AFM Officer Cadet cheat sheet

The Armed Forces of Malta (AFM) is commanded by the Commander of the Armed Forces, a Brigadier-level appointment, who reports to the Minister responsible for defence through the Permanent Secretary.

Force Headquarters (FHQ) is the central command structure; its branches typically include Operations, Personnel and Administration, Logistics, Intelligence, and Policy/Plans, each headed by a senior officer.

Command intent flows downward from Commander AFM through FHQ branch heads to unit commanding officers; routine operational tasking is issued via the Operations Branch duty/operations room.

The AFM is a brigade-sized force in structure, not in headcount; establishment figures are modest and personnel numbers are in the low thousands.

FHQ provides the single point of contact for interagency coordination with the Malta Police Force, Civil Protection Department, and other government entities.

A staff officer at FHQ prepares written staff work (briefs, estimates, orders) that follows the estimate-and-plan cycle rather than verbal-only tasking.

Unit commanding officers hold delegated authority for discipline and training within their unit, while FHQ retains authority for deployments, commitments, and external engagements.

Rank structure follows the British pattern: officer ranks from Second Lieutenant to Brigadier, with non-commissioned ranks from Private to Warrant Officer.

1 Regiment is the AFM's main infantry/light-role land unit, structured around rifle companies and supporting sub-units and tasked with ground defence and internal security support.

3 Regiment provides combat support and specialist capability, including engineering, CBRN/defence-support functions, and support to civil authorities.

4 Regiment provides combat service support: logistics, transport, medical, and sustainment functions that keep the other units operational.

Land unit sub-units are typically organised as companies or batteries, subdivided into platoons and sections, with a section built around a small infantry team under a junior NCO.

Internal security operations in Malta are conducted in support of the Malta Police Force, with the police retaining primacy and the AFM acting under a request for assistance.

Individual and collective training standards are set at FHQ level and delivered by unit training cells; annual training cycles culminate in field exercises.

Force protection is a standing responsibility of every land unit commander, covering perimeter security, access control, and local defence of installations.

Personnel readiness reporting (availability, medical category, fitness) is a unit responsibility and feeds FHQ's ability to generate taskings.

Air Wing is based at Malta International Airport (Luqa) and operates the AFM's fixed-wing and rotary-wing assets.

Air Wing tasks include maritime surveillance, search and rescue support, medical evacuation, transport, and support to other government departments.

Air operations are governed by civil aviation regulation; Malta is an EASA state, so maintenance, airworthiness, and crew licensing follow recognised civil standards.

Air tasking is requested through FHQ and prioritised centrally; aircraft availability, crew duty limits, and weather are the primary constraints on tasking.

Airspace coordination is conducted with Malta Air Traffic Services (MATS) and the airport operator, since AFM aircraft operate within controlled civil airspace.

Rotary-wing assets are the primary means of over-water search and rescue support and casualty evacuation from vessels or inaccessible locations.

Aircrew and ground crew training is continuous; currency (recent experience) on type is a prerequisite for operational tasking.

Flight safety reporting is mandatory: occurrences are reported through the air safety system independent of the operational chain.

The Maritime Squadron is based at Hay Wharf, Floriana, and is responsible for maritime surveillance and patrol of Malta's territorial waters and search and rescue region.

Malta's search and rescue region is one of the largest in the Mediterranean, which drives a high proportion of maritime tasking.

Maritime tasks include SAR coordination support, counter-migration and border surveillance support, fisheries and environmental patrol support, and interdiction support to the police.

The squadron operates offshore patrol vessels and smaller inshore patrol craft; vessel availability and sea state govern sortie generation.

SAR operations in the Maltese region are coordinated by the Rescue Coordination Centre, with the AFM providing assets on request rather than acting as the coordinating authority.

Boarding operations require trained boarding teams and follow legal frameworks for vessel interception, with police primacy in law-enforcement actions.

Maritime crew training includes seamanship, navigation, damage control, and sea survival; sea-going currency is tracked per individual.

Coordination with neighbouring states and with FRONTEX-type operations occurs at the operational level through FHQ and the relevant civil authorities.

The operations estimate follows a structured cycle: mission analysis, factor analysis, course-of-action development, comparison, decision, and orders production.

The mission statement derives from higher commander's intent and must state task, purpose, and any constraints; a mission without a clear purpose is incomplete.

Rules of engagement (ROE) define when force may be used; ROE are always issued in writing and constrain action more tightly than the inherent right of self-defence.

Self-defence is an inherent right and is not restricted by ROE, but the response must be necessary and proportionate.

Operations orders follow a standard format: situation, mission, execution, administration and logistics, command and signal (SMEAC).

The operations room maintains a common operating picture and is the routing point for incident reports, tasking, and situation updates to FHQ.

Operational security (OPSEC) and information handling rules apply to all operational planning; dissemination is on a need-to-know basis.

After-action review is a standard part of every operation and feeds lessons learned back into training and doctrine.

AFM personnel deploy on overseas missions under international mandates, typically EU, UN, or bilateral frameworks, with tasking approved at national level.

Pre-deployment training covers mission-specific rules of engagement, cultural awareness, force protection, and medical/first-aid refresher.

Deployment readiness includes medical fitness, dental fitness, valid documentation, and family/administrative clearance before departure.

Personnel on deployment remain subject to AFM discipline and Maltese law in addition to any mission-specific code of conduct.

Deployed personnel receive allowances and entitlements set by national regulations; these are administered through the personnel branch.

Force protection in a deployed setting includes perimeter defence, convoy procedures, personal security, and communications discipline.

Post-deployment includes decompression/leave, medical screening, and a formal debrief that feeds the lessons-learned process.

Deployment eligibility depends on trade, rank, medical category, and individual readiness; not every volunteer is deployable.

Officer entry for cadets is through a selection process including aptitude testing, physical assessment, medical examination, and an interview board.

Officer cadets complete initial officer training covering leadership, drill, military writing, map reading, and basic tactics before specialising by branch.

Specialisation streams include infantry/land, maritime, air, engineering, logistics, and specialist support roles, assigned according to service need and aptitude.

Career progression is by promotion board against established posts; time in rank, reporting, and course completion are the main criteria.

Reporting (appraisal) is annual and written by the immediate superior; the report is a primary input to promotion and selection for courses.

Key career courses are sequenced by rank: junior officer leadership courses early, staff and command courses at mid-career.

Further education and external courses are funded selectively and normally carry a return-of-service obligation.

Terms of service, engagement lengths, and pension entitlements are set by national regulations and vary by entry scheme.

FHQ staff functions divide into plans (future operations), current operations, and administration; the current-operations cell owns the running battle rhythm.

A staff estimate addresses mission, ground, situation, and own resources, and produces a recommendation rather than a decision; the commander decides.

Staff correspondence follows a formal minute/brief format: subject, background, discussion, recommendation, and signature block.

Intelligence staff produce threat assessments and are the single point for dissemination of intelligence products within FHQ.

Logistics staff own sustainment planning; operational plans are not approved until logistics confirms feasibility.

Personnel staff administer establishments, postings, discipline records, and readiness reporting.

FHQ sets the training directive annually; units produce training programmes that comply with it and report completion.