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Defence and space

UK awards GBP 300 million FIRCTS contract to Ascent Flight Training

The UK Ministry of Defence awarded an eight year, GBP 300 million FIRCTS contract to Ascent Flight Training, a Lockheed Martin and Babcock joint venture, to quadruple RAF and Royal Navy mission aircrew output from 35 to 140 a year.

Reported AI-drafted UK Defence Journal, 19 May 2025

What it does not test. It does not show whether the new Culdrose and Cranwell facilities deliver the promised output once built.

How this item counts. This item is dated before the index starts on 1 January 2026, so it does not count in the European Sovereignty Index.

How this item was made. Drafted by an AI system (Claude (Anthropic)) from the source cited above and published under the editor’s responsibility without a person reading it first. How the record is made

What the tags mean: VerifiedReportedAI-draftedAI-drafted, editor-readHuman-writtenWhat the tags mean

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