Air Support to Defence Operational Training

Last updated

Air Support to Defence Operational Training
General information
Issued by UK Ministry of Defence
Service
RequirementProcurement of military air training support services
History
InitiatedJune 2016
OutcomeCancelled (March 2019)
SuccessorsMedium-to-Fast Speed Operational Readiness Training aerial support service

The Air Support to Defence Operational Training (ASDOT), was a proposed programme whereby training in defence for aircrew in the armed forces of the United Kingdom would be provided by a civilian contractor. It was to include all air training undertaken under the umbrella of the Ministry of Defence (MOD); Royal Air Force (RAF), Fleet Air Arm (FAA), the Army Air Corps (AAC) and any units which came under the aegis of Joint Forces Command. The project was originally scheduled to go live in 2020, with training being folded into the programme when existing measures and contracts expired. The project was cancelled in March 2019 and re-launched in October 2021.

Contents

Background

The ASDOT programme proposed to replace the Royal Air Force's Hawk T1A aircraft which are operated by No. 100 Squadron in the aggressor role XX284 CA Hawk T.1A RAF Leeming 100 Sqdn. (3150836698).jpg
The ASDOT programme proposed to replace the Royal Air Force's Hawk T1A aircraft which are operated by No. 100 Squadron in the aggressor role

The Fleet Air Arm Hawk T1 of 736 Naval Air Squadron were due to be phased out in 2020 and the ASDOT programme would then have assumed training for the Royal Navy. Additionally it was proposed that the Hawk T1 aircraft operated by the RAF's No. 100 squadron would be retired from their aggressor role in 2027, with the capability provided by the ASDOT programme. [1] [2]

Cobham Aviation Services supply fifteen Falcon 20 aircraft to use in the aggressor and electronic warfare role for the RAF and the Royal Navy. These aircraft are based at Bournemouth Airport and Durham Tees Valley Airport. It was expected that these aircraft would be replaced by a newer (or more capable) platform. [3]

History

In June 2016, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) announced the contract detailing the requirements of the future training programme, which was still under review. The purpose was to combine the different training and support packages into one programme as they expired or ran their natural course. As the programme was still in its initial stages, the final details were still undecided until the contract was awarded, but it was proposed to include:

The initial contract was for a £700 million ($917 million) [note 1] [5] package to "cover the provision of live flying assets and technical capabilities to produce effects in support of training and assurance requirements". [6] The contract, which was expected to start in 2020, [7] was for ten years (though a fifteen-year contract with an additional £300 million–£500 million) was possible from the outset. [8] Baseline training time was expected to be between 5,000 and 6,000 hours per year, but it was not stated whether this was in total or just the aerial phases. [9]

Instructional training on the Typhoon aircraft has utilised civilian personnel before and the advantage of devolving training to private companies is that the MoD only pays for the hours that it uses the service, rather than having their own people on the payroll permanently. [10] Additionally, a spokesperson confirmed that it was also a way of keeping the people who fly the fast-jets in the workstream when they come to leave the services.

These guys are as good as they come but are being drawn away by airlines once they get some experience, this [programme] keeps continuity in training and ensures pilots are learning from the best. [5]

Both the Canadian Air Force and the United States Air Force have civilian companies who provide an aggressor role capability (also known as red-air) for their training requirements. [11]

The successful bidder for the contract would have been expected to provide the aggressor capability through its own aircraft. Typically involving some slower airspeed aircraft, but would have also needed fourth generation aircraft that were commensurate with the F-35B Lightning. [12]

The desire was that any aggressor role aircraft should not be something in the current RAF Fleet (such as the Hawk T1) so that pilots "find themselves facing off with aircraft not in the British arsenal, whose capabilities they are unfamiliar with". [13]

The contract was initially estimated to have been awarded in early January 2019, but by 24 January, the bids were still being scrutinised. [14] [15] In March 2019, the MOD announced that they had cancelled the £1.2 billion project. It was unclear whether the project was cancelled completely, or if it would be re-tendered at some point in the future as has indeed now happened. [10]

Contenders

An Invitation to Negotiation (ITN) was issued in September 2018, with four multinational companies expressing interest in the contract:

