with the aerospace industry. Gone are
the archaic VC10 and Tristar air-to-air
refuelers, replaced by a shiny eet
of highly capable new Airbus A330
Voyager tanker/transports. The A400M
Atlas airlifters receive their deep
maintenance not from RAF engineers,
but from the airline Flybe. The service
has managed such projects while
managing to maintain the squadron
identities and ethos that have made the
RAF one of the world’s nest air forces
throughout its 100 years.
Yet, beneath the veneer, problems
still exist — not least the issue of
manning, attracting the caliber of
men and women that is so essential in
maintaining that winning ‘ ghting edge’.While newer platforms and enhanced
simulation enable a ‘leaner’ approach
to both domestic and expeditionary
operations, a squadron cannot be in
two places at one time. The RAF’s ve
front-line Typhoon squadrons represent
a case in point — they are pushed to the
absolute maximum with little breathing
space. The forthcoming F-35Bs of No
617 Squadron ‘Dambusters’ will surely
follow the same path. The USAF ghter
squadrons have openly acknowledged
an ‘aircrew crisis’ and the RAF is likely
facing a similar problem — a serious
manning shortfall.
In the 1970s, the RAF said it needed
ve squadrons just to cover UK
domestic QRA. That wasn’t aboutnumbers of aircraft, but the drain of an
enduring commitment and its impact
on units. While two new RAF Typhoon
squadrons are planned, and should
have been formed by now, manning
would appear to be a limiting factor.
Adding to the pressures, a joint Qatari
training squadron is now planned for
establishment at Coningsby, following
the Typhoon’s export success of 2017.
The RAF seems to have su cient jets
to equip seven 12-aircraft squadrons,
but it’s apparently struggling to nd the
manpower. Well-trained, experienced
pilots are leaving for the airlines or
to well-paid jobs as expats in the
Middle East.
The RAF desperately needs to have
seven fully manned Typhoon squadrons.
That means having engineers who
aren’t on back-to-back deployments
and exercises — the air arm needs the
capacity to enable its personnel to have
the proper work-life balance.
It’s extraordinary how much output the
RAF generates from its people and its
equipment given its overall size. There
can be little argument that the quality of
the aircraft is world-leading — pairing
the Typhoon with the F-35 represents
an enviable partnership. In terms of
value for money, most would agree
that this has improved dramatically in
recent decades. However, the RAF also
requires the capacity — and an increase
in funding — to help secure its future,
rather than risking an erosion of the
ethos that has underpinned it for the
past century.Above: It’s vital
that the RAF
is properly
resourced by
a Ministry of
Defence that
demands so
much from
this committed
service. USMC/
Cpl Benjamin
McDonald
Below: Five brand-
new Embraer
Phenoms will
modernize the
RAF’s multi-
engine training
capabilities.
Affi nity Flight
Training Systemshttp://www.combataircraft.net // April 2018 35
30-35 RAF 100 C.indd 35 16/02/2018 10:15