The RAF showcased the breadth of its capabilities as it hosted the annual Air Combat Power Visit at RAF Brize Norton for all UK and international students on the Advanced Command and Staff Course.
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The visit provided an opportunity for military leaders from around the world studying in the UK to see how the RAF delivers air power in a coordinated, integrated, and effective manner alongside international allies and partners.
Representatives from the Combat Air, ISTAR (Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition, and Reconnaissance), Air Mobility, Force Protection, Support Force, UK Space Command, Joint Helicopter Command and the Joint Force Air Component came together for demonstrations and discussion of capabilities and operations.
The theme of this year’s event was Multi Domain Integration and how the RAF is delivering its part of the Integrated Operating Concept. A key part of this was exploring interoperability on operations such as:
- F-35B Lightning
- Carrier Strike Group
- MRA1 Poseidon
- Maritime Operations Centre
- Rotary Wing
- Joint Helicopter Command
- UK Space Command
The Advanced Command and Staff Course is attended by military officers from around the world. The visit provided an opportunity to share ideas and learn from other Air Forces and develop contacts.
To explain the warfighting capability of the Royal Air Force is an important event and that’s why I am pleased that you have been able to come and do this and have a conversation not just with yourselves as a course, but with the men and women of the Royal Air Force and the teams that support us day in, day out.
"I firmly believe the Royal Air Force has moved from the engage end of the scale to the readiness to warfight scale and that has occurred since the Ukraine events started earlier this year. Beforehand I think it was looking at the softer end of operating, it’s now in the harder end of operating and the Royal Air Force has become in my view the manoeuvre force for NATO in the first few months of that operation.
The Royal Air Force will remain global alongside our sister services. We were given clear orders last year and we are going to keep doing it. It might be a bit challenging at the moment to do that at significant pace, or mass, but for our international colleagues in the room you can rely on the Royal Air Force and our sister services to maintain our global footprint."
Air Marshal Gerry Mayhew
Deputy Commander Operations
Other visitors included Royal Auxiliary Air Force Honorary Air Commodores who took the opportunity to soak up knowledge about the RAF’s vast capability range. From mobile refuelling, to Joint Helicopter Command’s assets, aeromedical evacuation to RAF Regiment airfield protection, all was on show for them to absorb, understand and take into their wider engagement role as ambassadors for their respective Squadrons.
