UK MoD awards Ascent with eight-year contract to upgrade RAF and Royal Navy flight training
The RAF took delivery of its final Poseidon P-8A aircraft in 2022. (Photo: Crown Copyright)
Funding of £300 million will go towards training personnel on the FIRCTS programmes to meet a growing demand for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, and uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) platforms.
The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) has signed an eight-year £300 million (US$401 million) contract with Ascent Flight Training to modernise flight training for the Royal Air Force (RAF) and Royal Navy (RN) rear crew personnel.
The contract is part of the Future Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance (ISTAR) and Rear Crew Training System (FIRCST) programme. Ascent, a joint venture between Babcock and Lockheed Martin, is responsible for delivering the UK Military Flight Training System (MFTS) alongside the MoD.
Ascent first explored and opened up the competition for the new synthetic training system in 2022.
Captain Polly Hatchard, UKMFTS
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