2.37 As well as training UK military aircrew, the Department trains international students. The Department does this to:
• create financial income;
• build relationships with other nations; and
• increase foreign buyers' interest in UK military equipment.
2.38 The new core training has been designed to meet UK needs. It will contain no capacity to train international students. There are too few instructors and aircraft throughout the system to meet any future international defence training requirements beyond 2018. Extra international defence training would require more military instructors and, potentially, more airspace, aircraft and associated infrastructure if there is to be no impact on the Department's ability to train UK aircrew. Ascent would also need more funding to provide international training as well as its contracted UK requirements.