For those asking about why 54 Sqn is involved...Reformed as No. 54 (Reserve) Squadron at RAF Waddington on 1 September 2005 (after being a Jaguar squadron) it re-roled as the ISTAR (Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance) Operational Conversion Unit, responsible for training all mission crews for the E-3D Sentry AEW1, the Nimrod R1 and the Sentinel R1. The unit is also responsible for the delivery of the Qualified Weapons Instructor Course for ISR (QWI ISR)and trains crews for the newly acquired RC-135 Rivet Joint aircraft.
From 2012, Project SEEDCORN, an international effort, saw RAF pilots and rear crews deployed to the USA, Canada, New Zealand and Australia. This cohort of aircrew have kept maritime skills and instruction skills alive, and become heavily involved in their host squadrons activities. In November 2019, ten SEEDCORN instructors joined 54 Sqn to be the initial cadre of instructors on the Poseidon MRA Mk1 OCU. They comprise, 2 pilots, 4 WSOs, 2 WSOp (ISTAR EW) and 2 WSOp (ISTAR ACO).
The 54 Sqn instructors have been training the CXX personnel up to and including IOC