Select Committee on Defence Written Evidence


Memorandum from the Ministry of Defence

BACKGROUND

  The Defence White Paper of 2003, "Delivering Security in a Changing World", set out the need for flexible and adaptable Armed Forces, configured and supported to undertake expeditionary operations, building on the strategy outlined in the Strategic Defence Review of 1998.

Experience on operations has shown that this flexibility and agility must also be reflected in the support and supply chains. These are essential to maintain front-line capability and combat effectiveness; they are a key enabler to the generation of Force Elements at Readiness (FE@R), capable of deploying wherever they may be required.

In 2003 the Ministry of Defence undertook a comprehensive review of logistics process, from the front-line to industry. [19]The review found that there was substantial excess capacity across all elements of the process; at the front line, in the MoD in-house repair capability and in industry. The required enhancements identified in this review are now being implemented under what is called the Defence Logistics Transformation Programme (DLTP), led by the Chief of Defence Logistics as the Logistics Process Owner.

The aim of the Defence Logistics Transformation Programme is to provide better logistic support to the Armed Forces, by increasing the effectiveness, efficiency and flexibility of logistics activity and optimising all such activity in support of the tasks likely to be required of the Armed Forces. For the delivery of front-line capability to the RAF, this has led to a reconfiguration of processes for aircraft support in order to meet the needs of an expeditionary air force and the achievement of better value from the resources available.

A key driver of the reconfiguration was the outcome of an extensive analysis of existing processes which showed that sizeable efficiency savings would result from concentrating depth support of the RAF's Fixed and Rotary Wing Fleets.

The analysis showed that concentrating support of the RAF's Harrier and Tornado GR4 fast jet fleets "forward" onto the RAF's Main Operating Bases would provide best value for money and operational effectiveness compared with the alternative of concentrating this depth support "backward" to DARA St Athan.

A key reason for this outcome is that RAF Aircraft support policy is underpinned by a requirement for the RAF to have a sufficient number of tradesmen, capable of deploying to operational theatres to support aircraft—this total is referred to as the RAF Crisis Manpower Requirement (CMR). This ensures that front-line capability and combat effectiveness is maintained on operations and enables the sustainment of air power operations where they are required. Within a smaller RAF, skilled technicians—and, indeed, all RAF personnel—must also maintain a war-fighting edge, as well as performing their day-to-day duties.

Where "depth" support is undertaken at RAF stations, commanders will adopt a force structure to include depth support personnel. All will be liable for deployed operations to support aircraft. Depth "hubs" on RAF Units allow "depth" personnel to train with other servicemen, including aircrew, for the deployments they may undertake.

The End to End review investment appraisal process showed clearly that the costs of moving the required RAF CMR personnel to St Athan were significantly higher than the infrastructure costs for upgrading the facilities at RAF MOBs. A key point is that, had the investment appraisal process shown that concentrating fast jet depth support at St Athan offered best value for money, this would have required the RAF CMR personnel to relocate to St Athan, displacing the majority of the DARA civilian workforce.

For Rotary Wing aircraft—Lynx and Sea King—the CMR issue was not critical and the argument was more finely balanced. By taking advantage of the synergies that could be achieved by having the depth maintenance for Lynx, Sea King and Chinook in one place, however, it became clear that concentrating the Rotary Wing depth support at DARA Fleetlands offered best value for money. The difference between the outcomes for Fixed and Rotary Wing aircraft reflects the balance of operational (primarily CMR), infrastructure and financial considerations in each case.

The new logistics support arrangements for military aircraft now being implemented will deliver the improved efficiency essential to maintain front-line capability and combat effectiveness, whilst delivering significant financial benefits over the many years of the service life of these platforms, delivering gross savings of £10 million in the current year, rising to some £40 million per annum from 2007-08.

The Department recognises that these fundamental changes will have a significant impact on its military and civilian workforce. Some 1,500 RAF posts are being reduced as a result of the End to End/DLTP decisions and some 700 DARA job reductions have already been announced, but these changes are essential if we are to maintain the required front line capability effectively and efficiently within the resources available.

