Woke RAF is running out of gun pilots! Unlawful diversity drive jeopardises Keir Starmer’s pledge to put jets ‘in sky over Ukraine’_Nhy
RAF bosses have launched a desperate search for pilots after a secret bid to discriminate against white male applicants backfired.
Candidates previously overlooked are now being urged to re-apply for training as the Air Force frantically tries to fill cockpits with combat-ready flyers, the Mail can reveal.
The plea follows a controversial drive by top brass to prioritise the recruitment of women and ethnic minorities, which was found to be unlawful.
The urgent need for pilots has become so pressing that air chiefs are actively encouraging older candidates, who have some level of flight experience, to sign up.
It has been reported that the Royal Air Force is suffering from a 30 per cent shortfall in pilots at the ranks of Flight Lieutenant and Squadron Leader. Officials RAF sources have challenged these statistics but have not produced their own.
It comes as Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer pledged to put ‘jets in the sky’ to protect Ukraine as part of a post-conflict stabilisation force to be confirmed this week.
The Labour leader has already ramped up spending on defence to 2.5 per cent of GDP.
And other leaders in Europe quickly backed plans to step up their investment in military hardware after Donald Trump said they could no longer depend on the United States for protection.
Candidates previously overlooked are now being urged to reapply for training (File image)
The plea follows a drive by top brass to prioritise the recruitment of women and ethnic minorities (File image)
Last night, Shadow Armed Forces Minister Mark Francois, said: ‘The RAF’s availability of combat pilots has been hit by a perfect storm: including woke manipulation of recruiting practices, the revival of civilian airlines post-Covid and technical issues with training aircraft, particularly engine reliability on the Hawk T2.
‘All this really matters. If we are now going to see ‘jets in the sky’ defending any Ukrainian peace deal then we need enough trained pilots to fly them.
‘As we approach VE Day celebrations, it is worth remembering that the RAF never ran out of Spitfires or Hurricanes during the Battle of Britain, but we very nearly ran out of fighter pilots.’
An official document, seen by the Mail, has revealed the RAF requires ‘a higher number of pilots for training’.
To plug the shortfall, air chiefs want personnel from other branches of the RAF, who may previously have been rejected due to their scores in suitability assessments, to reapply.
The RAF Internal Briefing Note, dated March 5th, is titled ‘Opportunities for professional transfer to the pilot specialisation’.
It invites applications for transfer, stating ‘this is due to a higher number of pilots required for flying training’.
Applicants must submit their paperwork before their 24th birthday, although officers who have relevant experience in ‘flying-related roles’ can be older.
Air chiefs are actively encouraging older candidates to sign up (File image)
Chancellor Rachel Reeves meets with female service personnel at RAF Northolt
The same document reveals a similar scheme has been unveiled to train up more weapons systems operators.
It also comes after an official inquiry in 2023 found the RAF unlawfully discriminated against white male pilot applicants.
A group of 31 white male pilot trainees were held back, a review found. They subsequently received compensation.
The RAF was also forced to admit its target for 40 per cent of the force to be female and 20 per cent from an ethnic minority background by 2030 was ‘unrealistic’.
Group Captain Lizzie Nicholl, at the time the RAF’s head of recruitment, refused to follow the order which she rightly stated was contrary to the Equality Act.
The probe found she was subjected to ‘significant and at times unreasonable’ pressure to push through the unlawful policy.
Former head of the RAF, Air Chief Marshal Sir Mike Wigston, faced to calls to resign over the ‘woke’ recruitment scandal.
In the same year, a report by the House of Commons Defence Select Committee accused RAF bosses of ‘complacency’ regarding ‘a reduction in the Ministry of Defence’s ability to produce combat-ready aircrew within expected timescales’.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer pledged to put ‘jets in the sky’ to protect Ukraine as part of a post-conflict stabilisation force
ASRAAM missile on the back of a truck at RAF Northolt (File image)
MPs said this had ‘serious implications for the effectiveness of our armed forces’ and that the ‘delays and backlogs of recent years have been completely unacceptable’.
Among the problems with pilot training has been issues with the plane used by the RAF to teach pilots repeatedly breaking down.
While, as part of a contract to sell Typhoon jets to Gulf states, the RAF is obliged to train pilots from countries such as Saudi Arabia.
These issues contributed to the time it was taking the RAF to train pilot extending to seven years. RAF sources claim this has been brought back down to three and a half years.
The RAF insists it has sufficient pilots and aircrew to conduct all current operations.
Last night, the RAF said: ‘We have sufficient pilots and aircrew to conduct all current operations and service the front line.
‘Additionally, active management of the flying training system has reduced training times and the backlog of student aircrew in the training pipeline.
‘This good progress has enabled us to reopen aircrew applications for serving personnel.’
