https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business...cut-costs-mod/

Pay-as-you-go RAF training jets could cut costs for MOD

A Royal Air Force contractor has signed a deal that paves the way for a pay-as-you-go training system for fighter pilots.

AirTanker, which rents Voyager refuelling craft to the RAF, has signalled that it is interested in renting out jet trainer aircraft that could be used to train fighter pilots.

It has signed a deal with Aeralis, which is positioning itself to provide a replacement for the RAF’s Hawk trainer aircraft. As well as training, its modular jets can be fitted with different suites of weaponry to also serve as attack aircraft.

AirTanker and Aeralis say they can provide cost-effective training for British warplane pilots and their allies and will discuss a “model” for doing so.…..

As well as teaching pilots to fly in a jet-powered aircraft, the platform is capable of being fitted with twin engines and training pilots in combat scenarios.

Aeralis said its jet should offer “significantly lower financing, acquisition and operating costs for aircraft compared to incumbents, paving the way for enabling a wide range of ‘on-demand’ operational air support services as part of the future of air force fleets.”

The jet is still in development but will fly in the next three years. Last year it won the backing of Rolls-Royce and ejector seat firm Martin Baker, as well as investment from the Royal Air Force’s Rapid Capabilities Office to test its system to allow electronic components to be swapped in and out and upgraded without the aircraft needing a costly recertification by regulators.

Its modular craft, sharing 85pc common parts, should help shave 30pc off costs over the life of the craft compared to a bespoke jet, which requires specific training and parts to maintain.

AirTanker started off as a collaboration between Airbus, Babcock, Cobham, Rolls-Royce and Thales, but Rolls, Babcock and Cobham sold out. It is now owned by Airbus, Thales and Equitix Investment Management.

Just Hang on a Mo!
 

Right well this sounds entirely reasonable. Ascent are failing to deliver in many ways on MFTS, and I know the T2 engine issue isn't 100% their fault, but trust me the track record is not great. So they sign an MOU with Aeralis last Summer and now that platform is being offered to rescue the dire state of UK FJ trg.

Is this Double Dipping at its absolute best? next news is Wiggy has a job with one of them!!


I can't post the link but just Google Aeralis and ascent mou, July 2022.

I would be a good amount of beer that we will hear of a Boeing Saab T7 purchase and a ties up with BAe or some such….

Show me the money.
 

I’ve said many times before, I dearly want the Aeralis project to work. I would love to see a successful British start up company break into the market with a brand new training solution.

I just don’t get how it’ll work though.

Touting Aeralis as a solution to the current Hawk problem is inexplicable. Ascent never bought the Hawk T2s. UKGOV did. So where are Ascent getting the money to fund the R&D and production of a new fleet of jet aircraft? It also makes a mockery of the ‘common fuselage’ concept when your customer only needs one type.

Even if the money were there to buy a fleet of Aeralis jet trainers how long would it take to see students launching on a GH1 profile in their shiny new steed? My guess would be that ten years from now would be an incredible achievement. If we’re willing to wait that long now why not just invest in a bunch of T50s or 346s straight off the production line?

My belief is that the Hawks will get sorted in the not too distant future and they will continue as planned (ish) for the next 20+ years. By which point Aeralis will either have found a large scale launch customer and be the global market leader, or circumstances will have changed beyond our current comprehension and a totally new solution will be required. Judging by the way everyone else is going it’ll either be a much higher performance trainer, a 100% simulated training syllabus or a world in which we no longer need to train pilots to get airborne in actual fighters. In any of those situations I’m not sure where Aeralis fits in.

Anyway, please prove me wrong and make me eat my words when Aeralis makes a fortune and saves the RAF in the process.

BV

The one I was wondering about was the Advanced Hawk - the BAE/HAL thing with a new wing and a large screen display in the cockpit. Seems to have disappeared. If an upgrade like that cannot get funded then how would a totally new set of airframes?

Puhleese! They are swapped "out". Quite why they are not swapped "in", "through" or "by" I am at a loss to know.

Advanced Hawk
 

It could have been great but that will definitely not happen.

BV

BV,

They are getting their funding from the MoD, more specifically from the RAF Rapid Capabilities office, Rolls-Royce and other institutional investors.

Proone
 

They are getting some funding. Not enough to build a factory and start building and flight testing jets. I realise that may come in time but it’s still a hell of a commitment to be customer number one. Especially with a limited defence budget and a current fleet of 15 year old training jets.

All that being said, it is still one of the rare times in my life where I want to be proven wrong.

BV

Very true. But if, and I realise that it is indeed a huge IF, there is any intent or commitment to increase RAF/RN fast jet numbers, maybe re-equip the Red Arrows, provide some capacity for aggressor/adversary training, beyond the 6 contracted fast Jets that have so far replaced the whole of 100 Sqn and 736NAS, and in the long term maybe replace the T2's, then there may be a hope for this new challenger. Can't see BAE ever reinstating Hawk production, and the only other alternative would be yet another expensive overseas buy.
But, as you say, far more funding and some real estate required.

BAE have so far been strangely silent about the need for a Hawk replacement; are they working on one?

Aeralis Aircraft
 

Let me start this post by reiterating that I sincerely hope to be proven wrong and that I’ll gladly fly the machine if it ever enters service.

I see that Aeralis’ latest press release shows an image of a completely different aircraft. Aside from the fact that I still don’t believe they will gain anything like the market share they claim and that it is a fundamentally flawed concept, it does worry me a little that after several years of ‘work’ they have now radically changed their mind on how the aircraft will look.

BV


https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....9b6ee89d0.jpeg
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....3d4d6935b.jpeg

I suppose one can see design elements of various existing aircraft in both images. Maybe the advantages/disadvantages of each are so finely drawn that a change in one area causes other areas to roll over to an alternative. Your reservations are well put, but like you I wish them well. What, if anything, emerges remains to be seen.

BAe will want to keep their Warton factory going and will almost certainly try to 'takeover' the Aeralis project like they did by closing Dunsfold and transferring all Hawk and Harrier production to Warton.

More 'Hawk' than 'Alpha jet'

Don't think just in terms of BAe/British cos wanting to take over this baby.

looks like Babcock are involved now, albeit Babcock's French arm. Slightly odd, perhaps.

Babcock and military jet developer Aeralis agree partnership (msn.com)