Air Defence Gunner

The Royal Artillery currently has two Air Defence regiments, both based near Portsmouth. One is responsible for medium-range Air Defence (16th Regiment Royal Artillery) and is equipped with the state of the art Sky Sabre; and the other (12th Regiment Royal Artillery) is a Close Support Air Defence and Counter Uncrewed Aerial Systems regiment equipped with Starstreak missile.

Air Defence Gunners protect troops from threats in the air, like aircraft, missiles and drones. You’ll use advanced weapon systems and work as part of a highly skilled team. There are different pathways, so you can push yourself with airborne roles or focus on technical systems.

The Royal Artillery is a very broad corps… depending on your choice of regiment and specific role will mean that your day to day life will vary significantly… you’ll have frequent opportunities to deploy on overseas exercises… and lots of time to participate in sports and adventure training.

Day to day life in the Royal Artillery is varied. You train, learn new skills and work as part of a team. One day you might be on exercise overseas. Another day you could be improving your fitness or learning new equipment. It keeps things interesting and gives you real-world experience.

It’s similar to a normal working day, with gyms, food halls and social spaces available on camp.

Living on a base gives you a good balance of structure and normal day‑to‑day life. Your days usually have a routine, like training, work and meals, but there’s also plenty of time to relax. You live close to the people you work with, so there’s a strong sense of community. In the evenings or downtime, you might go to the gym, watch TV, play sport or just catch up with mates. Everything you need is close by, which makes settling in much easier.

There truly is no job like being in the Army, where colleagues become your friends.

You’re living, training and working with the same people, so friendships build very quickly.

Yes. Everyone starts in the same position, learning together and supporting each other. That shared journey makes it easy to form friendships and feel like you belong.

The Army has worked hard to improve its food options, with several choices available each day including hot meals and healthier options.

You’ll eat in the cookhouse, where meals are prepared for you each day. There’s a good choice, and it’s designed to keep you fuelled for training.

I’ll usually have physical training in the morning, and for the rest of the day there can be lessons or tasks like servicing vehicles and weapons.

It’s a mix of both. You’ll spend time building your fitness, but just as much time learning new skills, from technical training to teamwork and leadership.