OC 42 (Expeditionary Support) Wing (@42ESWingRAF) header
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42 (ES) Wg: RAF specialist engineering — aircraft repair, inspection, recovery, transport, weapons prep & deployed airfield support worldwide.

Wittering, England
Joined February 2017
Photo by OC 42 (Expeditionary Support) Wing (@42ESWingRAF)Photo by OC 42 (Expeditionary Support) Wing (@42ESWingRAF)Photo by OC 42 (Expeditionary Support) Wing (@42ESWingRAF)Photo by OC 42 (Expeditionary Support) Wing (@42ESWingRAF)Photo by OC 42 (Expeditionary Support) Wing (@42ESWingRAF)Photo by OC 42 (Expeditionary Support) Wing (@42ESWingRAF)Photo by OC 42 (Expeditionary Support) Wing (@42ESWingRAF)Photo by OC 42 (Expeditionary Support) Wing (@42ESWingRAF)Photo by OC 42 (Expeditionary Support) Wing (@42ESWingRAF)Photo by OC 42 (Expeditionary Support) Wing (@42ESWingRAF)
✈️ On 20 Oct, 42 (ES) Wing HQ hosted a Junior Officer Forum, bringing together OC 42ESW, Wing HQ and 12 junior officers from the RAF and Royal Navy to challenge thinking, share perspectives and explore how we prepare for the future.
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The day opened with a safety moment on Normalisation of Deviance — exploring the difference between appropriate and inappropriate risk, and how our approach to safety shapes operational effectiveness.
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From focused debate to discussions over lunch and an evening in the Officers’ Mess, the forum gave junior leaders the opportunity to challenge assumptions, share ideas and help shape the future of engineering support.
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Force Element Friday
This week: JARTS – Joint Aircraft Recovery & Transportation Squadron, part of 42 (Expeditionary Support) Wing.   They recover aircraft, clear runways, and move airframes worldwide — enabling operations when things don’t go to plan. ✈️🛠️
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Based at MOD Boscombe Down, JARTS blends recovery expertise, lifting operations, transport planning, and expeditionary deployment into one specialist force element.   If aircraft need moving or recovering — they’re the team.
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Air power depends on resilience.   When incidents happen, JARTS restores capability, clears the way, and keeps operations moving.   That’s this week’s #ForceElementFriday 💪
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Snow, poor visibility, tight timelines — no problem ❄️💪 5001 Sqn delivered 4 Rapid Environmental Shelters on Op CHESSMAN in support of NATO Air Policing, completing the task on time and handing over to our NATO partners.
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Meet 5001 Squadron — part of 42 (Expeditionary Support) Wing in the RAF They don’t just deploy. They build the base that makes deployment possible. 🌍✈️
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Their roots trace back to the WWII Airfield Construction Branch — building and repairing airfields under combat pressure. 📜 That expeditionary mindset still defines the squadron today.
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Air power doesn’t start in the air. It starts on the ground. And wherever the RAF operates, 5001 Squadron is making it possible. 💪
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