The Committee posed specific questions, responses to these are given below.

The expected benefits, such as improved frontline capability, improved deployability and cost savings, which are to result from the announcements made by Mr Ingram on 16 September 2004 (and the subsequent decisions made) concerning the Government's preferred way forward for the future support of military aircraft. The timetable in which the expected benefits are to be realised.

The aim of Defence Logistics Transformation Programme (DLTP) is to improve our ability to support the outputs required of the Armed Forces. By improving value for money for the taxpayer the DLTP improves our ability to deliver the military capability required by optimising all logistics activity to enable greater availability of platforms.

  The Harrier Joint Upgrade and Maintenance Programme (JUMP) continues to deliver to schedule and budget at RAF Cottesmore. The programme has created a single focal point for all Harrier upgrade and maintenance activity, combining all lines of "on-aircraft" maintenance with the Harrier GR9 upgrade programme. This solution has significantly streamlined the overall logistics footprint for the Harrier fleet and is delivering significant savings over the next four years. It has improved maintenance turn-around-times by 14%, and reduced man-hours for the first 10 aircraft in the programme by 13%, with the total number of aircraft undergoing maintenance and/or upgrade programmes at any one time reducing from 24 to 13. This will enable more aircraft to be made available to front-line commands, thus improving their ability to deliver the required FE@R.

  So far as the Tornado is concerned, once the Tornado Future Support programme has achieved full maturity in 2008 the number of aircraft at RAF Marham undergoing "depth" maintenance and/or upgrade at any one time will reduce from 22 to 16. Further work to review maintenance policies and work-schedules is expected to reduce the work content of the maintenance packages by at least one-third. Similarly, the Tornado propulsion facility at RAF Marham will soon support the entire Tornado fleet, (with deep industrial support being provided by Rolls-Royce Ansty) reducing the number of on-base engine bays from seven to one. [20]

"Once the Tornado Future Support programme has achieved full maturity in 2008 the number of aircraft at RAF Marham undergoing `depth' maintenance and/or upgrade at any one time will reduce from 24 to 18."

Furthermore, we indicated that the number of engine bays was reducing from seven to one. Whilst this is factually correct, in that, at one time, there were seven engine bays, from March 2003 propulsion support for the GR4 and F3 fleet was provided from only two bays. This has now been reduced to a single bay at RAF Marham.

  One of the keys to achieving savings is the application of "lean" support methodology. For example, process changes to Tornado's engine maintenance and the rationalisation of repair facilities have already led to a reduction in the number of people employed on this work from 2.6 to 0.7 per aircraft at the front-line. Cost reductions will also be achieved by better harnessing industry's design knowledge at the Main Operating Base to reduce unnecessary repair activity.

  RAF tradesman and women employed on depth maintenance will maintain their high standards and remain subject to exacting quality control measures. The Tornado Project Team is negotiating a series of partnered support solutions with prime contractors.

On-aircraft "depth" maintenance for Lynx, Chinook and Sea King will deliver significant savings as a result of the concentration of "depth" maintenance for all three platforms into "pulse-lines" at DARA Fleetlands. The newly adopted "pulse-line" methodology, similar to that being adopted at RAF Cottesmore for Harrier, allows aircraft to pass through packaged maintenance activities, thereby reducing repair turn-round-times and releasing aircraft more quickly from repair to the front-line commands. For example, the time taken for Lynx major maintenance should reduce from an average of 175 days to 140 days, with the number of Lynx undergoing repair at any one time reducing from 42 aircraft to 27; higher aircraft availability improves the ability of front-line commands to deliver FE@R. Similar improvements are planned for Sea King and Chinook.

The changes we have made to the arrangements for the future support of military aircraft will deliver gross savings of £10 million in the current year, rising to some £40 million per annum from 2007-08.

