Qualified Weapons Instructor

Qualified Weapons Instructor (QWI) (queue-why) is a qualification given to graduates of the Royal Air Force or Royal Navy Qualified Weapons Instructor courses. It is the equivalent to the United States Air Force Weapons School Course or US Navy's Naval Strike and Air Warfare Center warfare schools (including TOPGUN). Graduates of a QWI course are entitled to wear a QWI 'patch' on their flying suit or combat uniform, which denotes their status as an expert practitioner in their warfare specialty or platform. While QWI, TOPGUN and the United States Air Force Weapons School were traditionally associated with the employment of kinetic weapons and with historical origins in the combat aircraft community, modern warfare experts recognize that kinetic and non-kinetic weapons systems are critical in current and future combat engagements. This is reflected in the expansion of the respective warfare schools over the past two decades Recognizing this, the RAF has recently expanded the QWI qualification to included several non-kinetic fields and now strives to achieve Full Spectrum Warfare through effects based warfare. QWI is not to be confused with QFI (Qualified Flying Instructor) which is a non-tactical qualification.

Recognizing that modern warfare requires Effects-based operations and Full-spectrum dominance, the RAF has expanded its QWI programme beyond pure weapons kinetic effects and fighter aircraft tactics. Much like the equivalent weapons and warfare schools in the US, the RAF now qualifies expert level instructors in many fields.

As of January 2017 the RAF delivers the following courses.

As requirements continue to evolve for the RAF, future courses may be created as requirements dictate.

Applicants to the QWI program are usually at the end of the first or second tour of duty and have operationally demonstrated above average qualities and capabilities in their field and are usually the top performing aircrew or operators in their squadron.

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