The Warrant Officer of the Royal Air Force (WORAF) is the senior Warrant Officer of the RAF. The post was created in 1996 and the person holding this appointment advises the Chief of the Air Staff on matters concerning RAF personnel.
As the new Warrant Officer of the Royal Air Force, I am eager to take on the responsibilities that come with this position, particularly acting as the spokesperson for the non-commissioned cadre.
Throughout my career, I have had the privilege of working in a variety of roles and with colleagues from different branches of the UK's armed forces, including the Army and Navy. I am grateful for the opportunities that I have had to develop strong working relationships across all three branches of the military, and look forward to continuing to strengthen those bonds, in my new role.
I am deeply grateful to the RAF for the trust and confidence they have placed in me, and I look forward to working with my colleagues to support our people and uphold the high standards of our Service.
Subramaniam is an Air and Space Operations Manager, whose service in the last 15 years has predominantly been in the Space Based Infrared System (SBIRS), Missile Warning (MW), Space Domain Awareness (SDA) and Ballistic Missile Defence (BMD) field. Prior to joining the Royal Air Force in 1998, Subramaniam served in the Royal Engineers with 106 Field Squadron/12 Force (Air) Support Group, 36 Engineering Regiment.
On completion of Trade Training Subramaniam was posted to RAF Neatishead and subsequently to Buchan to perform Air Defence duties. In 2004 he was posted to the Maritime Component Command Northwood as the Recognised Maritime Intelligence Operator, working in N2/3 in a surface/sub-surface Intelligence Production Cell in support of Maritime Operations around the world.
In 2007 Subramaniam spent the next three years at Air Command Bunker dealing with pan-government resilience operations, he also gained Missile Warning Operator and Data Links Network Manager qualifications. In 2010, he was selected for an assignment to Buckley Air Force Base to the SBIRS programme; he qualified as a Systems Crew Chief. His duties involved supervising satellite operations and ground systems configurations in support of worldwide operations exploiting Overhead Persistent Infrared Constellation. He was then selected to lead Ops Group Training, Standard & Evaluation as a Flight Chief.
In 2014, Subramaniam was posted to RAF Fylingdales where he continued to use his SBIRS background and further develop MW and SDA knowledge and skills. On completion of the Ballistic Missile Early Warning Systems Course, he served as a Crew Chief before taking up the post of Deputy Plans and Mission Support Flight. Subramaniam moved to Air Command and spent a year in Air and Space Operations profession, where he was principally involved in all issues related to training and workforce requirements. In 2019, he was promoted and appointed as WO BMD and Link 16 in Air Capability delivering UK Ballistic Missile Defence and L16 upgrade program. During the Integrated Review, he was selected to assist the Chief of Staff Capability as Deputy Staff Officer.
In Sep 21, Subramaniam was appointed as the inaugural Command Warrant Officer to the United Kingdom Space Command. During his tenure, he also supported the Space Command Capability branch on SDA and Command and Control Systems delivery. In Mar 22, he was selected as the first RAF WO to attend the Command Senior Enlisted Staff Course at Baltic Defence College in Estonia. Subramaniam graduated with the Commandant’s Award for outstanding academics and leadership.
In Apr 23, he was appointed to his current role as Warrant Officer of the Royal Air Force.
Subramaniam was educated in Malaysia until the age of 19, he earned a Bachelor of Law and a Diploma in Higher Education in Finance and Legal Studies. He is currently studying for his Master in Business Administration Risk and Resilience at Buckinghamshire New University.
Subramaniam is married to a Civil Servant who is currently employed at Air Command. They have a teenage daughter and a lively cocker spaniel. He is an active member of a Charity Foundation and a compulsive reader who enjoys rugby, hockey and cricket.
