United Kingdom Military Flying Training System

UKMFTS is a Tri-Service programme that will cater for the different training needs of the entire flying element of the UK front line, ranging from fast-jet, rotary and multi-engine pilots, weapons systems operators, through to all the rear crew disciplines. It will encompass all flying training which takes place from the moment young men and women are selected as potential aircrew, through to their arrival at the conversion unit for their designated operational aircraft.

Air Affairs has provided substantial support to the UKMFTS Integrated Project Team over several years, including:

- a comprehensive TNA for 19 aircrew roles, identifying the training requirements, quantified benchmark solutions and lifecycle costs

- assistance in defining the supplier selection processes

- evaluation of bidders\’ technical competence for training-related elements of the UKMFTS service

- specification of the technical and instructional competence requirements, training needs and solutions, of fast jet flying instructors. Project Listener

Listener aims to integrate sensor products in order to provide actionable data against selected targets and provide interoperability between the UK, US and Coalition Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition, and Reconnaissance (ISTAR) assets, whilst enhancing situational awareness and contributing to the development of the Joint Operational Picture (JOP).

LISTENER will utilise the experience of the US Network Centric Collaborative Targeting (NCCT) programme. NCCT is a programme that will network Command and Control & Intelligence Surveillance Reconnaissance (C2ISR) assets into a collaborative entity. NCCT aims to dramatically improve target location accuracy, timeliness and combat identification. LISTENER will interface with associated programmes such as DABINETT.

Air Affairs provided support to the Joint Sensor & Engagement Networks (JSENS) Integrated Project Team (IPT) through the conduct of an intensive TNA scoping exercise. This involved a tri-service, systematic investigation into functional, logistical, resourcing and security issues. A human factors risk assessment was conducted to highlight areas needing particular attention during the TNAs, which are being conducted by the prospective prime contractors. Network Enabled Capability (NEC) is the UK MoD\’s intent to achieve enhanced military effect through coherent integration of sensors, decision-makers, effectors and support capabilities.

Air Affairs was commissioned by the UK MoD Directorate of Command Battlespace Management (DCBM), to undertake work within the NEC People and Training Campaign. A core task was the development of a competency framework describing those competencies associated with the effective acquisition and retention of Shared Situation Awareness, joint decision making and collaborative planning. Surface Combatant Maritime Rotorcraft (SCMR) and Battlefield Reconnaissance Helicopter (BRH) are scheduled to replace the current Royal Navy and Army Lynx aircraft from 2014. Air Affairs was contracted by the Flight Simulation and Synthetic Trainer Integrated Project Team (FsAST IPT) to conduct a TNA to define the training requirements for the following specialisations:

- Royal Navy and Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME) Maintainers

- Royal Navy Pilots, Observers and Winchmen

- Army Pilots and Rear Crewmen

- Army Air Corps Groundcrew

In addition to the individual training requirements, Air Affairs identified the crew and team competences required for the award of the RN\’s Certificate of Competence and the Army\’s Limited Combat Ready (LCR) status. This entailed the identification of collective performance requirements in the all-arms battlespace, followed by the decomposition of team, crew and individual role competences, an analysis of training needs and identification of a media solution. Air Affairs has again qualified as a supplier under the UK MoD Framework Agreement for Technical Support (FATS2). FATS2 ensures that MoD clients can chose from companies registered to provide technical services, including technical studies and project support. The agreement was initiated to open up the marketplace without increasing the time it takes to task suppliers. Air Affairs is registered under FATS2 to provide support services in the following areas:

Human Sciences
Human Information Processing - Military Human Resources - Teams, Organisations & Cultures - Individual & Team Training - Education Solutions - Training Development and Support - Human Factors Integration Tools - Collective Training

Simulators, Trainers and Synthetic Environments
Skills Training Systems - Tactical/Crew Training Systems - Command & Staff Training Systems - Virtual Reality

Integrated Systems Technology
Human Factors Integration

Equipped Personnel
Recruitment, Selection and Allocation - Training & Education

Business Processes
Requirements, Capture - Requirements, Business - Requirements, User - Whole Life Cycle Cost - Best Practice - Option Analysis - Procurement & Contracting Processes, Pre-award activities

Project Management and Acquisition Support functions
Risk Management - Integration Link-up

Link-up is the UK rail industry supplier qualification scheme. It provides a single, common qualification process for suppliers. It is used by Network Rail and over eighty rail organisations, including Infrastructure Management Contractors, Underground Infrastructure companies, Construction companies and all major Train and Freight Operators.

Air Affairs is a qualified supplier in the following categories:

0401 - Management Consultancy
0421 - Ergonomics & Human Factors
0427 - Education Programmes
0430 - Railway Operations Training
0430 - Station Operations Training
0430 - Infrastructure Engineering Training

	Independent expertise in human factors   Air Affairs (UK) Ltd is a human factors (also called ergonomics) consultancy. It was established in 1997, with support from Air Affairs Australia – (this is the basis for our name, rather than any particular focus on aviation). Since 2000, we have been wholly-owned by our UK Directors, who have worked with each other on-and-off since the late 1980s, in training, consultancy and management roles. Services Offered The company initially offered training needs analysis (TNA) and related activities, to clients in the defence sector. Since 2001, we have diversified to provide a range of solution-driven, human factors services, centred on improving individual and team performance. We are an Ergonomics Society Registered Consultancy, demonstrating our ability and commitment to meeting the high technical and commercial standards required by the Society. Our core capabilities can be summarised as Human Factors Integration (HFI), Training Needs Analysis (TNA), Competency Management, Supplier Selection and Applied Research. We work with clients across defence, transport, emergency services and energy sectors, in the UK and overseas. Education and Experience Our team of consultants holds graduate level qualifications in ergonomics, psychology, physiology, human biology, computer science and metallurgy, and postgraduate qualifications in Applied Psychology (PhD, MSc). The team’s professional affiliations include Chartered Psychologist (CPsychol.), Registered Member of the Ergonomics Society (MErgS), Fellow of the Ergonomics Society (FErgS) and Member of the Association for Project Management (MAPM). Before joining Air Affairs, team members worked in human factors, research and training roles for companies including BAE Systems, Cranfield University, Sheffield Hallam University, The Defence Evaluation and Research Agency (now restructured into QinetiQ/Dstl), Admiral Training (now part of LogicaCMG), Rediffusion Simulation (now part of Thales), Westland System Assessment (now part of AgustaWestland) and Serco. Members of the team also have significant military experience, serving in both operational and training roles. Projects and Enabling Arrangements We have provided specialist support to a number of UK defence programmes, recent examples of which include the UK Military Flying Training System (UKMFTS), Future Lynx (FLynx) (both the Army's Battlefield Reconnaissance Helicopter (BRH), and the Royal Navy's Surface Combatant Maritime Rotorcraft (SCMR) variants), Project Listener and Network Enabled Capability (NEC). Staff now with Air Affairs also worked on the Type 45, Nimrod MRA4 and Astute programmes. Click here for some examples of our defence and commercial clients. We participate in a number of consortia and enabling contracts. For example: We are a HFI point of contact for the MoD’s NEC for Close Combat (NEC4CC) Research Programme, within the Roke Manor Research ‘Team Reach’ consortium. We have qualified as a supplier under the MoD's Framework Agreement for Technical Support (FATS 2), to provide technical studies and project support. We are part of the Polaris Consulting team, contracted by Dstl's Enabling Arrangement EA902049, to supply contracted temporary workforce and consultancy personnel. We are an approved supplier of human factors and training services to the rail industry, under the Link-Up qualification scheme.