“Training pilots to fly combat jets is an expensive proposition. A proposal by European Air Chiefs to cut costs by combining forces has made very little progress so far. However, two well established multinational training programs are readily available in North America. Meanwhile, “downloading” and “contractorization” are the prevailing buzzwords, as all Air Forces try to rationalize their flight training systems.”
This would be a great beginning for my story today. And in a way, it is. Only it is not mine. It has been written by Chris Pocock. And it dates back to June 2007.
13 and a half years later, nothing has changed.
The premise of shared training centers for military pilots is, however, much older. And while there is logic behind it – in addition to being a more effective way of training on more modern technologies, it would also mean significant cost savings – its implementation is currently stalled. All despite the fact that halfway through this year, 11 smaller NATO member countries signed a “letter of intent” to (once again) endorse this idea. We talked to the Commander of the 21st Tactical Air Wing, Col. Ing. Jaroslav Tomana, about how beneficial such training centers could be, how the pilot training in our country currently works and about what stands in the way of the project implementation.
Interviewed by: Kateřina Urbanová
Photo: Jaroslav Tomana
How does pilot training in the Czech Republic compare to other NATO countries and what does the training currently entail?
We have a very similar system compared to the other NATO countries. I had the chance to participate in plenty of military trainings and fighter training conferences in Berlin, London, and when we are talking about the training systems, I would say they are pretty similar. We are a small country, small economy, small air force, so the size is different. The training is provided by a state owned company Lom Praha – CLV Pardubice and they are doing the basic training for us (they train our military pilots up to level 3 and they only touch on operational training little bit). This training is done on Zlin 142 (for the basic training and selection) and then on L-39 Albatros – the Aero Vodochody aircraft. On this airframe, the pilots train aerobatics, low level flights, formation flying, night flights… Once they are ready, they join the 213 training squadron in Čáslav and then do operation training on L-159 ALCA. They go either to the 212th squadron (Alca L159) or the 211th squadron (Gripen) according to their performance and squadrons needs.
Those selected for JAS-39 Gripen do the basic conversion training in Sweden, which is part of the contract (up to 14-15 sorties only). After they come back, they only train on 211th squadron.
The pilots focus immediately on air-to-air training on the 211th tactical squadron. On the Alca squadron, they focus more on the air-to-ground training.
Would you say that the training quality of our pilots is equivalent to that of other NATO countries?
Yes, from a principal point of view, we have a pretty similar structure to the other countries. But because we are a small country, there are few limitations. Of course, we cannot compare our training with the other multinational training centers in North America.
What do you think about the idea of multicultural training centers?
13 years ago, there already was a document that was signed by air chiefs from 10 countries – European staff requirement (ESR). Now we are in the same situation as we were back in 2007. We have not moved forward at all. But I still think it is a great idea. It is a win-win strategy. We will share the cost, all pilots will be trained to the same standard, so once in NATO – when we want to cooperate and do missions together – we can be sure all pilots have the same background. What I see as the biggest problem is the fact that people are scrutinizing every little detail and their industries are trying to sell their aircraft; however, the main point is missed around the whole project. It is not easy to establish a multicultural training center when you are thinking about airbase, infrastructure, logistics and airspace – generally you need capacity in all aspects to create a multicultural training center.
What needs to be considered and what are the conditions for the establishment of such a center?
Let’s say there are, for example, 10 countries. If each country sends, for example, only 5 pilots, that’s 50 pilots in total. If each pilot flies 100 hours, it is 5,000 hours a year (in Čáslav, we fly a little bit more than 5,000 hours a year as a tactical airbase). In reality there will be more pilots, it means more flying hours – more than 10,000 hours a year. Now there is a discussion whether we can create a multicultural training center – well, definitely not in the Czech Republic, we don’t have sufficient capacity, airspace. You have to consider the individual countries which have an airbase with enough capacity in an area where airspace, weather and other aspects will not put any restrictions on training. We have already spoken about training centers in the USA (Texas), Canada and Finland – those are countries where airspace and logistics are not an issue.
The system and the training center also have to be flexible. The training center should be able to provide a different level of training according to the participating nations’ needs. Each nation should be able to choose the level of training for their pilots from basic up to tactical training. We, for example, would send 4 to 5 pilots a year just for the basic training, because after that, we have a training squadron at home. But another country should be able to send 15 pilots and do the whole training there from the basic through the tactical up to the operational training level. Flexibility of the system is key. However, this will not happen overnight and it will take some time to build a training center with those capabilities. Therefore, there is going to be a transition phase, where you still need to keep your own training facilities and, at the same time, pay in advance for the new one. You cannot rely on something that still does not exist. Your pilots and the whole system also need a transition period to adapt to the changes.
So, you need capacity and a country that is able and willing to do that. Someone’s Air Force has to say – we have an air base and this air base is ready to take on the responsibility of the European military pilot center. You have to reach an agreement between governments and militaries of multiple countries with the support of private sectors. The industry is focusing only on which platform it will be and who will make more money. But they are missing the point that at first, they must find a partner who would be willing to “lock” one airbase, just for this program, if the training center generates 10,000 – 15,000 hours a year.
If private sector is in the lead, there must be massive investments; moreover, there are legal aspects that rise to government level. To build an airbase, it costs more than 4 billion CZK. The idea is great; however, the “movement” from signing the papers to actually making it happen hasn’t occurred yet. The European training center has been discussed since 2000, but the reality is still far away. In fact, each Air Force, somehow, fixes their needs. Also, they are locked into their current contracts. For example we (Czech Air Force) have a contract with LOM Praha until 2025. So, there must be an agreement among nations – governments – to have assurance that nations will join the program and allocate the budget to it. Otherwise, it is quite a risky mission to allocate airbase, get hold of resources, logistics and airframes, eventually you must have a good number of aircraft to be able to fly the required number of flying hours without any certainty of financing.
So, if there is an agreement among nations, then you need to bring in the private sector, if you want to make an effective training with simulation, LVC training etc… but my feeling so far is that the industry is focused on who will provide the aircraft, but today, it is not really focused on the question of platform.
What is really important at this moment to move forward on this issue?
It is going to be a difficult system to establish. As I have already mentioned above, governments must talk amongst themselves as to where we will establish the base, how many member countries it will serve… and they will have to start making annual payments to this country, so they can start with the development there. Once this kind of solid agreement has been signed, they can also start to attract the private sector for more investment.
What we are missing is a lead nation who will take ownership of this problem, and who will work as a leader and coordinate everything. We simply need someone who will come and say ok guys, we are here, and we have the intention in the next five years to open the training center on this specific airbase and we need to talk about the system and who wants to participate and who doesn’t. We are talking about an idea. Who established the Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training (ENJJPT) in Texas? USA as the lead nation. Who did it in Canada? Again, Canada as the lead nation. We are missing this element here, that is why we are not moving forward.
It must be decided on the government level in each country. The government must decide and allocate the money.
Interviewed by: Kateřina Urbanová
Photo: Jaroslav Tomana
Source: https://aero-space.eu/2021/01/19/we-are-missing-a-lead-nation/