  The future viability of DARA as an MoD Trading Fund, given the decision to concentrate the support of Tornado GR4 aircraft forward at the MOB at RAF Marham, and the announcement made on 21 July 2005 of job losses at DARA Fleetlands (Engines Business Unit).

The Minister for the Armed Forces made clear in his announcement last November that his decision to roll forward Tornado GR4 depth support to RAF Marham would have significant implications for DARA as a whole and, in particular, that currently envisaged work would not be sufficient to sustain the St Athan business unit on an economic and viable basis, if no alternative work could be found.

DARA was formed in 1999 with the merger of the RAF Maintenance Group Defence Agency and the Naval Aircraft Repair Organisation. It became a trading fund in April 2001.

DARA's viability as a Trading Fund was an issue before the decisions on Red Dragon and the future depth support of the RAF's fast jets were taken. DARA has historically provided logistics support for legacy or obsolescent military fixed wing and rotary aircraft and their systems. Its longer term viability has, for some time, been dependent upon winning new commercial/civil work, to reduce its dependency on the MoD as its principal customer, against a background of general industrial over-capacity in this area.

The move of Harrier and Tornado GR4 depth support to RAF Main Operating Bases—taken together with other factors, such as the early withdrawal of the Jaguar fleet, the reduction in Tornado F3 force levels and other more recent initiatives to optimise aircraft depth maintenance cycles in light of operational experience—have combined to impact significantly on workloads in the short term, and the future viability of DARA as a whole and the St Athan site in particular.

The Trading Fund comprises five Business Units; Fixed Wing (St Athan); Rotary Wing (Fleetlands); Engines (Fleetlands); Electronics (Sealand); and Components (Almondbank). The outcome of the E2E review and the Defence Logistics Transformation Programme will have a different impact on each of these and work is in hand to assess the way forward for all parts of the DARA business (See Answer to Question 3).

The recent announcement by DARA of up to 50 redundancies in the Engines Business Unit at DARA Fleetlands follows the loss, in open competition, of a major contract servicing and repairing Tornado RB199 engine modules. We are optimistic that we will be able to achieve a significant number of these reductions through voluntary means and natural wastage. The loss of this work must, however, inevitably have an impact on DARA's ability to win work competitively in this very difficult market sector in the future.

The progress made in exploring with other Government Departments alternative options for the DARA St Athan site and the progress made on the study reviewing the strategic options for the site's future.

In 2003 a decision was taken to consolidate the work at DARA St Athan into a single purpose-built building, replacing a series of badly maintained WW2 facilities. The project, (Red Dragon) was part of an overall agreement to lease the St Athan site to the Welsh Development Agency (WDA) and involves investment from the WDA in the construction of the hangar, with the MoD leasing the hangar back from the WDA.

The decision to proceed with the Red Dragon Superhangar was based on a sound business case and the balance of the evidence available at the time. This was subsequently overtaken by the conclusions of the end to end review of military aircraft support, which sought to address over capacity in the logistics process as a whole (both within the Department and in Industry), but Red Dragon has already enabled the achievement of significant efficiencies and cost savings by DARA. Construction was well underway before the emerging conclusions of the end to end review were known and these would not, at that stage, have altered the basis of the business case for consolidation of DARA's existing business at St Athan.

Since Minister (AF)'s announcement on the way ahead for the depth support of the RAF' fast jet fleets we have been working closely with our colleagues in the Welsh Assembly Government and others to explore all alternative options for the viable and economic use of St Athan as defence work draws down. We have together formed a Joint MoD/Welsh Assembly Steering Group at senior level, which meets regularly to review progress and consider key strategic issues. Representatives from other Government Departments, including the Wales Office and the Department of Trade and Industry have been co-opted onto the Steering Group to ensure pan-government coherency. In addition we have, together with the Welsh Assembly, formed and funded a Joint Marketing team, drawing on expertise from within our respective departments, and external marketing assistance, in the search to draw in new commercial business to the St Athan site.

