The Ministry of Defence has said the Royal Air Force is in ongoing discussions with both private and allied training providers to expand pilot training capacity and address a short-term rise in demand.
In a written answer to Conservative MP Andrew Snowden, Defence Minister Louise Sandher-Jones said the RAF Directorate of Flying Training “continues to engage on a regular basis with private and allied training providers regarding pilot training capacity.”
She confirmed that recent discussions with private companies are being held “in line with the Strategic Defence Review 2025, recommendation 48d,” which calls for a review of external training options.
These talks, she said, are focused on “assessing the cost-effectiveness and viability of private training providers for elements of multi-engine pilot training to meet a short-term increase in front-line demand for multi-engine pilots due to the introduction of new Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance (ISTAR) platforms within the RAF.”
For allied training providers, engagement is taking place through the NATO Flight Training Europe project and Air Staff talks with partner nations.
The minister said it is not currently possible to disclose further details of discussions due to the commercial tender process and pending defence engagement agreements.
Hold talks, investigating, studying,, researching , canvassing opinion, tending for interest but never actually making a damned decision and putting money in place. Kick the can down the damned road again and again
What are these new multi engine ISTAR platforms they are referring to? I can only see it being P8 and E7
Surely training up pilots to fly a grand total of 12 x 737’s (9 x P8 and 3 x E7) is not a big deal
Or does this indicate we are getting more?
The RAF appears to be much shorter on planes than it is pilots at present unless we see some big orders coming in the Defence Investment Plan which seems unlikely now Rachel from accounts has gotten involved.
Have you ever met Rachael ?
I have on a couple of occasions.
I assume the 3 E7. Multi engine training at Cranwell has a handful of Phenom.
why cant we just train our pilots in house.
instead of farming it out.
what if in the future china or Russia buys out these companies [ just my imagination ] its either we need them urgently . or we are just wasting time and money.??
it just seems we are the only country in Europe that’s not taking china and Russia seriously enough. or am I just dreaming..
surely, urgently, we need to be ready to defend, before they may come a knocking..
just my humble opinion.?
There are a lot of People in this Country that take them seriously, It’s just the people we entrust that seem not to.
Another part of the RAF that worked with 1, 2, 3, 4, and 7 FTS until the politicians got their mitts on it and started cutting and civilianising.
And had the ASSETS to maintain a trainee pipeline, and enough QFIs at the OCUs to keep the conveyor going there.
AEFs and UAS. Elementary.
1 FTS. Basic.
2 FTS. Rotary.
3 FTS. Multi engine and navigator.
4 FTS. Advanced.
7 FTS. Basic, supporting 1 FTS.
Cut to the point that basic is a Sqn now within 4 FTS with a handful of Texan. Even the dedicated FT area for basic is gone with Linton closed and amalgamated with Valley.
Result. Too few assets, pilots waiting, and possibility of sending trainees abroad.
That was the norm for many countries, like Germany, who sent pilots to Holloman in New Mexico, but not the once mighty RAF.
Cut too much, too far, and now we pay the price.
Farming this out to a private company means that company is makign profits. It is sometimes cheaper for aprivate company to do work than for the RAF to do it internally as military pay scales, maintainence costs, faciltiies costs etc are huge, and commercial offers synergy. For example the RAF is not going to run an in house laundry service. However, In this particular scenario where trainers need to be purchased, and comparatively very very niche skills need to be developed, this makes no sense at all. We need to fund it in house, and we need to buy some trainers.
Another great step backwards.
Ahhh talks, that will solve the problem. No need for action. Talks will do the job. Fukin clowns.