The setup of Rotary MFTS is complicated. Ascent managed to get the MOD to agree to a contract in which Ascent design the training, Ascent select the Aircraft, Airbus ‘run’ the aircraft, but the MOD pays for them. Bear in mind that the reason for MFTS was an NAO report saying that training cost too much and took too long.
It was, of course, a naive report- training is expensive.
Regardless, MFTS was set up to save money and time in training, and this is clear in every decision taken by Ascent. They selected the cheapest aircraft, and the huge proportion of training that is for rearcrew just stopped, as the H135 is unfit for purpose...but my goodness they are cheap!
The MOD made a fundamentally flawed decision to proceed with MFTS, but they did, and the question is how to fix it. It presently costs more per trainee than the previous system, takes far longer, and produces an inferior product as key elements are no longer being trained...all of which was clearly foreseeable by the instructors on the shop-floor.
I believe there should be a parliamentary inquiry into this situation to determine if it really is the grossly negligent use of taxpayers money that it certainly appears to be.