RAF recruits waited a median of 356 days between submitting an application and starting basic training in the year to June 2026, substantially longer than applicants to the Royal Navy or Army, according to figures released by the Ministry of Defence.
The figures were disclosed by Veterans and People Minister Calvin Bailey in response to a written parliamentary question from Liberal Democrat MP Alex Brewer, who asked what assessment had been made of recruitment delays and how long candidates typically wait before commencing basic training.
Bailey said: “For the period 1 July 2025 to 30 June 2026, the median time between submitting an application and commencing basic training was 252 days in the Royal Navy, 247 days in the Army and 356 days in the Royal Air Force.”
That puts the RAF median at just under a year from initial application to the start of basic training, compared with a little over eight months for both the Royal Navy and Army. The minister said recruitment timelines had improved in the Royal Navy and Army compared with the previous reporting period, attributing the change to reforms intended to speed up entry into the Armed Forces.
The MOD could not, however, provide a comparable figure for the period between a recruit attending a medical assessment and beginning training.
Bailey said: “The data capturing the time between recruits attending their medical assessment and commencing basic training is not held centrally in a comparable or meaningfully comparable for each of the Armed Forces.”
The department acknowledged that some candidates continue to wait longer than it would like, with recruitment timelines affected by medical and security checks, the availability of specialist training places and choices made by applicants themselves.
Bailey added: “Recruitment timelines are affected by a range of factors, including medical and security checks, the availability of specialist training places, and candidate choice.”
The MOD also stressed that not every long recruitment period represents an administrative delay. Some applicants choose to postpone joining while completing education, remaining in existing employment or waiting for a specific role or training date.
Bailey said: “It is also important to recognise that many applicants choose to defer entry to complete education, honour existing employment commitments, or wait for their preferred role or training start date.”
Defence has introduced a series of changes intended to reduce the time between application and entry. These include conditional offers of employment within 10 days and provisional training start dates within 30 days.
The department has also removed more than 100 medical policies it considers outdated, expanded digital access to candidates’ medical records and changed communications with applicants during the recruitment process.
The reforms are also feeding into development of the Armed Forces Recruitment Service, which is intended to provide a more unified and flexible approach to recruiting personnel across the services. Bailey said Defence would continue using lessons from the current reforms to improve the process and help candidates enter the Armed Forces more quickly.
Bin Crapita and return recruitment to local bases – that’s what worked for me
Does anyone know the comparative figure from the early 90s when the RAF had a much bigger training organisation?
Would give it a better perspective?
I had to wait 18 months to join the RN back in 99. I applied December 97, and started training in May 99. It very much depends on what trade group you are applying for. Some roles you could be in within 3 or 4 months.
Thanks mate, so, not necessarily a new phenomenon.
Not really. Wait times have gone up and down the years. I remember the recruiters pressing me to join up as a operator mechanic back in the day because i could start training in 3 months. But i had my heart set of the FAA. RAF Halton has reported record numbers of new recruits passing phase 1 training at Halton over the last year or so. Seen some pictures of some very large passing out parades.
My son (Young Tony) applied to the RN in March 2003, and actually joined in January 2004.