INDUSTRY PERSPECTIVE
CONTAC T [email protected] WEBSITEascentflighttraining.comDave Boden
Managing Director, Ascent Flight Training
HOW IS ASCENT DEVELOPING
ITS PARTNERSHIPS WITH ITS
CUSTOMERS AND SUPPLIERS?
Since its inception at the start of the United
Kingdom Military Flying Training System
(UKMFTS) contract in 2008, Ascent has
worked closely and collaboratively with
the MOD in a unique partnering context
to deliver the complex and multifaceted
UKMFTS programme. Ascent and MOD
have a common objective to deliver
highly trained students to the Operational
Conversion Units and the students passing
through our world-class training system
are central to all the decisions we make.
Ascent has also adopted a partnering
approach to its relationships with its key
suppliers – namely our Aircraft Service
Providers (ASPs) Affinity, Airbus and Cobham
as well as our 1B subcontractors: Babcock
and Lockheed Martin who work closely
with Ascent to align their deliverables
with the wider programme objectives in
support of training provision. The UKMFTS
programme owes its success at this point
to the collaborative approach adopted by
all parties invested in the programme.HOW DO THESE PARTNERSHIPS
HELP ASCENT DEVELOP ITS
PRODUCTS AND SERVICES?
The UKMFTS programme is extremely
complex and a true example of the merits
of stepping away from the traditional
customer/supplier relationship to adopt a
more collaborative approach. Within the
partnership, each party has clearly defined
roles and responsibilities; this amalgamation
of experience and specialist knowledge
from each party allows Ascent to deliver a
world-class military flying training system.
The strong partnering culture allows
Ascent to operate in an agile way and
develop, test and refine potential solutions
and enact improvement initiatives
more efficiently than in a traditional
customer/supplier arrangement.WHAT CRITICAL MILESTONES
ARE IN THE OFFING FOR ASCENT?
The next two years are especially
exciting as Ascent brings both the
Fixed-Wing and Rotary-Wing
Programmes online to supplement
the existing Fast Jet and Rear Crew
Programmes already in operation. We
are delivering new aircraft, infrastructure,
ground-based training equipment and
courseware to support our training
system, ensuring that students benefit
from state-of-the-art facilities and
training equipment. This December, the
Elementary Flying Training pipeline will
achieve Initial Course Capability (ICC).
In April next year (2018), the Rotary-
Wing Training Pipeline will achieve ICC,
and June will see the Multi-Engine Training
pipeline achieve ICC. January 2019 will
see Basic Flying Training achieve ICC,
the final one of the contracted UKMFTS
training pipelines to be delivered.WHAT DOES THE LONGER-TERM
FUTURE HOLD FOR ASCENT?
Ascent is going through a period of
transition where the focus adjusts from
equipment and infrastructure procurement
and delivery to operation. At the training
locations, the Ascent site staff and
qualified instructor presence will grow
considerably as we focus on delivering
the UKMFTS world-class training system
in partnership with military instructors
and our supply chain out until 2033.
In parallel, and in response to the
2015 Strategic Defence and Security
Review, Ascent has already started
working with MOD on an outline Training
System Design for several new crew
positions and the best value-for-money
route to increase capacity of some of
the already contracted programmes.A STRONG CULTURE
OF PARTNERSHIP
Ascent Flight Training will deliver rotary-wing training using H135 (background) and H145 helicopters