RAF Force Protection Force

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]

RAF Force Protection Force
RAF Regiment Gunner with MERT Chinook in Afghanistan. The gunner wears an FP (Force Protection) identifier.
Active	2004–2022
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	Royal Air Force
Role	Force Protection
Garrison/HQ	RAF Honington

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)