We have also been working within the Department to examine other MoD uses for the St Athan site. The Committee may already be aware that the site already provides a home for the 1st Battalion, The Welsh Guards. We have also considered what other projects might bring benefits to the Department by their location at St Athan. This work is continuing.

The Department is currently considering the future options for DARA (and DARA St Athan in particular), as a matter of urgency, given the need to resolve the various uncertainties, not least for the DARA workforce. Once a Departmental view has been reached we will discuss our conclusions with key stakeholders, including the Trades Unions and our colleagues in the Welsh Assembly Government, before any final decisions are taken. The criteria for any final decisions will be quality of support to the front line and overall value-for-money. We would hope to be able to make an announcement about the preferred way forward for DARA later this year. The Department would welcome an opportunity to brief the Committee on the proposed way forward at the appropriate time.

The progress made in preparing the MOB at RAF Marham to support Tornado GR4 aircraft, including the progress made in transferring the required number of RAF tradesmen from other bases, such as RAF Lossiemouth.

Since Minister (AF) announced on 25 November 2004 that support for the Tornado GR4 aircraft would be concentrated "forward" on the Main Operating Base at RAF Marham, significant progress has been made to prepare `depth' facilities at the Station in support of the whole Tornado GR4 fleet. This activity can be summarised under three main headings: process, people and infrastructure.

PROCESS

The maintenance organisation at RAF Marham (and other Tornado Main Operating Bases) was re-configured to the "forward" and "depth" construct on 1 April 2005. Since then, all "depth" maintenance at Marham has been controlled by the Defence Logistics Organisation's Tornado Integrated Project Team. A specialist team has also been established to reorganise existing maintenance activity, using "lean" principles. The support solution for Tornado GR4 at RAF Marham will centralise both on-aircraft (whole aircraft maintenance) and off-aircraft (component repair and overhaul) work. Progress to date includes replacing the traditional maintenance system with a "pulse-line" similar to that successfully employed at RAF Cottesmore to support the RAF Harrier fleet.

  The majority of "off-aircraft"' work will be carried out at RAF Marham in existing workshops that have been radically re-organised and re-configured. For example, the pylon maintenance bay has been re-configured and, by September 2005, will carry out all Tornado work. By December 2005, all on-base engine work will have transferred to RAF Marham. Work to centralise repair and overhaul of structural components is progressing. Work still being carried out at RAF Lossiemouth is planned to transfer by March 2006. Based on current plans, all work will have transferred to RAF Marham by March 2007.

PEOPLE

  There will be an impact on people working on aircraft support at other Tornado MOBs. On 10 March 2005, Minister (AF) announced how the overall reductions in RAF uniformed personnel and MoD civilians, achieved as a result of the application of the End-to-End logistic principles, would affect manpower levels. The number of personnel supporting the Tornado fleets will be reduced by some 931. This figure is made up of around 896 service personnel and 35 civilians. There will also be a rebalancing of posts across units as work is centralised. It is planned that 35 posts will have transferred from the RAF Lossiemouth propulsion facility by 31 March 2006 to fully enable the centralised facility at Marham. Over the next two years, as more work is centralised at Marham, a total of around 260 posts will transfer from the other Tornado bases to Marham, to support work in areas such as the paint bay, structures bay and hydraulic bay. The precise numbers and dates are yet to be finalised as they depend on factors such as the outcome of Lean Events and contract completion dates.

INFRASTRUCTURE

Finally, some work will be undertaken to upgrade the infrastructure at RAF Marham. The Station has sufficient hangars and bays to support the Tornado GR4 aircraft fleet but a programme of improvement, to be implemented over the next two financial years, will be undertaken. The costs of this work were included in the appraisal work leading to the end to end review decision. Additional accommodation requirements for those personnel transferring to Marham are being assessed.

The progress made in concentrating depth support for Lynx, Chinook and Sea King back to DARA Fleetlands.

Although not without risk, the programme to concentrate Rotary-Wing "depth" maintenance at DARA Fleetlands is making good initial progress. Work is in hand to address the risks and refine the programme in the optimum way.

