New flight training facility opens at RAF Valley as part of huge investment

A new flight training facility has officially been opened at RAF Valley as part of a large investment at the site.

The new Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR) building is part of a £175m investment by the Ministry of Defence to allow flight training company Ascent to deliver basic training.

Ascent’s industry partners from Babcock International and Kier have extended the existing infrastructure at the site to house new simulators and extra instructors to boost training capacity.

The existing facility has also been upgraded to provide increased mission planning capacity and improved facilities for trainees, instructors and other staff.

The SDSR building will house a Texan dome simulator, a flight training device built by Lockheed Martin, which is scheduled to arrive at RAF Valley later this year.

The SDSR project is designed to increase the basic flight training of trainee pilots by almost 50 per cent.

Virginia Crosbie, MP for Ynys Môn, formally opened the building, before taking a guided tour of the new facilities.

Ms Crosbie said: “RAF Valley is a huge part of the island community and to invest £175m into it has widespread benefit across the island, not just in jobs and skills, but in other areas like retail and services.

“Anglesey remains a crucial part of our defence as we invest to safeguard our skies. Nothing highlights this more than expanded pilot training in these uncertain times.”

Ascent’s general manager at RAF Valley, Jonathan Cowdry, said: “It was a pleasure to host the formal opening of this facility and to be a part of the continued investment in the military flying training system, supporting the generation of employment and other opportunities on Ynys Môn.”