RAF Force Protection Force

RAF protection force

Military unit

The RAF Force Protection Force was created in 2004 as the successor to the Tactical Survive to Operate Headquarters (Tac STO HQ). It consisted of Force Protection Wings which were tasked with protection of RAF stations in the UK and overseas. Each Wing was based around RAF Regiment and RAF Police squadrons, with supporting personnel.^[1][2]

The Force Protection Force was disbanded in November 2022 and replaced by the separate Combat Readiness Force and Air Security Force, both part of Global Enablement, which itself was created by combining the RAF Force Protection Force, Battlespace Management Operations and Support Forces.^[3]

Structure

In 2018, there were seven Force Protection wings.^[4]

No. 2 (C-UAS) Wing

RAF Leeming

• No. 2 (C-UAS) Wing Headquarters
• No. 63 Squadron RAF Regiment
• No. 34 Squadron RAF Regiment
• No. 609 (West Riding) Squadron RAuxAF

No. 3 Force Protection Wing RAF

Its motto is Parare Et Protegrere ("Prepare & Protect").

RAF Marham

• No. 3 RAF Force Protection Wing Headquarters

• No. 2620 (County of Norfolk) Squadron RAuxAF Regiment
• No. 6 RAF Police Squadron
• No. 15 Squadron RAF Regiment

No. 4 Force Protection Wing RAF

RAF Brize Norton

• No. 4 RAF Force Protection Wing Headquarters
• No. 2 Squadron RAF Regiment
• No. 2624 (County of Oxfordshire) Squadron RAuxAF Regiment
• No. 7 RAF Police Squadron

No. 5 Force Protection Wing RAF

RAF Lossiemouth

• No. 5 Force Protection Wing Headquarters
• No. 51 Squadron RAF Regiment
• No. 603 (City of Edinburgh) Squadron RAuxAF
• No. 2622 (Highland) Squadron RAuxAF Regiment

• No. 4 RAF Police Squadron

No. 7 Force Protection Wing RAF

RAF Coningsby

• No. 7 Force Protection Wing Headquarters
• Air Land Integration Cell

RAF Honington

• No. 1 Squadron RAF Regiment

RAF Honington

• No. 2623 (East Anglian) Squadron RAuxAF Regiment

No. 8 Force Protection Wing RAF

RAF Waddington

• No. 8 Force Protection Wing Headquarters
• No. 2503 (County of Lincoln) Squadron RAuxAF Regiment
• No. 5 RAF Police Squadron

See also

• Airfield Defence Guards (Australia)
• RNZAF Force Protection (New Zealand)

References

1. "RAF Regiment & RAF Reserves". armedforces.co.uk. 2014. Retrieved 10 September 2014.
2. "RAF Regiment - Force Protection". Royal Air Force. 2014. Retrieved 10 September 2014.
3. "Global Enablement | Royal Air Force". raf.mod.uk. 6 July 2024.
4. "Force Protection". Royal Air Force. Retrieved 20 October 2018.