Each company partnered with at least one other third party in order to deliver the aims of the contract and derive experience and talent from previous associations with military skills. Babcock teamed up with Elbit Systems Limited, [16] whilst Cobham entered into a partnership with Draken International, 3SDL and QinetiQ. [19]

Leonardo teamed up with Top Aces and Inzpire; Top Aces are already contracted to the Canadian government in their Contracted Airborne Training Services (CATS) programme. [20]

Thales announced a deal with QinetiQ in 2016, which would see the Scorpion aircraft deployed on the contract. [21] However in 2018, QinetiQ signed a deal with Cobham. Similarly, Draken International had an understanding with Babcock, but later switched to the Cobham deal too. [22]

Successor programmes

In October 2021, the MOD indicated it was seeking procurement of an adversary air support service from the private sector. Known as the Medium to Fast Speed Operational Readiness Training (ORT) Aerial Support Service, it would include air-to-air, target, threat simulation and mission augmentation training. The programme is an urgent requirement for the RAF, with an operational start required by summer 2022. [23]

On 28th March 2022, the RAF announced that a six year contract to provide these services, now known as the Interim Red Air Aggressor Training Service (IRAATS) was awarded to Draken Europe using a fleet of Aero L-159 ALCA Honey Badgers and Dassault Falcon 20s. [24]

Notes

  1. ↑ These were the initial specified values of the programme. Inflation and exchange rate fluctuations affected the eventual package. Others sources state the amount to be £1.5 billion over a fifteen-year period.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Air Force</span> Air and space force of the United Kingdom

The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS). Following the Allied victory over the Central Powers in 1918, the RAF emerged as the largest air force in the world at the time. Since its formation, the RAF has taken a significant role in British military history. In particular, during the Second World War, the RAF established clear air superiority over Hermann Göring's Luftwaffe in the Battle of Britain, and led the allied strategic bombing effort.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eurofighter Typhoon</span> 1994 multi-role combat aircraft family by Eurofighter

The Eurofighter Typhoon is a European multinational twin-engine, canard delta wing, multirole fighter. The Typhoon was designed originally as an air-superiority fighter and is manufactured by a consortium of Airbus, BAE Systems and Leonardo that conducts the majority of the project through a joint holding company, Eurofighter Jagdflugzeug GmbH. The NATO Eurofighter and Tornado Management Agency, representing the UK, Germany, Italy and Spain, manages the project and is the prime customer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Panavia Tornado ADV</span> Series of interceptor aircraft

The Panavia Tornado Air Defence Variant (ADV) was a long-range, twin-engine swing-wing interceptor aircraft developed by the European Panavia Aircraft GmbH consortium. It was a specialised derivative of the multirole Panavia Tornado.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MoD Lyneham</span>

Ministry of Defence Lyneham or MOD Lyneham is a Ministry of Defence site in Wiltshire, England, about 7 miles (11 km) north-east of Chippenham and 9 miles (14 km) south-west of Swindon. The site houses the Defence School of Electronic and Mechanical Engineering. Also here is Prince Philip Barracks, housing the regimental headquarters of the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME), 8 Training Battalion REME and the REME Museum.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft</span> British project to procure Airbus A330 Tanker aircraft for the RAF

Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft (FSTA) was a British project to procure Airbus A330 Multi Role Tanker Transport aerial refuelling (AR) and air transport (AT) aircraft for the Royal Air Force, to replace older models such as the VC10s and TriStars.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MOD St Athan</span> Ministry of Defence site in the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales

Ministry of Defence St Athan or MOD St Athan, formerly known as Royal Air Force St Athan, or more simply RAF St Athan, is a large Ministry of Defence unit near the village of St Athan in the Vale of Glamorgan, southern Wales. It was the designated site for the United Kingdom's new defence training academy, but the programme was cancelled on 19 October 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">RAF Shawbury</span> Royal Air Force base in Shropshire, England

Royal Air Force Shawbury, otherwise known as RAF Shawbury, is a Royal Air Force station near the village of Shawbury in Shropshire in the West Midlands of England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">No. 100 Squadron RAF</span> Former flying squadron of the Royal Air Force

Number 100 Squadron is a former Royal Air Force squadron. It last operated the British Aerospace Hawk T1, providing 'aggressor' aircraft for air combat training from RAF Leeming in North Yorkshire, UK.

