Ascent Flight Training Completes Two UK Military Mission Aircrew Course Demonstrations

United Kingdom – Military flight training services provider Ascent Flight Training has completed Course Implementation Compliance Demonstrations (CICD) for two new Royal Air Force (RAF) and Royal Navy mission systems courses, ahead of their scheduled introduction in November 2026. The development advances the transition to an integrated synthetic and airborne training system intended to prepare military mission aircrew for Operational Conversion Units.

• The wider Future Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance (ISTAR) and Rear Crew Training System (FIRCTS) is designed to increase annual RAF and Royal Navy mission-aircrew training capacity approximately fourfold to 140 trainees. This represents the planned capacity of the overall system.
• The two courses are the 416 RAF Weapon Systems Officer Mission Systems Course and the 417 Royal Navy Observer Mission Systems Course. Both have completed their CICD assessments ahead of formal training delivery.
• Initial course delivery will be conducted by 750 Naval Air Squadron at RNAS Culdrose in Cornwall, before transitioning to the purpose-built St Merryn Mission Aircrew (ISR) Training Facility. Additional infrastructure is also being developed at RAF Cranwell in Lincolnshire, where construction of the new Hannah-Hay training building is approaching completion.
• The revised training approach is intended to strengthen mission systems knowledge and operational competencies before personnel progress to Operational Conversion Units, which provide training for frontline aircraft including the P-8 Poseidon, Rivet Joint, Merlin Mk2 and Wildcat helicopters.
• The UK Ministry of Defence previously indicated that approximately 85% of FIRCTS training would be delivered through classroom instruction and synthetic training environments, with airborne exercises providing the remaining practical training component.
• The new courses will use a Ground Mission Trainer alongside four modified Textron King Air 350ER Avenger aircraft. The airborne mission systems are designed to operate using the same software as the ground-based simulation environment, allowing trainees to develop mission systems competencies through synthetic exercises before applying them during airborne training.
• AFM previously reported that the UK Ministry of Defence awarded Ascent Flight Training a £300 million (approximately US$397 million) contract in May 2025 to expand military aircrew training capacity. The eight-year agreement supports the introduction of additional training infrastructure, simulation technology and aircraft modifications at RNAS Culdrose and RAF Cranwell.

About Ascent Flight Training
Ascent Flight Training is a UK military aviation training services provider headquartered in Bristol and jointly owned by Babcock International and Lockheed Martin. The company is the prime contractor for the UK Military Flying Training System (UKMFTS), delivering integrated fixed-wing, rotary-wing and mission-aircrew training across six UK locations, supported by live flying, simulation and digital training systems.

Source: Ascent Flight Training