1.1 The Ministry of Defence (the Department) must train the aircrew it needs to meet its front-line demands. This part explains the Department's aircrew requirements, the number of aircrew being trained and how the training process works. In 2008, the Department contracted with Ascent Flight Training (Management) Limited (Ascent) to design, introduce and manage a new approach to Phase 2 training, known as the Military Flying Training System (MFTS).