3.6 Since the 2015 Review, the Department has considered various ways to meet its current requirements for trained aircrew. It has been considering and testing options, developing business cases and putting additional commercial arrangements in place. To speed up this decision-making process, in April 2018 it decided to consider training types separately. It now estimates that through incrementally expanding training capacity it will start increasing the number of trained aircrew from 2020 and will have in place a fully expanded system from 2023. The Department's approach includes:
• Helicopter training: In July 2019, the Department approved funding to recruit and train more civilian instructors and purchase, support and operate a further four helicopters and one simulator via an amendment to the MFTS contract. This will provide the students with more helicopter training and enable some to move straight to helicopter training instead of first undertaking elementary flying training.
• Fixed-wing training: Following course modifications, Navy and Army helicopter students will no longer need to complete elementary flying training, freeing up 2,400 hours to train the additional aircrew required by the 2015 Review. For multi-engine training, the Department is considering options, including a greater use of flight simulators, and continuing to use training providers outside of the MFTS. It plans to decide how to meet this increased requirement by the end of 2019. For basic jet training, in March 2019 the Department agreed with Ascent provisional plans to procure four additional aircraft to incrementally increase the number of aircrew trained.
• Rear crew: The 2015 Review introduced nine new Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft. The Department needs to ensure that the increase in trained aircrew is aligned with these aircraft coming into service. The new aircraft contributed to a 52% increase in the rear crew requirement, from 111 in 2017-18 to 169 in 2022-23. The Department continues to consider how it will address this increased demand, and aims to have an approved approach by the end of 2019.