Sat 14 Jan 2006 The Scotsman

Army being scalped of Apache pilots

JAMES KIRKUP
WESTMINSTER EDITOR

THE British Army's £2 billion fleet of Apache attack helicopters could
go short of pilots after a string of resignations. Military insiders
say that many of the small number of army pilots qualified
to fly the aircraft have either quit or plan to leave in coming months.
Some have been lured to the private sector where their skills command
much higher wages than those paid by the army. Others say they are
frustrated by rigid military career structures that force them out of
the cockpit and into an office. Even frontline pilots complain that
they spend too little time actually flying. After a lengthy and complex
procurement process, 67 Apaches were declared
"ready for operations" last year. The Apache is arguably the most
sophisticated combat aircraft in the world, packed with weapons systems
and advanced sensor packages that provide pilots
with a deluge of information about their surroundings. In all, training
an Apache pilot to combat readiness takes six months and costs the MoD
more than £1 million. At least four Apache pilots are believed to have
resigned in recent weeks. Army rumours suggest that several more could
shortly join them, possibly as many as 11 in all. If true, several of
the Apaches, which cost about £30 million each, could effectively be
grounded for lack of a qualified pilot. The Apache fleet already has
suffered teething troubles in the form of mechanical and technical
failures. Such is the complexity of its systems, anything between a
fifth and a half of the helicopters are grounded for maintenance at any
one time. Military insiders say a shortage of qualified engineers
exacerbates the situation. While pilots are hugely enthusiastic about
actually flying the Apache, the mechanical difficulty of getting the
aircraft into the air and the inflexibility of the army career
structure are said to have left many pilots frustrated. One reason the
Apache-qualified pilots are leaving is money. Several private companies
pay generously for army-trained pilots who are then effectively hired
back to the military through Private Finance Initiative training
contracts. "Now why would some of the highest calibre pilots be leaving
the army? The sum of £60,000 a year springs to mind," said one
military insider. The fresh fears for the Apache are being discussed
widely by Army Air Corps members on unofficial service internet forums.
"A lot of these [qualified pilots] have a great deal of experience that
we should not be losing before we have even finished fielding Apache,"
said one poster. Other insiders blame the Army Air Corps' career
profile that obliges pilots to move on from operational flying after a
three-year posting. "As long as the men who fly Apache have to adhere
to the career profile there will be waste," said one pilot. But the
Ministry of Defence said there could be flexibility. "Apache crews may
serve for longer than three years if their careers allow, and may of
course return to flying after experiencing other roles," said a
spokeswoman.