The revised maintenance programme at DARA Fleetlands was implemented in April 2005 and is running to schedule. The first Lynx entered the new lean "pulse-line" at DARA Fleetlands in mid-April, while the first Chinook and Sea King entered their respective "pulse-lines" in June. It is planned that all "depth" maintenance for Chinook will have transferred to Fleetlands by October 2005, for Army Lynx by November 2005, for RN Lynx by March 2007, RN Sea King by September 2005 and all RAF Sea King by October 2006.

A Roll Back Programme Director, supported by an internal DARA team from within the Rotary business, was immediately established in November 2004 to start mapping the new processes that will help deliver the anticipated efficiency and cost savings.

The Programme is based on Value Stream Analysis, whereby the "as is" end-to-end process is mapped and measured, future state options developed and an implementation plan agreed. The aim is to ensure consistent and measurable improvements that guarantee the successful delivery of the increased Roll Back volumes. The Fleetlands team secured the involvement of key MoD stakeholders from the outset. Industry partners, Westland and Boeing, are also an important and integral part of the Roll Back Programme in their roles as Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs).

With the help of experienced external consultants, DARA has been able to set some challenging efficiency targets to ensure that unnecessary costs and activities are driven out of the business.

DARA's "Pulse line" closely mirrors the approach that is operating at RAF Cottesmore, where depth maintenance work on the Harrier fleet is now undertaken. It is expected that the introduction of pulse lines will also help improve the availability of spares and smooth the demands on the complicated logistics supply chain. `Pulse' applies the methods of production to the delivery of depth maintenance. The work environment is configured in phases and the aircraft moves from phase to phase (pulse) at defined intervals, ensuring each phase is conducted to a set schedule of work.

The agreed future state will see three pulse lines on Lynx, two pulse lines on Sea King and two pulse lines on Chinook. Detailed planning and understanding of customer demand and optimisation of current real estate determines that this is the most efficient way to satisfy DARA's customers and drive the efficiencies necessary to reduce overheads.

The Pulse line approach will result in planned turn around time reductions of between 20% and 35% on Lynx, 21% to 34% on Sea King and 20% to 26% on Chinook. These turn round time (TRT) improvements will enhance front line capabilities by reducing the number of aircraft in maintenance by 36% for Lynx, 27% for Sea King and 22% for Chinook, thus increasing the availability of aircraft for operations.

Operational efficiencies and overhead cost reductions are progressing with DARA on target to achieve a 20% reduction in charging rates for 2005-06.

How Typhoon aircraft and Joint Strike Fighter aircraft are currently supported/are planned to be supported in the future.

TYPHOON

Between the commencement of RAF Typhoon development flying and the end of June 2005, aircraft were operated, temporarily, from BAE Systems Warton, Lancashire. This successful arrangement allowed the RAF to benefit from the infrastructure and skills at the company's site before transferring aircraft to RAF Coningsby in July this year.

The Defence Logistics Transformation Programme (DLTP) is focussing on Typhoon to ensure more cost-effective, through-life support arrangements reflecting the current best practice and the lessons learned from "leaning" support to current platforms, such as Harrier and Tornado GR4. The Typhoon's "depth" support "hub" is being established at RAF Coningsby progressively from July 2005.

A "Whole Aircraft Scheduled Maintenance and Upgrade" facility is envisaged. An interim arrangement will be in place later this year, followed by a full facility expected to be operational by the end of the decade. Inter alia, this will provide for planned maintenance and "upgrade" activities to bring earlier aircraft up to the later standards as Typhoon is developed incrementally.

Industry partners are being engaged, to establish a Prime Support Contractor Management (PSCM) relationship in order to deliver long-term, cost-effective support. The principle is to provide single-point accountability for delivery of an output-based, integrated support solution to the Front-line Command. The selection of repair and overhaul contractors for "off-aircraft" component maintenance (by competition against long-term value-for-money criteria) has commenced with the first contracts expected to be in place in early-2007.

