RAF teaching Ukrainians to become helicopter instructors as Interflex training expands

Ukrainian pilots are now in training in the UK to become helicopter flying instructors, thanks to the Royal Air Force.

Ukrainians have previously received elementary flying training in the UK on their path to flying F-16 fast jets – but the training programme now includes helicopters as well.

As the war in Ukraine enters its fifth year following the full-scale Russian invasion, the rotary-wing course was one of several items announced in the latest aid package for Kyiv.

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First fixed-wing, now rotary-wing too

This is the first time Britain has offered rotary-wing instructor training to Ukraine.

Graduates from the course will train the next generation of Ukrainian military aviators, helping Ukraine defend itself and deter future aggression.

The RAF's basic helicopter flying training is carried out using the Juno HT1.

The HT1 is a twin-engine light utility helicopter that's the military version of the Airbus H135 and is used for teaching everything from low-level flying to tactical flight techniques.

It's used by No 1 Flying Training School to train helicopter crews for the Royal Navy, British Army and the Royal Air Force under the UK Military Flying Training System.

It also supports the Central Flying School (Helicopters) by providing instructor training, with courses having been offered since April 2018 through Ascent Flight Training.

Medical mentoring

In addition to the helicopter instructor training, the Government also announced £20m of new funding for emergency energy support to protect and repair the energy grid and provide additional generation capacity.

It said this would fix the damage caused by Russian attacks over this winter and future-proof Ukraine's energy systems for the next.

The latest investment brings the UK's total support for Ukrainian energy since the start of the war to over £490m.

Meanwhile, £5.7m is being given to provide humanitarian assistance to frontline communities, people who need evacuation or have been affected by airstrikes or internal displacement.

The United Nations and its partners have identified 4.1 million such people in Ukraine, prioritising those experiencing the most severe conditions.

The UK was the largest donor to the Ukraine Humanitarian Fund last year.

The support package also covers medical mentoring, with skilled teams of British military surgeons, nurses and physiotherapists mentoring Ukrainian clinicians in country.

They shadow Ukrainian teams treating complex battlefield surgery, drawing on UK expertise in trauma surgery and wartime injury to help Ukrainian service personnel return to military duties or rebuild their lives as civilians.