RAF's C-17 Personnel Promised 'Unparalleled Training' With £274m Investment

Pilots and engineers who operate the UK's C-17 Globemaster aircraft have been promised cutting-edge interactive training, following the awarding of a £274 million contract. 

The contract will cover a period of 19 years, with Boeing Defence UK providing synthetic training courses for RAF personnel who operate the aircraft until 2040.

The new courses will simulate a range of potential scenarios in order to deliver "unparalleled training".

Along with interactive flight simulators for pilots, from 2023 RAF trainees will also benefit from new equipment inside a purpose-built facility.

As part of engineering training, the new systems will diagnose faults and repair the aircraft.

Defence minister Jeremy Quin stressed the importance of the extra funding.

"Ensuring we have a modernised Armed Forces capable of tackling future threats begins with access to world-class training for all of our personnel," he said.

Mr Quin stated that the investment will allow aircrews to operate the C-17 "to its highest capability and maintain critical defence outputs and will extend our use of modern synthetic training techniques".

The C-17 aircraft plays a key role in transporting personnel and cargo around the world and to undertake this activity safely aircrews are required to undergo comprehensive training.

It is capable of carrying large and complex pieces of equipment, including a Chinook helicopter – easily transporting more than 45,000kg of freight more than 8,300km.

The simulation training is based on real-life scenarios, enabling personnel to experience situations that can't easily be replicated in a live aircraft.

By moving training away from live aircraft, they can be freed up to deliver outputs essential to defence operations and also reduces emissions as live flying exercises are no longer required.

The RAF is interested in the use of synthetic training, already undertaking approximately 50% of all Combat Air training on synthetic devices.

By 2040, the RAF expects to conduct as much as 80% of all training synthetically.

Air Commodore David Manning, Air Mobility Force Commander, praised the benefits of the new training.

"This new synthetic training service will provide assured aircrew and maintainer training through to the out of service date of the C-17," he said.

"The training service will support C-17 global operations, increasing fleet availability and enhancing the training delivered to our personnel through the introduction of cutting-edge synthetic training equipment.

"With this service, the RAF will enter a new phase of UK-optimised C-17 training, while working with our industry partner to promote UK prosperity and the generation of UK-based jobs."

Cover image: Boeing International Training Facility in Farnborough (Picture: MOD).