JOINT STRIKE FIGHTER

Support for Joint Combat Aircraft (JCA) is planned to benefit from the economies of scale that the full 3,000-plus global aircraft Joint Strike Fighter production base will bring.

  It is likely that a depth maintenance facility, at a Main Operating Base in the UK, will be feasible. If this demonstrated to be cost-effective in the wider programme it will be operated through a partnership between the MoD and Team Lockheed (Lockheed Martin, BAE Systems and Northrop Grumman).

How transport aircraft (such as C-130 aircraft, C-17 aircraft and the A400M aircraft) and reconnaissance/surveillance aircraft are currently supported/are planned to be supported in the future.

Support arrangements for the MoD's fleets of transport and reconnaissance/surveillance aircraft have been developed over the past five years in line with the MoD's strategy to seek long-term partnered arrangements with industry. In the case of the C-17 fleet, this arrangement takes advantage of the wider global support solution provided by Boeing.

  For the VC10 fleet, DARA has successfully partnered under a BAE Systems prime contract arrangement to deliver the long-term support solution with DARA St Athan as the "depth hub". These partnered solutions are already driving down support costs while at the same time improving the availability of platforms to the front-line.

  We will continue to explore support arrangements for the large-aircraft fleets that will offer best value to the MoD. In the majority of cases these would be partnered support solutions achieved through a prime contractor, such as Marshall Aerospace in the case of C-130.

  The progress made in relation to the Airfield Review and how the outcome of the review will affect the future support of military aircraft and the delivery of frontline capability to the RAF.

In March 2004 the then Under Secretary for Defence announced the Department's intention to consolidate Defence activity onto fewer, more densely utilised sites[21] to optimise MoD's use of land and facilities and hence to enhance the delivery of military capability and improve value for money. The Defence Airfield Review, announced in July 2004, [22]is part of this work. The aim of the Review is to create the optimum basing posture to meet the security challenges of the 21 century and best suited to the new aircraft types coming into service.

The Review takes the form of a series of business cases. Those currently being examined are:

    —    Joint Combat Aircraft basing.

    —    Nimrod MRA4 basing.

    —    Volunteer Gliding School basing.

    —    University Air Squadron/Air Experience Flying basing.

    —    UK Military Flying Training System.

    The Department expects to announce a decision on JCA basing later this year. Five candidates are under consideration; RAF Lossiemouth, RAF Marham, RAF Leeming, RAF St Mawgan and RAF Cottesmore.

    On 10 March 2005[23] the Minister for the Armed Forces announced that the MRA4 will initially enter service at RAF Kinloss and that work continues to assess whether the optimum long term basing solution will be RAF Waddington or Kinloss. If Waddington is selected as the long term base for MRA4 the aircraft would not relocate until at least 2013.

    Opportunities will also be explored to rationalise gliding and University Air Squadron activity onto fewer sites where this provides cost-effective support arrangements.

    The outcome of the Review will not drive the provision of future support to aircraft. Nor will support solutions drive airfield requirements. These processes work hand in hand to deliver the optimum frontline capability within the resources available.

    An update on the RAF redundancy programme, including the number of redundancies made to date and the percentage of these from the aircraft engineering trades. [24]

    The December 2003 Defence White Paper, Delivering Security in a Changing World, set out a comprehensive statement of Defence policy and the strategic environment in which the UKs Armed Forces operate. Further work was undertaken on a sustainable and affordable future force structure to support this policy and the Secretary of State announced the resulting plans to restructure the Armed Forces in July 2004. For the RAF, the changes in the force structure and the achievement of planned organisational efficiencies resulted in a reduced RAF trained manpower requirement of around 41,000 by April 2008. The trained strength on 1 July 2005 was 48,610.

