glasses or contact lenses may be allowed for aircrew.
Get in touch if you have any questions about the health criteria, or would like to find out if any additional health requirements apply to your role of interest.
DURING YOUR APPLICATION:
The Medical Risk Assessment that all candidates undergo is there to make sure that you are healthy enough for the intense training required by the RAF. Your application will be rejected if you fail to meet the minimum acceptable medical standard for entry. Your medical history is confidential and is not disclosed to those not authorised to hold this information.
BACKGROUND CHECKS
YOU MUST:
- Declare any previous spent and unspent convictions
- Check if you qualify under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 through this summary
- Have a basic background check to get Security Check level clearance
DISQUALIFYING FACTORS
YOU CAN'T APPLY FOR THE RAF IF YOU:
- Have been or are member of a group that stirs up racial hatred and violence
- Are waiting to appear in court, or have unspent convictions. You may also have to declare spent convictions for certain roles
- Misuse drugs, solvents and anabolic steroids. But each case is considered upon its own merits
- Have tattoos, brands or bead implants that are obscene or offensive.
Any permanent or temporary tattoos, whether ordinarily visible or not, must not be obscene or offensive (eg, racist, anti-religion or belief, crude, overtly sexist, homophobic, drug related or of an extreme political nature). Tattoos may be worn on the side and back of the neck but tattoos on the back of the neck must not extend above the natural hairline (scalp tattoos are not permitted). In addition, tattoos must not be visible below the sleeve cuff while wearing uniform, although a single finger (not thumb) tattoo that could be covered by a ring may be permitted - Have body piercing which causes holes that do not close up
- Declare yourself to be an 'undischarged' bankrupt
Beard Policy:
A revised facial hair policy has been agreed by the Air Force Board which will allow serving personnel to wear a smart, neatly-trimmed, full-set beard whilst maintaining high standards of appearance. The length of acceptable beards is between Grade 1 (2.5mm) and Grade 8 (25.5mm).
The wearing of beards during Phase 1 and Phase 2 training is currently under consideration and details will be advised when available.
If you don’t have any of the above, you might still be able to apply. For more information contact your local AFCO.
SIMILAR ROLES
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