Air Commodore Rob Caine

Rob joined the RAF in 1994 and became an operational pilot on the Tornado in 1999 on 14 Sqn at RAF Bruggen, Germany. Since then he has served several operational tours, and became an experienced Tornado Instructor, Rear Seat Captain, Electronic Warfare Instructor and an Instrument Rating Examiner at RAF Lossiemouth. In 2005 he became a Tactics and Weapons Instructor and an Aircrew Instructor Coach at 19 Sqn on Hawk T1 and subsequently became a Qualified Weapons Instructor (QWI). He became an A2 (Advanced) Qualified Flying Instructor and the Chief Weapons Instructor at RAF Valley where he ran 3 staff QWI Courses before being selected as a Project Pilot for the introduction of Hawk T2 into military service.

He is experienced at leading and innovating, managing risk and developing complex organisations. In staff tours he was a Requirements Manager for Fixed Wing aircraft and worked in the MOD on Air Systems. He was Head of Requirements for the UK Military Flying Training System (UKMFTS), working for Air Capability. In command roles he became the Executive Officer on IV(R) Sqn, flying the innovative Hawk T2, where he was an A2 QFI and was responsible for all live and synthetic staff training and standards from first fast jet flight to beyond visual range, swing role missions. He subsequently became OC IV(AC) Sqn in 2019, responsible for the Tactics and Weapons training of all RAF and RN Fighter Pilots - a course that constitutes the final test before pilots qualify to fly the Typhoon or F35 on the front-line.

On Ops he has served as an A3 Operational specialist in the Command Air Operations Centre in Al Udeid, and 83 Expeditionary Air Group, where he helped command and control air operations in Afghanistan on Op HERRICK in 2013-14. He was also COS Ops and National Approval Authority across the Middle East in 2020 where he was in operational charge of coordinating all UK Force Elements on Op SHADER. More recently Rob was Director of Ops in 11 Group (Gp), responsible for the integration of AIR effects across RAF Operations on behalf of Air Officer 11 Gp, the Global Air Component Commander. This included managing Air’s contribution to COVID responses, Op RESCRIPT, the G7 and COP26, Op FORTIS the Global Carrier Deployment, Op PITTING the complex recovery from Afghanistan, Op PROWLING the F35 crash recovery from the Mediterranean and support to Ukraine. He took command of 6 Flying Training School as Commandant on 4 February 2022, responsible for the 15 University Air Squadrons and 13 embedded Air Experience Flights across 13 Main Operating Bases in the UK delivering Phase 1 Officer trg and Phase 2 Flying Trg from Elementary and Fast Jet Lead-In to Mission Aircrew to, more recently Op INTERSTROM International Defence Trg with NATO partners. He has now been appointed as the Head of UK Military Flying Training (HFT) and is passionate about ensuring we train our future war fighters to fly, fight and win.

He now has over 2500 fast jet hours and is CFS accredited. He was awarded an MBE in 2015 for his services to Military Flying Training in the New Year’s Honours List and was awarded the 2019 Master’s Medal from the Guild of Air Pilots for innovation. He is a graduate of the Joint Services Higher Command and Staff Course and has an MA from Kings College London.

In his free time Rob supports his family as they horse ride, play football or enjoy walking their black lab. Rob is also a dedicated mentor and coach focusing on leadership, high performance and psychology, whether in sport, equine competition or military aviation. He also supports charities like RAFA, and the Dove (Bereavement) Service and is a Trustee of the “Bear Force” Children’s Charity linked to better mental health and suicide prevention.