With the UK struggling to address a backlog in its pilot training pipeline, the MoD is looking at a number of options including sending students overseas. (Janes/Gareth Jennings)

The United Kingdom is seeking overseas training slots to help mitigate the backlog in its military pilot training programme, with a government minister saying it has already had to send “a small number” of student flight crew to the United States.

Answering questions in the House of Commons, Minister of State for the Armed Forces, James Heappey, said that additional slots are being considered for a US-based training programme that is already being used to cut the backlog, while other avenues to increase the flow of student pilots for the Royal Air Force (RAF), and other aviation branches of the UK military are also being sought.