Cobham Limited is a British aerospace manufacturing company based in Bournemouth, England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MoD Boscombe Down</span>

MoD Boscombe Down(ICAO: EGDM) is the home of a military aircraft testing site, on the south-eastern outskirts of the town of Amesbury, Wiltshire, England. The site is managed by QinetiQ, the private defence company created as part of the breakup of the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency (DERA) in 2001 by the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">BAE Systems Taranis</span> Prototype British military drone

The BAE Systems Taranis is a British demonstrator programme for unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) technology, under development primarily by the defence contractor BAE Systems Military Air & Information. The aircraft, which is named after the Celtic god of thunder Taranis, first flew in 2013. An unmanned warplane, the Taranis is designed to fly intercontinental missions, and would carry a variety of weapons, enabling it to attack both aerial and ground targets. It uses stealth technology, giving it a low radar profile, and is controllable via satellite link from anywhere on Earth.

The Rotary Wing Test and Evaluation Squadron (RWTES) is a tri-service UK military organisation based at MoD Boscombe Down, Wiltshire. Primarily, the squadron is responsible for test and evaluation of rotary wing aircraft and equipment, or their associated modifications.

The planning for the future of the Royal Air Force involves supporting ongoing British military operations, the introduction of new aircraft types including unmanned aerial vehicles, greater focus on network enabled capability and increasing interoperability with members of NATO, team tempest, and mixed crewed fighters. From the updated plans of the RAF (2021) state that the new initiative will focus on becoming carbon net-zero, with strategies such as using sustainable aviation fuels in aircraft. The RAF also are looking into investing in the maintenance of the aircraft to ensure success of future operations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">BAE Systems Nimrod MRA4</span> British planned maritime patrol and attack aircraft

The BAE Systems Nimrod MRA4 was a planned maritime patrol and attack aircraft intended to replace the Hawker Siddeley Nimrod MR2. The rebuilt aircraft would have extended the operating life of the Nimrod fleet by several decades and significantly improved the aircraft by installing more efficient Rolls-Royce BR700 turbofan jet engines to almost double the flight range. The conversion of the flight deck to a digital glass cockpit would have simplified control operations and reduced crew requirements. New detection systems were to be installed, as well as additional weapons for anti-submarine warfare.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Draken International</span> American provider of fighter aircraft

Draken International, LLC is an American provider of tactical fighter aircraft for contract air services including military and defense industry customers. The firm is based at the Lakeland Linder International Airport in Lakeland, Florida and also has an operating base at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada.

No. 660 Squadron AAC is a squadron of the British Army's Army Air Corps (AAC). The squadron traces its lineage to a Royal Air Force squadron that existed during the Second World War. In the late 1950s the squadron's numerical was transferred to the AAC and since its formation in 1969, it has operated as a British Army unit flying various types of battlefield helicopters. The squadron has been re-formed and disbanded on a number of occasions. The squadron is currently based at RAF Shawbury where it forms part of No. 1 Flying Training School, but it has been deployed operationally to Northern Ireland, Hong Kong and Brunei throughout its existence.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">UK Military Flying Training System</span> Military unit

The UK Military Flying Training System (UKMFTS) takes UK armed forces aircrew from initial training through elementary, basic, and advanced flying training phases, preparing them for their arrival at their designated operational aircraft units. It is operated by Ascent Flight Training, a consortium of Lockheed Martin and Babcock International under a 25-year Private Finance Initiative (PFI) contract for the UK's Ministry of Defence (MoD), with oversight from the MoD. The airworthiness authority for each aircraft type, for example, is fulfilled by military and civilian staff within Defence Equipment and Support. Apart from the overall contract, the main elements of the system include fixed-wing elementary, multi-engine and fast-jet pilot training, rear crew training and rotary-wing (helicopter) training.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aeralis Advanced Jet Trainer</span> Family of British trainer aircraft by AERALIS

The Aeralis Advanced Jet Trainer (ADJ) is an advanced jet trainer aircraft designed by Aeralis in the United Kingdom. It is the initial variant of a family of modular aircraft which are reconfigurable to cover a variety of roles, including operational training, basic jet training, aerobatics/display and light combat.

The New Medium Helicopter (NMH) is a British military programme to procure a new medium-lift support helicopter to replace several existing helicopters operated by the Royal Air Force and British Army. It is expected the new aircraft will enter service during the mid-2020s.

