In Pictures: 'Vital' training team prepares personnel at RAF Coningsby for 'dangerous world' at ground level

RAF Coningsby is known for its iconic Typhoon jets that are a familiar sight and sound in the skies over Lincolnshire.

But behind every training flight and every military deployment into a conflict zone, is what the air force calls “a small but vital team” whose work rarely makes the headlines.

"The Force Protection Training Flight (FPTF) is staffed exclusively by RAF Regiment personnel,” an RAF spokesperson explains. “It is responsible for ensuring that everyone at Coningsby — from pilots to air traffic controllers, from caterers to RAF Police — is prepared to operate in an increasingly dangerous world.

“At its core, FPTF delivers Individual Readiness Training (IRT) — a mandatory programme for all RAF personnel. The training is structured across modules, with the level required depending on where an individual is deploying.

“While RAF policy requires all personnel to hold Module 1 as a minimum, Coningsby took the decision earlier this year to raise the baseline to Module 2 for everyone on station — a reflection of the evolving threat landscape.”

Training Modules

Module 1 covers the foundations: safe handling and marksmanship with the standard service rifle, basic first aid in the workplace, and Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) awareness.

"Crucially, it also ensures personnel are up to date on the Law of Armed Conflict and the Geneva Convention - the legal framework that governs how force can be used,” said the spokesperson.

Module 2 builds on that foundation with a more operational focus. First aid training steps up to combat level, introducing life-saving equipment such as tourniquets, haemostatic dressings and chest seals.

"The kit is more commonly associated with conflict zones, but increasingly relevant closer to home,” they added.

Module 3 is reserved for those deploying to higher-threat environments, such as personnel from 3 Squadron and XI Squadron.

"This stage focuses on putting skills into practice, culminating in the Annual Combat Marksmanship Test (ACMT) — firing in prone, kneeling, standing and sitting positions at 100 metres.”

A broad remit

Beyond the IRT modules, FPTF delivers a wide range of weapons training across the station.

"The L85A2 rifle is the primary weapon system for most personnel, while all aircrew receive training on the Glock 17 pistol,” the spokesperson explains. “RAF Police, along with some other nominated personnel, must maintain qualifications on both, returning every six months to keep their training current.

“The FPTF also provides pyrotechnics training - aircrew are required to be qualified on the 16mm mini flare, while air traffic controllers train with the 1.5-inch flare gun, used to warn off aircraft in the event of a hazard.”

This year alone, FPTF has 42 planned Module 1 and 2 courses on its books - one-day courses - alongside 18 Module 1–3 courses running over three days. Those nominated for guard force duties at Coningsby complete a dedicated three-day package covering all three modules plus specific guard force training.

What is perhaps most striking about FPTF is the scale of its influence relative to its size. The entire operation at Coningsby is run by a team of just six people.

Warrant Officer Lee Hargreaves is Officer Commanding RAF Coningsby Force Protection Training Flight. He said: "When rapid deployments are called — and in recent months there have been several, with squadrons going out the door at short notice - it is FPTF that determines whether personnel are trained to the required standard to go. Miss the marker, and a deployment stalls. If we do our job well, no one really knows about it. But if we fail at our job, that's when it would get discussed at the highest levels. We could be a showstopper."

This small team quietly underpins the readiness of thousands

A Serious Responsibility

The Station Commander at RAF Coningsby is Group Captain Andy Hampshire. He said: “What FPTF delivers is fundamental to everything we do at Coningsby. We are rightly proud of our Typhoon force and the operational effect it generates - but that capability only exists because every single person on this Station is prepared, trained, and ready. This small team quietly underpins the readiness of thousands. That is an extraordinary contribution, and one that deserves real recognition."

The spokesperson added: “FPTF’s exist across all main RAF stations and are staffed exclusively by RAF Regiment personnel. The Regiment is the RAF's ground fighting force, responsible for protecting air assets and airfields, and its personnel bring with them a level of expertise and operational experience that underpins everything FPTF’s deliver.”