    The RAF is exploiting the opportunity provided by the new strategic environment and advances in technology to adapt its structure and employment patterns to meet the demands that it will face for the foreseeable future. The tempo of change in RAF manpower will also be driven by a range of initiatives that seek to make more efficient use of the mix of regular, reserve, civilian and contractor personnel. The RAF has completed its initial work to plan the drawdown of RAF regular manpower numbers by April 2008 and is undertaking further detailed work to identify future manpower structures and capabilities that effectively support operational capability in the new strategic environment, and which are affordable and taut.

    The drawdown in the trained strength of the RAF is being achieved through a balanced strategy of normal outflow, reduced recruitment and a targeted redundancy programme. The redundancy programme will entakil around 2,750 redundancies, in three Tranches, spread over two years. Tranche 1 is all but complete with 508 applicants selected for redundancy who were due to exit in September 2005; one one non-applicant ws selected for redundancy in Tranche 1 and is due to leave in March 2006. As expected, most of the redundacies (463-around 90%) in Tranche 1 are in the aircraft engineering trades. This is due mainly to the efficiencies arising from the Defence Logistics Transformation Programme and, in particular, the implementation of plans to realign RAF logistic support structures from the traditional four lines of maintenance to two levels (Forward and Depth).

    Tranche 2 will comprise around 1,200 personnel all of who were applicants. Those selected have been notified and should leave the Service in April 2006; a small number of exit dates may be deferred to meet transient manning needs. Around 65% (790) of those selected are from aircraft engineering trades.

    The balance of around 1,050 redundancy places will form Tranche 3 of the programme, with most applicants expected to leave in April 2007 and non-applicants in September 2007. Tranche 3 is only in the initial planning stages, although we would expect the aircraft engineering trades to feature again but probably at a lower percentage than in the first two tranches.

    The December 2003 Defence White Paper, Delivering Security in a Changing World, set out a comprehensive statement of Defence policy and the strategic environment in which the UK's Armed Forces operate. Further work was undertaken on a sustainable and affordable future force structure to support this policy and the Secretary of State announced the resulting plans to restructure the Armed Forces[25] in July 2004. For the RAF, the changes in the force structure and the achievement of planned organisational efficiencies resulted in a reduced RAF trained manpower requirement of around 41,000 by April 2008. The trained strength on 1 July 2005 was 48,610.

    The RAF is exploiting the opportunity provided by the new strategic environment and advances in technology to adapt its structure and employment patterns to meet the demands that it will face for the foreseeable future. The tempo of change in RAF manpower will also be driven by a range of initiatives that seek to make more efficient use of the mix of regular, reserve, civilian and contractor personnel. The RAF has completed its initial work to plan the drawdown of RAF regular manpower numbers by April 2008 and is undertaking further detailed work to identify future manpower structures and capabilities that effectively support operational capability in the new strategic environment, and which are affordable and taut.

    The drawdown in the trained strength of the RAF is being achieved through a balanced strategy of normal outflow, reduced recruitment and a targeted redundancy programme. The redundancy programme will entail around 2,750 redundancies, in three Tranches, spread over two years. Tranche 1 is well underway with 507 applicants selected for redundancy who are due to exit in September 2005; only one non-applicant was selected for redundancy in Tranche 1 and is due to leave in March 2006. As expected, most of the redundancies (463—around 90%) in Tranche 1 are in the aircraft engineering trades. This is due mainly to the efficiencies arising from the Defence Logistics Transformation Programme and, in particular, the implementation of plans to realign RAF logistic support structures from the traditional four lines of maintenance to two levels (Forward and Depth).

    Applications have already been received for Tranche 2 of the redundancy programme. It is anticipated that Tranche 2 will comprise around 1,200 personnel, and that those selected will be applicants who will leave the Service in April 2006; any non-applicants selected will leave in September 2006. Quotas for Tranche 2 have yet to be finalised but it is anticipated that around 60% (690) of those selected will be from aircraft engineering trades.

    The balance of around 1,050 redundancy places will form Tranche 3 of the programme, with most applicants expected to leave in April 2007 and non-applicants in September 2007. Tranche 3 is only in the initial planning stages, although we would expect the aircraft engineering trades to feature again but probably at a lower percentage than in the first two tranches.

