The Royal Air Force's capstone live flying combat air exercise, COBRA WARRIOR 25-2, recently concluded after three intensive weeks of training. The latest iteration brought together participants from the UK, Canada, Germany, Italy, and the United States, delivering comprehensive tactical training across multiple domains.
Marking a decade of Inzpire’s support to the design, development and delivery of this crucial RAF training programme, the exercise has continued to advance as the premier platform for challenging and assessing UK and international Qualified Weapons Instructors (QWI).
COBRA WARRIOR 25-2 featured 14 complex missions including 11 offensive counter air and three defensive counter air. Each mission involved up to 80 aircraft divided between opposing forces. These scenarios were further enhanced by sophisticated surface-to-air threats and additional multi-domain adversary effects, creating a truly challenging operational environment.
Over the past ten years, Inzpire’s White Force team has worked hand-in-glove with the RAF’s 92 Squadron at the Air and Space Warfare Centre to ensure COBRA WARRIOR has evolved in complexity to mirror real-world operational demands.
The exercise has grown significantly to incorporate UK and foreign fast jet mission commander and QWI upgrades, including the inaugural F-35B QWI Course. In addition, there has been a marked increase in the amount of cross-domain air-land and air-maritime integration training as the themes of the exercise have changed over time.
A key innovation for this iteration was the implementation of a dedicated Mission Planning Cell team, tasked with developing and communicating mission plans to geographically separated executing crews. This arrangement tested two critical capabilities; the Cell’s skill in distilling complex plans into clear briefings, and the executing teams' ability to understand and implement these plans with minimal supporting documentation.
This iteration of COBRA WARRIOR also incorporated broader elements including space and maritime components, as well as greater integration of cyber capabilities and consequence management. Drawing on Inzpire’s extensive operational experience and training expertise, this multi-domain approach ensured participants developed the tactical awareness required in today's complex battlespace.
A particularly valuable aspect of the exercise was the collaboration with the Air and Space Warfare Centre’s Prototype Warfare Team, that develops, tests and evaluates prototype capabilities to inform their viability for development into future fielded capabilities.
Their involvement this time enabled new simulated elements to be blended with real-world capabilities, providing participants with practical exposure to emerging technologies and encouraging innovative thinking about future combat operations.
COBRA WARRIOR serves as the summative assessment for QWI candidates, requiring them to demonstrate mastery of integration techniques essential for their graduation and mission commander upgrades.
The UK successfully qualified candidates across multiple specialities, including Intelligence, Rotary Wing, Air Mobility, P-8A and Typhoon courses. Additionally, Italian Air Force and Royal Canadian Air Force personnel graduated as QWIs and Mission Commanders, highlighting the exercise's international significance.
By training together in complex scenarios, participating nations enhanced their collective ability to respond to shared security challenges.
Andy Fisher, Head of Air and Space Division, Inzpire commented:
"This iteration of the exercise, in our 10th year embedded within 92 Squadron, has been outstanding. It was spearheaded by our 92 Squadron team and supported during execution by a cross-Inzpire team from our sister contracts, who provided wider expertise including ISR, space and cyber.
“COBRA WARRIOR 25-2 built on previous exercise iterations to provide enhanced training for UK and partner nations. The team's continued excellence and drive to improve year-on-year ensures that COBRA WARRIOR remains an operationally relevant exercise to prepare the UK and NATO's finest war fighters for any future conflict."
Wing Commander Sam Williams, Officer Commanding 92 Squadron, Air & Space Warfare Centre said:
“I am hugely grateful to my embedded Inzpire contractor team for their continued support as an integral and long-standing element of the Whole Force of 92 Squadron.
“I completely trust and rely on Inzpire for the ongoing running of all the Exercise COBRA WARRIOR planning conferences; coordination with myriad defence training estates; engagement with private landowners on my behalf; the planning and production a vast array of Exercise Operational Staff Work; and finally their tireless work behind the scenes during delivery to bring the detail of the exercise to life and to maximise training audience learning.
“On the latest iteration of Ex COBRA WARRIOR, we were able to significantly uplift the cyber component training conducted alongside the live air and land activity – providing realistic exposure and immersion to our cyber operators, and cyber education to the Integrated Force. This would not have been possible without the expert support of Inzpire’s cyber subject matter experts.
“Exercise COBRA WARRIOR remains at the forefront of NATO Air-led live multi-domain collective training, and the feedback that we get from key international partners reflects the high esteem in which they hold the exercise, and the professionalism of our Whole Force team who deliver this crucial training.”
