• Air Warfare

  RAF fighter pilot training situation is “unacceptable” for UK taxpayer, says industry official

  14th March 2024

  While the head of the Royal Air Force admits the ongoing issues with the service's ability to train its fighter pilots, no concrete plans were put in place to resolve the problem. What steps could the RAF take to ensure the readiness of its pilot force for future challenges?

• Defence Helicopter

  Updated: UK New Medium Helicopter bidders ready to move as soon as MoD confirms timeline

  23rd June 2023

  The lack of clearly defined acquisition targets for the UK New Medium Helicopter programme continues to pose challenges to the timeline of introducing the new rotorcraft into service by 2025.

• Training

  Aeralis and AirTanker partner to explore fast jet pilot training

  31st January 2023

  The MoU signed between Aeralis and AirTanker will assess upcoming contracts in military flying training and also defence operational training and combat air support roles.

• Training

  Textron to develop new US Navy training aircraft

  1st February 2023

  The new T-54A Multi-Engine Training System turboprops will replace the ageing fleet of T-44 Pegasus (King Air 90) aircraft and provide students with advanced instrument and asymmetric engine handling training.

• Defence Notes

  What can the UK do to stop former pilots helping China?

  24th October 2022

  While new legislations and penalties may help deter some former Royal Air Force pilots from training Chinese personnel, the UK should realise it has played a role in alienating its retirees and needs to better look after its people, experts say.

• Training

  Royal Air Force modernisation and training experience a plunge

  23rd September 2022

  Along with the British Army, the Royal Air Force has lost out on the Integrated Review and the UK MoD has taken risky bets. It is in need of an honest review and ministers should accept that wrong assumptions were made.

• Training

  Royal Air Force pilot training troubles not going away

  16th August 2022

  The issue around the Royal Air Force’s fast jet pilot training is multifaceted with no quick fixes at hand. What is the UK not getting right?

• Training

  IT2EC 2022: Ascent shakes up Shawbury and eyes overseas students

  27th April 2022

  Will the RAF follow the example of the Army Air Corps and Fleet Air Arm by venturing into rotary-only training at Shawbury?

• Training

  RAF Valley undergoes fast-jet training transformation

  21st March 2022

  The UK MoD and industry partner Ascent Flight Training are in the process of wrapping up their study into fast-jet pilot training with a more streamlined course expected to be the result.

• Defence Helicopter

  UK orders more Airbus helicopters

  2nd February 2022

  Five extra H135s are being supplied by Airbus to the UK MoD.

• Training

  More GECOs boost MFTS training

  10th November 2021

  UKMFTS will supplement current GECO mission planning devices used on the T-6 Harvard with devices on other fixed-wing and rotary-wing fleets.

• Training

  I/ITSEC 2021: Elbit emphasises cross-domain integration

  25th November 2021

  Shephard talks to Elbit Systems and Elbit Systems UK about the upcoming I/ITSEC 2021 and developments concerning UK programmes.

• Training

  Ascent obtains additional UK flight training contract

  1st November 2021

  Second ‘uplift’ contract under MFTS includes more Texan trainers and simulators.

• Training

  UK pilots Sprint to graduation

  20th July 2021

  Ascent Flight Training provides details of the CAE Sprint flight training device now being used at RAF Valley as part of MFTS.

• Training

  FAcT slims down to winning pair

  12th August 2021

  The FAcT programme for the Royal Canadian Air Force is down to two bidders with a contract award expected in 2023.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Military helicopters - multirole

  H135 (UK)

  Programme BackgroundAirbus Helicopters UK announced on 2 February 2022 that it has won an order to provide five additional H135 twin-engine helicopters for the MoD. The ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Air: fixed-wing flight simulators

  UK MFTS

  The Military Flying Training System (MFTS) programme, is a private finance initiative involving the MoD and Ascent, a JV of Lockheed Martin and Babcock, which was ...

• Trainer

  Phenom 100

  Phenom 100 is a very light jet originally developed for single owner-pilot operation but later gained popularity as a jet trainer aircraft. The platform first ...

• Air: helicopter flight simulators

  CAE 700MR

  The CAE 700MR FTD is a full mission simulator platform for military helicopter-specific flight and mission training. It is a fixed-base system based on CAE's ...