United Kingdom – The UK Ministry of Defense has disclosed insufficient capacity within the RAF's Basic Flying Training (BFT) program due to inadequate Texan T-6A aircraft availability, and is pursuing options to expand the Beechcraft Texan T1 fleet at 72 Squadron, RAF Valley, to ensure sufficient graduates progress to Advanced Jet Training.

The disclosure appeared in the MOD's quarterly update on the UK Military Flying Training System (UKMFTS), formally identifying the BFT capacity shortfall as a systemic constraint on the military pilot training pipeline. The current 72 Squadron fleet of 14 Texan T1 aircraft — expanded from an original 10 in 2020 — is insufficient to meet training throughput requirements.
Multi-engine pilot training is also failing to meet demand: the MOD has issued an Invitation to Tender (ITT) for a Civil Aviation Authority Approved Training Organisation to train up to 22 fixed-wing pilots between April 2026 and March 2028, supplementing the training delivered by 45 Squadron's five Embraer Phenom T1s for students destined for Atlas, Envoy, Globemaster, Poseidon, Rivet Joint, Shadow, Voyager, and Wedgetail platforms.
The ITT for civilian ATO multi-engine training represents a direct commercial opportunity for UK CAA-approved flight training organisations with multi-engine capability and instructor capacity.
Work to replace the Hawk T1 and T2 fleets is continuing, with the 2025 Strategic Defense Review identifying a single replacement type for both Advanced Jet Training and Red Arrows roles. All potential platforms remain in scope with industry engagement proceeding under Government Procurement Policy.
Fast Jet pilot training output for Training Year 2025/2026 is meeting front-line demand through a blend of sovereign Hawk T2 training at RAF Valley and increased international outsourcing of training to NATO and other partners in the United States, Italy, and Qatar.
UKMFTS is a 25-year, GBP 3.8 billion Public Private Partnership contracted to 2033, delivering aircrew training across Fast Jet, Multi-Engine, Rotary Wing, and Remotely Piloted Air Systems, with approximately 670 trainees in the system at any given time.

Source: UK Ministry of Defense

UK Defense Ministry Acknowledges 2026 Military Pilot Training Capacity Shortfall and Pursues Fleet Expansion and Civilian ATO Support

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