Originally Posted by
Not_a_boffin
Given that the MFTS is acknowledged to be failing - indeed that was the thrust of the evidence session - it sort of seems a given?
The question of how many RN slots are filled would indeed be interesting. Given both OC 207 and 617 were until recently RN, maybe not necessarily an issue?
But IS it? (MFTS failing)
Published figures from MoD around the time of the most recent training pipeline fiasco clearly showed that the key issue, on all fleets, is places on the Operational Conversion Units, which are all entirely service staffed and nothing to do with MFTS. Now I have to agree that the miniscule fleets on MFTS MUST be contributing to pipeline issues, but those miniscule fleets were all passed off as acceptable by VSO's, so once again that is a service issue, a Very Senior Officer service issue.
The UK F-35B Lightning fleet is rapidly becoming an embarrassment. Not in terms of capability, I am sure that the thing is terrific, but in the tiny size of the fleet, the even smaller pilot community, and the agonizingly slow force build up. It is becoming an embarrassment compared to many other, far smaller air forces around the world who are building up their fleets far quicker.
In the most recent announcement of the fleet build up the Mod happily announced that the build of the new facility to house the 2nd operational squadron would begin at Marham IN MARCH 2024!!!! BEGIN in 2024, that is just laughable.