£1.1 billion investment by MOD in future military flying training
More than a billion pounds is to be invested by the Ministry of Defence to continue the modernisation of military flying training in the UK.
The UK Military Flying System will prepare pilots for flying aircraft such as the A400M. Crown Copyright.
The new Fixed Wing flying training system will provide modern training aircraft as well as up-to-date ground based training devices such as simulators and classroom learning for aircrew across the Royal Air Force, Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm and Army Air Corps.
A £1.1 billion contract has been placed with Ascent Flight Training to design, deliver and manage the Fixed Wing training service until 2033 and is expected to provide roughly 200 jobs across the UK, particularly at the key training bases.
Personnel will also be able to fly Voyager aircraft - used for air-to-air refuelling - on completion of their training. Crown Copyright.
Minister of State for Defence Procurement Philip Dunne said:
This is fantastic news for the future of our military aircrew, providing them with a modern training system which will equip them to deliver on the front line.
With our strong commitment to air power as part of the Strategic Defence and Security Review and our investment of £178 billion in equipment over the next 10 years, this contract is further proof of our commitment to invest in the UK’s defence capabilities for the future, ensuring that we continue to be a world leader in military flying training.
The contract, which will cover provision of Elementary Flying Training, Basic Flying Training and Multi-Engine Pilot Training, will deliver through a single prime contractor, ensuring coherent delivery of the training system.
The UK Military Flying Training System will train 230 students per year.
Air Marshal Sir Baz North, the Senior Responsible Owner for UKMFTS, added:
The UK MFTS Fixed Wing Contract provides enhanced synthetic and live flying training for the UK’s military aircrew out to 2033. The service employs modern, adaptable and sustainable systems which exploit the advantages of the simulated environment to prepare our aircrew to meet the challenges of future combat operations.
Air Vice-Marshal Sue Gray, Director of Combat Air at the MOD’s Defence Equipment & Support said:
This contract will replace legacy fleets of aircraft with new, modern platforms that better replicate the aircraft used by front line operational squadrons.
Up-to-date training methods will also be developed to ensure that students are able to progress to operational training more efficiently and provide value for money.
The new Fixed Wing flying training system will provide modern training aircraft as well as up-to-date ground based training devices such as simulators and classroom learning for aircrew across the Services. Crown Copyright.
Multi-Engine Pilot Training will be in place from mid-2018 and Basic Flying Training element up and running by early 2019.
Ascent, selected as the MOD’s flying training partner in 2008, will be required to deliver the instruction, infrastructure and support required to provide flying training across the three Armed Services until 2033.