    An assessment of how the changes to RAF Force Restructuring announced on 21 July 2005 (closure of RAF Saxa Vord and changes to the RAF Regiment) will impact on the RAF's frontline capability and whether further changes relating to RAF Force Restructuring are expected and, if so, in what areas.

    The RAF Regiment's Force Protection capability will increase as a result of the restructuring announcements made in July 2005. [26]The addition of 40 personnel to both 3 Squadron RAF Regiment and the Queen's Colour Squadron, (63 Squadron RAF Regiment) will enable both squadrons to augment their existing capabilities by broadening the range of skills available to them, eg the use of mortars and enhanced surveillance, and bring their holistic capability up to the levels of other squadrons in the same role. As a result, the number of fully formed RAF Regiment Field Squadrons available for deployment will rise from four to six, generating greater operational flexibility for the RAF Regiment overall in its core force protection role.

    A reduction in the strategic requirement for Ground Based Air Defence (GBAD) coverage prompted the rebalancing of GBAD roles announced as part of the Addendum to the Defence White Paper: Delivering Security in a Changing World, "Future Capabilities", in July 2004. [27]The re-allocation of the RAF's GBAD role to the Army will not reduce the quality of GBAD coverage. The new Joint GBAD Headquarters, launched on 1 July 2005, remains within the RAF Command Structure. The disbandment of the four RAF Regiment Rapier squadrons has enabled the transfer of the additional personnel to both 3 Squadron and the Queen's Colour Squadron cited above. The augmentation of Field Squadron capability reflects the higher operational priority, against current threat assessments, of this role.

    The decision to base RAF Regiment Force Protection units at Main Operating Bases will also generate operational benefits. Operational commanders will be able to draw on a package of force elements who, through co-location, will have trained together on a regular basis. This development of understanding and shared skills will greatly enhance the RAF's holistic capability to deliver Air Power.

    Changes in the strategic environment mean that the level of capability provided by RAF Saxa Vord in its Air Surveillance and Control System role is no longer required. The level of air surveillance coverage assessed as necessary can be provided by other RAF radar sites, augmented by the National Air Traffic Service. The site will continue to be maintained so that, should the strategic environment change, it can be re-activated.

    RAF force levels and structures are kept under constant review in light of changes to the global security environment. Work continues to implement the changes already announced, including the co-location of HQ STC and HQ PTC at RAF High Wycombe. The changes to RAF force structures made over the last 18 months will contribute to the RAF's manpower reduction target of 7,500 personnel by 2008. These changes are balanced against an equipment and infrastructure investment programme which will improve capabilities in areas required to deliver expeditionary air power.

    September 2005





    19   Streamlining End to End Air and Land Logistics 1 July 2003. Back

    20   Update by MoD: The numbers of aircraft quoted as undergoing depth maintenance needs to be changed. We stated that "once the Tornado Future Support programme has achieved full maturity in 2008 the number of aircraft at RAF Marham undergoing `depth' maintenance and/or upgrade at any one time will reduce from 22 to 16." Having reviewed again this statement it is felt that the figures, whilst correct as far as they go, do not portray the complete picture and therefore could lead to confusion and possible misinterpretation. Specifically, the figures did not include two aircraft undergoing upgrade activity using a stand-alone Contractors Working Party. By 2008 all such work will be carried out at RAF Marham. Hence it is more accurate to state that: Back

    21   Official Report: Column 47WS-23 March 2004. Back

    22   Official Report: Column 348-21 July 2004. Back

    23   Via letter to affected MPs. Back

    24   Update by MoD: In addition, the information regarding the RAF redundancy programme contained in this reply is updated below to take account of the outcome of Tranche 2, announced at the end of September: Back

    25   Official Report col 343. Back

    26   Official Report: column 117WS-21 July 2005. Back

    27   Official Report: column 343-21 July 2004. Back


 
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