Which role would you join to move towards being a Forward Air Controller?

John,

Forward Air Controllers (FAC) in the British Army fall under the Royal Artillery remit. Have a look at the job spec here apply.army.mod.uk/roles/royal-artillery/gunner-sta-patrols-special-observer. This job is a great stepping stone to the FAC role.

Hi John,

As Greg mentions Forward Air Controllers (FAC) or Joint Terminal Attack Controllers (JTAC) sit as a trade within the Royal Artillery. If you are interested in that trade then it is worth applying to join a Gun Regiment as that is who the JTACs sit with. If you want to go light role, look at 3rd Regiment Royal Horse Artillery or 4th Regiment Royal Artillery, but if you would prefer working under armour then look at 1st Regiment Royal Horse Artillery or 19th Regiment Royal Artillery (The Scottish Gunners - you don’t have to be from Scotland to join them!).

It is a great trade, really interesting, great fun, and with some awesome training opportunities overseas. It is quite a challenging course to pass but so long as you train and practice you’ll be fine. Often people find it useful to train as a Forward Observer in a Gun Regiment first as this gives you a great introduction to joint fires and their integration into the ground commanders plan.

If you have anymore questions please feel free to ask.

Katie