Contribute to RAF operational effectiveness through the promotion and development of Ice Hockey in order to enrich the physical fitness, courage, fortitude and esprit de corps of participants.

Ice hockey encourages individuals to participate in a sport that is not just being part of a team but a family. Ice hockey builds an individual’s fitness, resilience and confidence, all of which assist in attributing to an additional important health benefit – an individual’s mental wellbeing. These are the skills and characteristics that the UK Armed Forces nourish to promote individual and team performance, whilst operating in the UK and deploying overseas on operations. Throughout the year the RAF ice hockey teams are provided the opportunity to compete in the RAF Championship and Tri-Services competition. The RAF Championship is a competition held between the five regional teams, concluding with the winners being crowned ‘RAF Champs’. The Tri-Services tournament see’s regional teams in direct competition with Army Regiments and the Royal Navy. Each day concludes with an Inter-Service game between either the RAF Aces, the Army Blades and the Royal Navy Destroyers. These competitions are great opportunities for individuals at all levels to gain experience and share knowledge. 2019 produced a new competition, the RAF Ice Hockey Open Championship (RAFIHOC). This competition marks a positive step that strengthens the crucial bond between military and civilian ice hockey.

RAF ice hockey seizes every opportunity to travel across the pond to compete and train with other nations, developing and building positive relationships for the future of UK Armed Forces Ice Hockey.

To encourage grassroots players, the RAFIHA created the Learn To Play (LTP) initiative, which is scheduled on several occasions throughout the year at the Telford Ice Arena. LTP allows grassroots personnel to receive focused coaching over a 3-day period. These camps provide individuals with the opportunity to try ice hockey and ascertain whether they wish to train with one of the regional teams and aspire to play for the RAF Aces or the all-women’s RAF Pumas team.  RAF ice hockey is about teamwork, resilience, mental well-being and professionalism, but more so it is about the bringing together of personnel who have a common passion for chasing a puck around the ice and having fun.