The MoD has scrapped the Air Support to Defence Operational Training (ASDOT) programme.

ASDOT would have seen British pilots trained against jets supplied by industry partners, however the contract has now been halted with no winner selected.

A Ministry of Defence spokesperson said:

“We received a number of industry proposals in response to the ASDOT invitation to negotiation. We will now re-assess the parameters for the programme.”

One of the selling points of the contract was that it would eliminate maintenance and storage costs of the aircraft used, with the MoD only paying for the time it worked with the aircraft.

Another plus would have been that the aircraft used would likely have been different to those operated by British pilots, providing experience of working with or against aircraft types not in use by British forces.

Last year, Cobham announced that QinetiQ had joined Draken International and 3SDL as a member of the Cobham team to develop solutions for the delivery of operational readiness training under the ASDOT programme. Another notable contender was the Leonardo, Top Aces and Inzpire team, named Red Aces.

The ASDOT programme was designed to meet the training component of UK air support across the Air Force, Navy, Army and Joint Forces Commands from 2020, progressively replacing existing contracted and military service provision as these programmes expire or reach their planned end of service date.

In June 2016 the Ministry of Defence released information on what the UK Military Flight Training Systems Project Team would be seeking from the multi-phased programme.

These requirements – which were still subject to refinement – covered the provision of live flying assets to meet training requirements for air to air combat; air to surface combat; joint terminal attack controller / forward air controller (airborne); electronic warfare; air traffic control, ground based air defence and aerospace battle management; and live gunnery.

It’s unknown if the programme will resurface.

Avatar photo
George has a degree in Cyber Security from Glasgow Caledonian University and has a keen interest in naval and cyber security matters and has appeared on national radio and television to discuss current events. George is on Twitter at @geoallison
Subscribe
Notify of
guest

19 Comments
oldest
newest
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Daniele Mandelli
Daniele Mandelli
4 years ago

Cobham already provide aircraft out of Bournmouth Hurn for this sort of thing.

Prevents 100 Squadron and 736 NAS getting the chop?

@davidbillinge
@davidbillinge
4 years ago

I have heard that Hawk T mk 1 aircraft are beginning to re surface for pilot training In Yorkshire

Fedaykin
Fedaykin
4 years ago

A curious development, I wonder if Humphrey at ThinPinstripeLine has any insight on this?

Joe
Joe
4 years ago
Reply to  Fedaykin

Whatever Humphrey says, it will be in supportive of the government.

For that is his job.

Robert Blay
Robert Blay
4 years ago
Reply to  Joe

I think he writes the most balanced and informative defence articles currently available on the web.

SoleSurvivor
SoleSurvivor
4 years ago
Reply to  Robert Blay

Well behind Gabriel for level of detail, Humphrey is more opinion than insight.

Fedaykin
Fedaykin
4 years ago
Reply to  Robert Blay

Agreed, unfortunately the Arm Chair brigade often don’t like what he has to say.

Will
Will
4 years ago

I wonder how much this particular exercise cost?

JohnHartley
JohnHartley
4 years ago

Jordan was trying to sell 12 upgraded Hawk Mk 63. If the MoD could buy those cheap, they would be ideal for this role.
Looking at the reported financial troubles of Bristow, with the potential risk to UK air sea rescue, makes me wonder whether the rush to privatise military roles was/is a big mistake.

DaveyB
DaveyB
4 years ago
Reply to  JohnHartley

Yes, its a stupid decision to replace military roles with contractors. For starters everything is done to contract, anything extra out of scope costs significantly. There’s no flexibility to do anything but what has been agreed within the contract, unless you want to renegotiate or pay extra. The most important problem is that it reduces your need for skilled manpower. Which means during a crisis there’s even less down time for those still serving. The MOD have got it in their heads that contracting out is a win-win situation, when the opposite is true. The promotion of “contractorisation” is driven… Read more »

Daniele Mandelli
Daniele Mandelli
4 years ago
Reply to  DaveyB

Couldn’t agree more Davey.

I recall our RAF Canberras used to do some of the duties Cobham do now?

Calibration duties and 115 squadron I think?

Mark T
Mark T
4 years ago

It was 360 Squadron for jamming radar and 100 Squadron for target towing etc. I believe they had a rather dubious wartime role of visual maritime recce, as I don’t think 360’s radar spoofing capabilities were capable enough for combat over Europe.

Keithdwat
Keithdwat
4 years ago

Oh how I’d love to see another Canberra!

HF
HF
4 years ago
Reply to  DaveyB

‘Yes, its a stupid decision to replace military roles with contractors’

Absolutely right.

Robert Toland
Robert Toland
4 years ago
Reply to  JohnHartley

They formed the core element of Babcock’s bid, plus King Airs, and offer no increase in capability than a Hawk Tmk1. The fleet had an average of 4,500hrs on them with the Adours averaging iro 2,500hrs.

They were going to use HHA’s Hunters to cover any ‘transition’ period given the advantage (perhaps an unfair one) that they have aircraft on the MAR, ironically with no contracts with MOD for coming on 5 years.

Keithdwat
Keithdwat
4 years ago

Heres a radical idea, it may sound ridiculous but how about the RAF/FAA/AAC train their own people instead of relying on outsourced companies, that goes with most things defence.
Insane I know! Train your own forces!
Privatisation has gone too far.

Daniele Mandelli
Daniele Mandelli
4 years ago
Reply to  Keithdwat

Hear hear.

Robert Toland
Robert Toland
4 years ago

Bottom-line is that MoD will hide behind the affordability excuse and say industry couldn’t provide a solution for what they expected. They placed the contract value at £495 million NPV for the 15 total years which equates to about £750 million through the life of the programme at 3% increase per year and this tallies with the contract notice of late 2017. Having seen two of the bids through-life costs, the programme was affordable, and through negotiation they may have got to a contracting position. What’s likely to have happened is one of three things: The spend profile in the… Read more »

Tonka Tony
Tonka Tony
4 years ago
Reply to  Robert Toland

Ooh, pray do tell, which 2 bidders was it?

You’ve already mentioned Babcock so who’s the other?