Air Power 2017

21 ST CENTURY PARTNERSHIPS AIR POWER 2017 95

21 ST CENTURY CAPABILITIES

Air Vice-Marshal Andy Turner Air Officer Commanding

(AOC) 22 Gp reviews the United Kingdom’s Military Flying Training

System (UKMFTS) and reveals how it is destined to transform pilot

and aircrew training for all three of the country’s armed forces

PILOT PROGRAMME:

THE UK MILITARY FLYING

TRAINING SYSTEM

D

efence is in the middle of a fundamental

reset of military flying training – the

UK Military Flying Training System

(MFTS) is now reaching maturity and

will prepare the next generation of UK air warriors.

A sophisticated private finance initiative (PFI) will

off-board much of the performance and financial risks

and allow the Services to focus on what they have led

the world in for 100 years – airborne instruction. The

MFTS will: deliver an all-glass cockpit array of modern

Lessons have been

learnt with the

introduction of

the Hawk T2 into

4 FTS (4 Flying

Training School)

(PHOTO: CPL PAUL

OLDFIELD/© CROWN

COPYRIGHT)

aircraft; furnish simulators and synthetic emulators at

every level; harness the latest in training technology

and techniques; confront the next generation head-on

with challenging and testing syllabi; renew and reduce

our demand for bases; and remove layers of cost.

Challenges will manifest themselves that will

necessitate careful navigation around inherent PFI

system weaknesses to evolve training to match the

modern expression of air combat and warfare, meet

up-and-down fluctuations in the national demand for