Leading Aircrewman Luke Phillips from Warminster has graduated from 824 Naval Air Squadron, after completed the Royal Navy’s gruelling Anti-Submarine Warfare Aircrewmen’s (ASW) course.

Luke was presented with his coveted “Wings” by former Defence Minister the RT Hon. the Lord Hutton of Furness at Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose in Cornwall.

The formal parade attended by his family, friends and Royal Navy colleagues is the culmination of an intensive course, during which Luke has become skilled at how to operate as an Aircrewman onboard the Navy’s Merlin Mk 2 helicopter.

Alongside his primary role as a Sonar sensor operator Aircrewmen, he has learnt to use data link and radar picture compilation that will enable him to maintain both a surface and sub-surface radar plot. Alongside this tactical training, Luke has continued to develop helicopter Search and Rescue (SAR) and secondary role skills; load lifting, winching and shipborne operations that are used during embarkations on Royal Navy warships at Sea.

Luke joined the Royal Navy after three years with the RAF as a Weapons systems operator and completed one year of flying training before serving nine month at the Joint Services Parachute Centre at RAF Brize Norton. He also spent a further period with the Joint Aircraft Recovery and Transportation Squadron (JARTS) involving a variety of short tasks around the UK, Afghanistan, Germany, Iceland and the USA. In 2013, Luke successfully transferred to the Royal Navy to start training as an ASW Aircrewman.

Having now completed his course Luke knows this is only the start of his flying career and is proud to have landed 814 Naval Air Squadron, better known throughout the Royal Navy as “The Flying Tigers” due to its distinctive badge.

The squadron is a high readiness, globally deployable unit that can operate from ships and/or air bases around the world, providing protection to the Fleet from surface and sub-surface threats, or supporting maritime security operations.

“Today has been amazing; it’s been a long, hard and challenging course but truly worth every moment of it. It all feels quite daunting at the moment, what I’ve achieved, but I’m pretty exciting about the future, and can’t wait to join the Flying Tigers”.

In addition to his “Wings”, Luke picked up the Guy Edwards Trophy, (In memory of LACMN Guy Edwards who was killed in an aircraft accident in 1988 whilst serving with 826 NAS), awarded to the best Aircrewman completing ASW flying training.