Preparing Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training Graduates for F-35A Training

In 2015, the USAF plans to start its first class of F-35A Initial Qualification Training (IQT) students immediately following their graduation from Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training (SUPT). This class will signify the beginning of F-35A pilot production with a steady increase to over 180 F-35A pilots per year. These pilots will require certain skills to fly the F-35A and will be somewhat different from the skills required of today's fighter pilots as we move from fourth generation F-16, F-15, and A-10 aircraft to the fifth generation F-22A and F-35A. Without a major change in either how future fighter pilots train or the aircraft they train in the USAF will not be maximizing its combat effectiveness. Therefore, the current USAF fighter pilot training system from Initial Flight Screening through SUPT, Introduction to Fighter Fundamentals (IFF), and finishing with F-35A Formal Training Unit (FTU) might need to adapt in order to prepare these students for future combat operations. This study examines what skills might be required for future students entering F-35A FTU, determine whether the current system adequately trains them and if not make recommendations on how to mitigate the shortfall.