Air Support to Defence Operational Training
The Air Support to Defence Operational Training (ASDOT), was a proposed programme whereby training in defence for aircrew in the armed forces of the United Kingdom would be provided by a civilian contractor. It was to include all air training undertaken under the umbrella of the Ministry of Defence (MOD); Royal Air Force (RAF), Fleet Air Arm (FAA), the Army Air Corps (AAC) and any units which came under the aegis of Joint Forces Command. The project was originally scheduled to go live in 2020, with training being folded into the programme when existing measures and contracts expired. The project was cancelled in March 2019 and re-launched in October 2021.
The ASDOT programme proposed to replace the Royal Air Force's Hawk T1A aircraft which are operated by No. 100 Squadron in the aggressor role
736 Naval Air Squadron was a Naval Air Squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm. It was most recently recommissioned at HMS Seahawk, RNAS Culdrose in June 2013 to fly the BAE Systems Hawk, mainly in the maritime aggressor role, following the disbandment of the Fleet Requirements and Aircraft Direction Unit (FRADU) and operated up until March 2022. It initially formed as the School of Air Combat in May 1943 at HMS Heron, RNAS Yeovilton. In September 1943 it moved to HMS Vulture, RNAS St Merryn, where it became the Fighter Combat School and it created an independent 'B' Flight for fighter affiliation work between March and September 1945. 736 Naval Air Squadron moved to HMS Seahawk, RNAS Culdrose in February 1950 as the Naval Air Fighter School in the 52nd Training Air Group, but disbanded in August 1952. Immediately the following day, the squadron reformed at HMS Seahawk, RNAS Culdrose out of 702 Naval Air Squadron as an Advanced Jet Flying School and in November 1953 it moved to HMS Fulmar, RNAS Lossiemouth. 736 Naval Air Squadron disbanded there in March 1965, but what was left became 764 Naval Air Squadron ‘B’ Flight. The squadron reformed the same day at Lossiemouth from 809 Naval Air Squadron as a Jet Strike Training Squadron. 1966. In March 1967, its aircraft were part of the group that bombed and set on fire the supertanker SS Torrey Canyon aground and leaking crude oil on Seven Sisters rocks off Cornwall. The squadron disbanded in February 1972.
British Aerospace Hawk T1A ‘XX205', '842-CU’ of 736 NAS
Scimitars of 736 Squadron at Farnborough, 1962
Blackburn Buccaneer S1, in 736 NAS markings
A BAE Hawk T1 of 736 Naval Air Squadron