New Types Selected for UK Flying Training

The contractor running the outsourced UK Military Flight Training System (MFTS) has confirmed that it has chosen Affinity Group's bid to provide fixed-wing training. The decision by Ascent Flight Training means that three new types will be adopted for elementary, basic and multi-engine training of future British military pilots. The types are the Grob G120TP, Beechcraft T-6C and Embraer Phenom 100, respectively.

Ascent is a joint venture between Lockheed Martin and Babcock International that is providing the management and course design for MFTS under a 25-year contract. Affinity is a teaming of Elbit Systems and KBR (Kellogg, Brown and Root). Two other bids to provide fixed-wing training were found to be non-compliant when first considered. Affinity’s solution must be approved by the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) before a contract can be awarded. The new aircraft will replace Grob G115s, Embraer Tucanos and Beechcraft King Air 200s. The basic training is likely to be consolidated alongside fast-jet training, at RAF Anglesey in North Wales.

Meanwhile, Ascent has received three bids for the provision of future military rotary-wing training (RWT) in the UK. They are from Airbus Helicopters, Cobham and Elbit Systems. Ascent said that it will not award the contract for RWT until early 2016, a schedule that would see training of ab initio students start in 2018. The current contract to train military helicopter pilots in the UK is held by FB Heliservices, a joint venture between Bristow Helicopters and Cobham. It has already been extended twice. The joint venture provides Airbus Helicopters AS350B Squirrels and Bell 412EP Griffins.