Originally Posted by
Krystal n chips
Is there any chance of posting the article please because I don't want to subscribe to the Torygraph and, given I had direct experience with the engineer training system, would like to comment. Hence I am interested to learn the contents of the article.
KnC - nothing of substance for you to comment on
Statement without any evidence or any in depth analysis; Dannatt and West saying more money needed and an 'it wasn't me guv' and 'something must be done now' from Ben Wallace.
MoD's usual something is happening but it has no real effect on defence
Here are a few extracts retrieved by devious means:
Britain’s security has been put “at risk” because of a helicopter pilot training crisis within the Armed Forces, a former head of the Army has said.
The Telegraph understands that a tranche of new trainee pilots across the three forces are unable to learn how to fly helicopters because the aircraft remain unavailable.
RAF Shawbury – which provides the flying training school for all helicopter crew from the Air Force, Navy and Army – has stopped a significant number of flying lessons because of a lack of engineers to maintain the aircraft.
Ministry of Defence sources acknowledged that there had been a “reduction” in flying training at the base.
...
A senior RAF source insisted that there was “no risk to national security” as a result of the delay in training helicopter pilots.
However, Sir Ben Wallace, the former defence secretary, called on Labour to increase defence spending in the Oct 30 Budget in order to better protect the nation’s security.
He said: “People should be under no illusion that unless Rachel Reeves commits to a date of spending 2.5 per cent of GDP on defence, and increases this spending this year and next year to ensure defence spending matches the rising threat, then defence will be hollowed out and this will put the men and women of our Armed Forces at risk.
“Today it is helicopters. We have already seen the hollowing out of our navy crews. Tomorrow it will be something else.”
...
An MoD spokesman said: “Helicopter aircrew training is continuing, and there is no impact to the number of aircrew available for the front line and we have sufficient numbers to meet our operational requirements.
“It’s not unusual for trainees to have a period where they are fulfilling other tasks before undertaking further training.”