BV,
I didn’t pretend in anyway that it was a solution to the manning issues. If you reread my comment slower then you’d understand. What I said was why waste a pilot and MDS providing RAF Fast Jet (FJ) Red Air when that pilot and MDS can be used on Blue Air or, in the case of an OCU, used to generate more training sorties. I found it quite a surprise that the Treasury/DE&S decided to pull the contract when the RAF is trying to grow its combat mass which attracts a concomitant increase in FJ Red Air requirement. This doesn’t even consider the RN whom also require this sort of service.