Survival Equipment Technician (SET)

Once you’ve confirmed your eligibility, the joining process is as follows:

• Submit an application

  Once you’ve registered your interest, we’ll be in touch to discuss your options

• Defence Aptitude Assessment (DAA)

  You’ll be tested on: Verbal Reasoning, Numerical Reasoning, Work Rate, Spatial Reasoning, Electrical Comprehension and Mechanical Comprehension.
  To prepare, you can practise the DAA

• Interview

  A formal interview to talk through your suitability for the role. This is normally conducted using your own device over the Shine video platform

• Medical and eye tests

  These are quite comprehensive and must be completed by one of our Ministry of Defence-approved doctors

• Pre-Joining Fitness Test (PJFT)

  This involves completing a 2.4km run on a treadmill within a certain time, at a fitness centre near you

• Candidate Preparation Course (CPC)

  This four-day induction to life in the Royal Navy, including a Swimming Test and a fitness assessment, is a pass or fail course

• Start training

  Once you’ve passed a Security Check, you’ll be offered a place at HMS Raleigh

Your Royal Navy career begins with 10 weeks’ basic training at HMS Raleigh, a shore base in Torpoint, Cornwall. The discipline, teamwork, organisational, firefighting and weapon handling skills you learn here will stay with you right through your career.

Aim to get yourself as fit as possible before you arrive. You’ll be doing a lot of physical exercise, and you’ll find it much easier if you’re already in shape.

There's also a swimming test, so if you can't swim, make sure you learn by the time you join us.

You’ll spend seven months at the Defence College of Aeronautical Engineering in Gosport. There you’ll learn survival drills and how to maintain, repair and pack parachutes, life rafts and survival packs, with regular tests to check your progress. You will also carry out a basic survival course and learn how to help with survival training, so you will need a good level of fitness and be a competent swimmer. You’ll then spend time at a Royal Naval Air Station, working closely with experienced aircrew to develop real-world knowledge and skills, before you qualify to sign off servicing work as complete.