Squadron Leader David Walker, Executive Officer, Royal Air Force Gibraltar
At the heart of the Cyber & Specialist Operations Command's global presence are our overseas bases, within this lies RAF Gibraltar, a strategic hub ensuring the UK remains strong abroad.
Squadron Leader David Walker leads a dedicated team, overseeing critical air operations, logistics, and engineering in the Mediterranean.
Royal Air Force (RAF) Gibraltar is a specialised group of people delivering air operations, logistics and engineering in a geo-political European spotlight. They reinforce UK Defence through air activity, providing regional reassurance, and demonstrating British sovereignty over Gibraltar.
Squadron Leader Walker is central to this mission, managing the airfield as the Executive Officer at RAF Gibraltar.
Three priorities: airfield, operations, and people
There are three priorities in my role. Primarily, I manage the Ministry of Defence Gibraltar airfield, ensuring it's ready for military and commercial use and regulatory oversight findings from the Military Aviation Authority and Civil Aviation Authority are addressed. I do this while maintaining executive oversight of RAF Gibraltar functions, including air operations, logistics and engineering. Another key element is to ensure RAF Gibraltar staff, and their families enjoy serving overseas by aligning regular teambuilding, sport and welfare opportunities.
Sustaining UK presence in the Mediterranean
RAF Gibraltar has been a busy Station for over eighty years, although the airfield design has changed greatly in this time its purpose has not. It is a joint military-civilian operation, handling commercial flights that strengthen the local economy, and militarily we provide a foothold and staging post for NATO, our allies, and UK operations.
The importance of my role as Executive Officer ensures the Cyber & Specialist Operations Command sustains an overseas military airfield in the Western Mediterranean. The Military Air Transport Fleet deliver rapid mission critical support to Gibraltar, enabling Royal Gibraltar Regiment troop movement and Royal Naval vessel engineering and resupply, alternative shipping timelines would introduce significant delay. In addition, the Military Air Transport Fleet significantly benefit from routine overseas sorties to Gibraltar, allowing aircrew to maintain air mobility capabilities in optimal condition and a mission-ready status.
Building community through innovation
Two of my most positive achievements to date were Run the Runway, an airfield charity fun run that attracted 400 participants to run 5km along RAF Gibraltar's runway, opening up a normally closed area of the Defence estate to the public, and raising £5000 for charity in the process; and the RAF Gibraltar cardboard boat race became a much-anticipated event drawing a family's audience.
Ready to respond 24/7
Although military aircraft are only a portion of Gibraltar air operations, we are prepared 24/7 to react to an increase in demand, ensuring the Cyber & Specialist Operations Command mission to be 'strong abroad' is delivered; we are ready.
Our people are the lifeblood of CSOC – a dedicated force of 26,000 specialists stationed at over 130 sites worldwide. From cyber warriors and medics to intelligence analysts, special forces, educators, and Defence attachés, our specialists are ready to fight across all domains to protect the UK.
Our specialist operators are across every UK operation, delivering the capabilities you don’t usually see - or those you can’t.
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