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Written Question
Air Force: Training
Friday 19th April 2024

Asked by: Nick Smith (Labour - Blaenau Gwent)

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 16 April 2024 to Question 20584 on Air Force: Training, what constitutes a Front Line Operational Conversion Unit; what the average cost of such a Unit was in each year since 2018-19; and how many such Units the RAF had in each such year.

Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)

Operational Conversion Units (OCU) support operational output through type specific training on front line aircraft for aircrew, engineers and other ground personnel as required. They also provide refresher training for personnel who have previously operated the aircraft type and are returning to the type following other tours of duty in the wider Service.

The average costs of Operational Conversion Units are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Between 2018 and 2023 there were five OCUs. In 2023 a sixth OCU was formed.


Written Question
Air Force: Training
Friday 19th April 2024

Asked by: Nick Smith (Labour - Blaenau Gwent)

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 16 April 2024 to Question 20584 on Air Force: Training, how many RAF pilots completed their phase 2 training but did not complete training to the level required to operate Front Line Operational Conversion Units in each year since 2018-19.

Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)

The following table details the number of personnel who have not completed Operational Conversion Unit (OCU) flying conversion courses, across all the OCUs in each year.

2018-19 - Nil

2019-20 - Nil

2020-21 - Nil

2021-22 - One

2022-23 - Three

2023-24 - Nil

Personnel who do not complete an OCU flying conversion course for a specific frontline aircraft type are considered for re-streaming of their career path. They may subsequently successfully complete another OCU conversion course for a different aircraft type or be re-streamed into wider ground-based RAF Profession.


Written Question
Air Force: Training
Friday 19th April 2024

Asked by: Nick Smith (Labour - Blaenau Gwent)

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 16 April 2024 to Question 20584 on Air Force: Training, what the average cost was of training a Royal Air Force pilot to Phase 2 Military Flying Training in the each of the training years between 2018-19 and 2023-24.

Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)

The average cost of flying training per trainee is not currently compiled on an annual basis. The last time in-depth cost modelling conducted was in Financial Year 2021-22.

The average cost of flying training for Royal Air Force (RAF) pilots in Financial Year 2021-22 was as follows:

RAF Fast Jet: £5,362,085

RAF Multi Engine: £ 953,817

RAF Rotary Wing: £1,041,843

The above figures include pay, support costs and costs within the UK Military Flying Training System (UKMFTS) contract up to the point a trainee pilot commences training on a front line aircraft as part of an Operational Conversion Unit.


Written Question
Air Force: Training
Friday 19th April 2024

Asked by: Nick Smith (Labour - Blaenau Gwent)

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 16 April 2024 to Question 20584 on Air Force: Training, for what reason fewer pilots successfully completed Phase 2 Military Flying Training in the training years (a) 2022-23 and (b) 2023-24; and what assessment he has made of the potential impact of that reduction in numbers on the UK’s preparedness for military conflict.

Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)

The number of Royal Air Force (RAF) pilots who successfully completed Phase 2 Military Flying Training in training years 2022-23 and 2023-24 was in line with requirement. There is no impact on the UK’s preparedness for military conflict; the UK continues to train the required number of RAF pilots, on time, to world-leading standards.


Written Question
Air Force: Training
Friday 19th April 2024

Asked by: Nick Smith (Labour - Blaenau Gwent)

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 16 April 2024 to Question 20584 on Air Force: Training, what the target number of Royal Air Force pilots was for successful completion of Phase 2 Military Flying Training in each of the training years between 2018-19 and 2023-24.

Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)

Between 2018-19 and 2023-24, Phase 2 Military Flying Training pilot output achieved 100% of the training targets to enable Front Line operations. I am withholding the specific information requested as its disclosure would, or would be likely to prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the Armed Forces.


Written Question
Air Force: Training
Thursday 18th April 2024

Asked by: Nick Smith (Labour - Blaenau Gwent)

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the oral contribution of the Minister for Defence Procurement in response to the question from the hon. Member for Blaenau Gwent on 25 March 2024, Official Report, column 1253, whether the RAF have met their quota for successfully trained pilots in (a) 2020-21, (b) 2021-22 and (c) 2022-23.

Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)

Yes.


Written Question
Air Force: Training
Thursday 18th April 2024

Asked by: Nick Smith (Labour - Blaenau Gwent)

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the oral contribution of the Minister for Defence Procurement in response to the question from the hon. Member for Blaenau Gwent on 25 March 2024, Official Report, column 1253, whether he expects the RAF to meet their quota for successfully trained pilots this year.

Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)

Yes.


Written Question
Air Force: Training
Tuesday 16th April 2024

Asked by: Nick Smith (Labour - Blaenau Gwent)

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the oral contribution of the Minister for Defence Procurement in response to the question from the hon. Member for Blaenau Gwent on 25 March 2024, Official Report, column 1253, how many RAF pilots successfully completed their training in each year since 2018.

Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)

Training Year (April to March)

Number of Royal Air Force (RAF) pilots successfully completed Phase 2 Military Flying Training

2018-19

34

2019-20

67

2020-21

72

2021-22

73

2022-23

64

2023-24

51

Note: The figures detailed in the table above are for RAF pilots who successfully completed Phase 2 military flying training. Phase 2 flying training is defined as commencing after completion of Initial Officer Training (IOT) and up until (but not including) Front Line Operational Conversion Units (OCUs).


Written Question
Air Force: Military Bases
Thursday 25th January 2024

Asked by: Nick Smith (Labour - Blaenau Gwent)

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what his Department's policy is on the use of RAF airfields by private planes.

Answered by James Cartlidge - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by Baroness Goldie to the Noble Lady Baroness Randerson on 13 December 2021 to Question HL4655 in the House of Lords.


Written Question
Defence Equipment: Procurement
Monday 20th September 2021

Asked by: Nick Smith (Labour - Blaenau Gwent)

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of state, what recent progress has been made on the delivery of the Defence Equipment Plan 2020; and if he will make a statement.

Answered by Jeremy Quin

An update on the Equipment Plan was published in January 2021 but did not reflect the impact of the Spending Review and a £24 billion cash increase in the Defence Budget over four years. An updated Equipment Plan reflecting this increase in funding and the Defence Command Paper will be published in due course.