In return, the RAF trains new international
partners, which helps to attract new orders.
Royal Saudi Air Force and Royal Air Force
of Oman students have been a regular
feature at the OCU. From next year Qatari
pilots and engineers will start flowing into
the squadron, which will train the initial
cadre for the stand-up of No 12 Squadron,
the new joint RAF/Qatari training unit.
While the sheer volume of training is something
to behold, the quality must remain constant.
Companies such as Lincoln-based Inzpire are
helping the RAF maintain that quality through
continuity and experience. It’s these factors that
mean the OCU serves as the RAF’s Typhoon
centre of excellence, running exercises such
as Triplex Warrior, which is the premier UK-US
exercise of the year. Cobra Warrior, run by No
92 Squadron from the Air Warfare Centre, is
an exercise with European partners that also
serves as the capstone event for the Luftwaffe
Eurofighter weapons instructor course.
As the threat becomes more capable
and the Typhoon moves into follow-on
upgrades, the OCU will need to adapt,
while being careful not to ‘balloon’ training
to a point where young students become
jacks of all trades but masters of none.
The simulator is pivotal in this; indeed, such
advanced tactics are arguably not something
the RAF would want to fly in the real world.
Certain areas of training, including working
with the F-35, are better kept in the secure
confines of the simulator. Ultimately, it will
mean pushing the young men and women at
the OCU to find new ways of doing business.
Chisholm says: “We often wonder if we are
pushing a step too far, but it rarely is.” Ultimately,
the young students coming through the
system today are able to absorb an incredible
range of missions, without being burdened
by preconceived values from their previous
legacy platforms. And, as Chisholm reflects:
“When you’re sat in this beast at 30,000ft,
you realise what an amazing job this is.”
Top: A new student instructor ‘steps’ with
instructors for an upgrade fl ight. Above: In future,
training at No 29 Squadron will be mainly carried
out in single-seat jets, as the ‘tubs’ are phased
out and reduced to spares. Below: Instructor and
student ‘crew in’ for a T-bird trip.AFMhttp://www.airforcesmonthly.com #362 MAY 2018 // 83