References

  1. ↑ "Discovery and Inzpire team up for ASDOT | Air Forces Monthly". Air Forces Monthly. 20 February 2017. Retrieved 26 February 2019.
  2. ↑ Warnes, Alan (14 July 2016). "FARNBOROUGH: MoD outlines scope of ASDOT aggressor project". Flightglobal.com. Retrieved 26 February 2019.
  3. ↑ Robinson, Tim (November 2017). "Flying to the Dark Side". Aerospace. London: Royal Aeronautical Society. 44 (11): 22–24. ISSN   2052-451X.
  4. ↑ Allison, George (23 March 2018). "Leonardo team down-selected for UK ASDOT competition". UK Defence Journal. Retrieved 26 February 2019.
  5. 1 2 "Civilian pilots set to teach RAF 'top guns' as MoD seeks to plug budget black hole". The Telegraph. 26 August 2017. Retrieved 26 February 2019.
  6. 1 2 Roderick, Charles (18 September 2018). "UK's ASDOT Moves to Negotiation Phase". Aviation International News. Retrieved 26 February 2019.
  7. ↑ Hepher, Tim (13 July 2017). "Leonardo, Airbus to bid for UK 'Top Gun' training deal: sources". Reuters. Retrieved 26 February 2019.
  8. ↑ Grey, Eva; Apthorp, Claire (14 September 2016). "Inside ASDOT: the UK MoD's new fighter trainer". Army Technology. Retrieved 26 February 2019.
  9. ↑ Robinson, Tim (12 May 2017). "Train virtual, fight easy". Royal Aeronautical Society. Retrieved 26 February 2019.
  10. 1 2 Tovey, Alan (19 March 2019). "Defence chiefs ditch contract for 'private airforce' for RAF to train against". The Telegraph. Retrieved 13 April 2019.
  11. ↑ "Canada's Top Aces reaches new air combat training milestone". Airforce Technology. 17 January 2019. Retrieved 26 February 2019.
  12. ↑ Wheeldon, Howard (November 2017). "UK aggressor ASDOT dogfight". Aerospace. London: Royal Aeronautical Society. 44 (11): 10–11. ISSN   2052-451X.
  13. ↑ Tovey, Alan (12 September 2017). "Leonardo joins bid to provide 'private airforce' for RAF to train against" . The Telegraph. Retrieved 26 February 2019.
  14. ↑ "Air support to defence operational training (asdot). - Free Online Library". www.thefreelibrary.com. 19 June 2016. Retrieved 26 February 2019.
  15. ↑ "Military Aircraft: 24 Jan 2019: Hansard Written Answers". theyworkforyou.com. 24 January 2019. Retrieved 26 February 2019.
  16. 1 2 Allison, George (8 January 2018). "Babcock and Elbit Systems partner for British 'aggressor air' programme". UK Defence Journal. Retrieved 26 February 2019.
  17. ↑ "QinetiQ joins Cobham team to support UK MoD's ASDOT programme". Army Technology. 22 November 2018. Retrieved 26 February 2019.
  18. ↑ Hoyle, Craig (14 September 2017). "Leonardo enters ASDOT training battle for UK". Flightglobal.com. Retrieved 26 February 2019.
  19. ↑ Allison, George (22 November 2018). "Cobham and QinetiQ join forces for ASDOT bid". UK Defence Journal. Retrieved 26 February 2019.
  20. ↑ Donald, David (31 May 2018). "Top Aces has ASDOT contract in its sights [CANSEC18D2] | Jane's 360". Janes. Retrieved 26 February 2019.
  21. ↑ Allison, George (15 August 2016). "Scorpion jet selected for British ASDOT bid". UK Defence Journal. Retrieved 26 February 2019.
  22. ↑ Stevenson, Beth (13 September 2017). "Teamwork for trainer [DSEI17D2] | Jane's 360". Janes. Retrieved 26 February 2019.
  23. ↑ "Project: 701945451 - Medium to fast speed Operational Readiness Training (ORT) aerial support service". Defence Sourcing Portal. Ministry of Defence. 29 October 2021.
  24. ↑ "New Red Air training service for RAF Fighter Squadrons". RAF website. Ministry of Defence. 5 July 2022.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.