UK Defence Secretary > HCDC just now - 33 F-35B pilots for 27 aircraft (including 3 x foreign - 1 x USAF / 1 x USMC / 1 x RAAF).
Only 13 of these are on the 12-aircraft front-line squadron (617 Sqn).
My comment: This of course is not only way below required NATO standards but insufficient for 24 hour ops + flying supervision.
On F-35B deliveries, it will take until 2025 to get 48 and "end of the decade" to get 74 [my comment: by comparison, RAAF will have all its 72 x F-35A by 2023].
On training pipeline:
Pilots holding for Valley AFT going backwards - now 51 vs 38 when CAS told 3 years ago to sort it - 9 holding post AFT for OCU - pilot entry hold down from 120 3 years ago > 25 now.
HCDC wants to see CAS ASAP.
Parliamentlive.tv - Defence Committee