Last Updated on April 22, 2026 by allieddispatch | Published: April 22, 2026
The Royal Air Force has signalled a major shift in its workforce strategy, welcoming nearly 150 recruits to RAF Halton. Known as ‘Pearson Intake,’ this group represents the largest single intake of recruits to begin basic training in decades.
This surge, a direct response to a new policy to grow the RAF’s base rank by 5%, saw 145 recruits start their recruit training on 13 April 2026. This is a significant pivot aimed at reversing the workforce decline that has persisted since the pandemic.
The Scale of the Surge
To put the “Pearson Intake” into perspective, routine graduating cohorts had previously shrunk to as few as 40 to 50 recruits. By jumping to 145, the RAF has nearly tripled its intake capacity in a single window.
Achieving this required a massive logistical effort across the Aviator Training Academy, RAF Halton, 22 Group, and Air Command to ensure the infrastructure at Halton could handle the sudden influx of personnel.
What the 10-Week Training Looks Like
The Pearson Intake is now undergoing the Basic Recruit Training Course (BRTC), which is the foundation for all non-commissioned aviators. The course is broken down into:
- The “Military” Transition: Moving from civilian life to military discipline.
- Force Protection: Rigorous tactical training to meet specific RAF standards.
- The Robson Resilience Centre: A period in Crickhowell for adventurous training to build mental and physical toughness.
- Physical Training (PT): A continuous, 10-week conditioning programme.
The “Plan for Change”
The RAF has explicitly stated that increasing “trained strength” is now its Main Effort. And this increase in intake numbers ties directly into the broader government “Plan for Change,” which views a robust, fully-staffed RAF as the backbone of national security and renewal.
Allied Dispatch Discussion
- The 5% Goal: With 145 recruits in one intake, do you think the RAF can sustain this pace to hit that 5% growth target by year-end?
- Training Pressure: Does tripling the intake size risk “diluting” the quality of training, or is the new infrastructure up to the task?
- National Security: Is “mass” (the number of people) more important right now than “exquisite” technology?
The Pearson Intake is a clear signal: the RAF is growing again. We’ll be watching to see if the next intake matches these record-breaking numbers.