Meeting the Ministry of Defence's (the Department's) aircrew requirements
10 The Department does not currently have the aircrew it needs. The Department does not have accessible historical data on the students completing the entire three-phase training process. However, using aircrew shortfalls as a proxy shows it has experienced significant personnel gaps for several years. For example, as at April 2019, the Royal Air Force (RAF) - the front-line command requiring the most aircrew - was 331 personnel (18%) below its pilot requirement (paragraph 1.3).
11 In the six years to 2018-19, the Department experienced an average 45% (125 student) shortfall in aircrew completing their Phase 2 training each year. Students must complete Phase 2 training before progressing to the Phase 3 operational training. In its worst year (2018-19), 49 students completed Phase 2, an 86% shortfall against the Department's current aircrew requirements. In its best year (2015-16), 182 students completed Phase 2, a 21% shortfall (paragraph 1.8 and Figure 3).4
12 Students completing Phase 2 training filled 94% (910) out of 965 Phase 3 operational training places between 2015-16 and 2018-19. To complete their training and be ready for service, students learn to fly front-line aircraft, such as Typhoon fast jet or Apache helicopter, during their Phase 3 training run by front-line commands. If the Department meets its stated requirement for 424 students completing Phase 2 training in 2022-23, it will need to increase its Phase 3 training capacity so students can complete their flying training (paragraph 1.9).
13 In the past two years, students have taken longer to complete training than expected. Centrally, the Department does not collect data from across front- line commands on the time students take to complete their three-phase training. Data from the RAF show that as at July 2019 training of its fast-jet pilots took an average of 7.1 years, compared with the Department's optimum time of 3.9 years. The Department told us that while waiting to take up courses students fill other roles, such as in air traffic control, where they help deliver services and develop their personal effectiveness. The data also show that 145 RAF students were due to start their Phase 2 training, having waited an estimated average of 90 weeks, compared with an expected position of 26 students waiting 12 weeks.5 The Department plans to have an appropriate number of students awaiting the next stage of training to ensure that courses do not have gaps.
It recognises this is not currently the case and is seeking to correct this situation. It recognises that extended waiting times can reduce the amount of time aircrew are available on the front line during their career. In 2018-19, fewer than 10 students left the Armed Forces before completing their flying training (paragraphs 1.10 to 1.13 and Figures 4 and 5).
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4 Phase 2 currently consists of aircrew being trained through the Military Flying Training System (the MFTS), but also through other training routes.
5 We were unable to provide full assurance over the data.