The moment of truth has arrived for RAF personnel as they take on Exercise Kukri Dawn, the final, high-pressure test that determines whether pilots and crew are ready for the demands of frontline operations.
For trainees from 28 Squadron and engineers from 33 Squadron, this isn’t just another exercise. It’s the last hurdle in their intense eight-month training, where they must prove they have what it takes to operate in real-world combat and emergency scenarios. And there’s no safety net, it’s pass or fail.
Training in the Deep End
To make sure the experience is as authentic as possible, the exercise is conducted far from the comforts of their home base. Instead, they’re plunged into a deployed operational environment, where they must adapt, think fast, and perform under pressure.
Squadron Leader Chris Middleton, the mastermind behind the exercise, sums it up: “Exercise Kukri Dawn is the culmination of all the skills we have taught the students over the last eight months, and now they’re applying them in an incredibly intense and challenging environment.”
28 (Army Co-operation) Squadron, based at RAF Benson, operates Super Puma and Chinook helicopters. For the trainees, this final test pushes them to the limits with a series of real-world scenarios that mirror the demands of frontline missions.
The Ultimate Trial
From transporting soldiers into the rugged Scottish Highlands to dodging simulated air-to-ground threats, the challenges are relentless. There’s even large-scale crowd-control support, where pilots assist riot police in managing volatile situations.
Leuchars Station, where the exercise is being held, provides the perfect setting. With its unpredictable weather and diverse terrain, it closely resembles the conditions pilots will face on deployment. “It is of massive operational benefit for the students,” explains Sqn Ldr Middleton. “The local environment allows us to mirror more of the real-life taskings they will one day have to undertake.”
Full-Scale Cooperation
Kukri Dawn isn’t just about flying, it’s about teamwork. While at Leuchars, the trainees work closely with the Royal Electrical & Mechanical Engineers, 51st Brigade, and the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards. They conduct troop insertions into the Highlands and support larger ground movements, ensuring seamless coordination between air and land forces.
Meanwhile, the Joint Helicopter Support Squadron is playing a crucial role in assisting Chinook pilots with underslung loading sorties. A dedicated team of ten is facilitating helicopter landings at remote sites, supporting operations that involve carrying heavy loads, like a Panther vehicle and a Land Rover with a trailer, into challenging terrain.
Skills Sharpened for the Real World
Flying through mountainous regions presents its own set of challenges, but that’s precisely the point. The steep terrain is an ideal training ground for evasive manoeuvres, an essential skill for pilots operating in hostile zones.
For Flight Lieutenant Patrick Osborne, a Puma student taking part in Kukri Dawn, the experience has been invaluable. “This exercise is really beneficial because rehearsing troop movements and being tested on casevac [casualty evacuations] whilst in unfamiliar airspace is a good way to test us and all the skills we have learnt over the eight-month course.”
There’s no doubt about it, Exercise Kukri Dawn is as close to the real thing as it gets. Those who pass will move on to operational squadrons, ready to take on the unpredictable challenges of the frontline. For those who don’t? It’s back to training.
