My, my, my! We are all very suspicious on this thread!
As I understand it, the RAF is undertaking more than just a review of IOT and is preparing the way to better educate all its officers (not just us aircrew) from about 2005 onwards. The work ongoing involves both a review of IOT (the Officer Cadet Training Review) and a review of Air Warfare Training (aka the Air Warfare Strategy).
The AWT bit will mean that, from about mid-2005, ALL officers graduating from IOT will undertake 2 weeks training in general air warfare with the AWC at Cranwell before moving on to their speciliast training whether it be flying, controlling, supplying, engineering or scribbling etc (even the medics etc will be included). Later in life they will receive more AWT updates before, when selected for promotion to wg cdr, undertaking a much more intensive 4 week course in air warfare back at AWC Cranwell. See the last Air Sec's bulletin if you don't believe me.
The IOTC is being revamped to make the education more appropriate and less of the "leadership by numbers" as has been the case since about 1918. Cadets will be given more responsibility (a bit like it was back at Sleaford Tech under the Flt Cadet system that died out with the Graduate Entry scheme in the 70s) in the third term. Hopefully, they will then be better trained, more aware and ready to actually join the Service.
I don't know about you guys and, I guess, there will always be a cynical view but this seems like a vast improvement to me.
Having worked at IOT in the late 90s, I know that it is very difficult to stop the sausage machine. So I suspect that the only way of implementing the package is to take an unnatural (for IOT) break and cancel a course.
To those who think that all pilot training is going to cease for about 2 years, I suggest you look at the latest IBN that indicates that the FJ IPS will be reduced to about 45 from about 60 (memory fade - can't remember exact figures!) over the next couple of years. There is no reduction in the requirement for rotary and multi pilots, however.
Finally, to those who think from their 1980s experience that IOT is easy and wasters were allowed to graduate. The biggest staff moral booster came to me in 1997 when the new Wg Cdr Cdts arrived and successfully suspended 6 cadets at his first attempt and that was after FLC (ie half-way through) - he continued with equal success until he left in 2000.