Page 36 - Cormorant 2023

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Air Combat Power Visit
Lt Col Rebecca Sharp
AFTER CONGRATULATING OURSELVES FOR finding the correct coaches at 0700 with only an aircraft image for identification, we set off to Brize Norton for the Air and Space Combat Power Visit.
The aerial display element started earlier than expected when the double decker coach in our convoy sought to get airborne on a small bridge near
to the airfield. Luckily no parachutes were required and once everyone had arrived safely, we launched into the programme. We were welcomed by the Station Commander, Group Captain Claire O’Grady and the visit was opened by Deputy Commander Operations, Air Marshal Harvey Smyth. They highlighted the range of activities undertaken by
the RAF across the spectrum of the Integrated Operating Concept and the importance of multi-domain integration to achieve a competitive advantage. A consistent theme throughout the day was the tempo of activity, which has always been high, but has increased significantly since the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
The visit included eleven stands
which demonstrated the breadth of activities delivered by the RAF. These ranged from logistical support and emergency tasks, such as search and rescue to aircraft repair, air mobility, communications and intelligence,
the employment of combat air using Typhoon and F35 and an overview of the space domain. Just like at the Army
Expo, the search dog stole the show at the Force Protection stand! However, having the chance to get on board various aircraft and to hear from those employed at the tactical level about their roles in the air and space domains brought the previous week’s lectures
to life. We were given a comprehensive understanding of current and future capabilities and how the different capabilities mutually support each other. The aviators answered our questions as candidly as possible given the security classification, whilst the constant noise of aircraft taxiing down the runway, combined with the winds whipping across the airfield gave us a feel for life ‘airside.’
The F35 fly past had everyone reaching for their phone cameras as the jet hovered above us, whilst plenty of selfies were taken at the top of the
C17. The closing address, given by Air Vice-Marshal Suraya Marshall neatly summed up everything we had seen during the visit before returning to
the theme of tempo. She highlighted organisational transformation and the concept of Agile Combat Employment as a means of balancing existing tasks with additional requirements before answering a range of questions on everything from multi-domain integration to diversity and inclusion.