Image: Inzpire ©
Inzpire has delivered the British Army’s first Central Flying School (CFS)-endorsed remotely piloted aircraft system (RPAS) operator course, marking a significant step in uncrewed systems training. The course ran at the Royal School of Artillery (RSA) under the TIQUILA programme.
The course delivers a conversion-to-type qualification for the Stalker VXE30 uncrewed aerial system, known to the British Army as EAGLE. Operators use the platform primarily for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions.
TIQUILA is a Lockheed Martin UK-led framework programme that supplies uncrewed systems to UK armed forces, as per a recent press statement. The programme has delivered more than 250 portable and packable UAS to date, with Inzpire developing courseware and providing operator and maintainer training throughout.
This latest course reflects a shift from initial fielding towards structured, embedded training at the Army’s principal artillery establishment. Inzpire also provided the first CFS-endorsed RPAS instructor embedded within the British Army, Ian Williamson, who brings over 155 flying hours on the Eagle system and a background in MQ-9 Reaper operations.
Williamson commented: “It has been a privilege to deliver the first CFS-endorsed RPAS operator course at the Royal School of Artillery, which is at the forefront of integrating uncrewed technologies to increase combat effectiveness.”
He added that supporting the Army’s development in this area has been highly rewarding, and he looks forward to continuing the work.
The three-week course accommodates students of varying experience levels. It combines ground school training on the Eagle’s Ground Control Station with two weeks of live flying. Developed under the MoD’s Defence Systems Approach to Training framework, the course carries CFS endorsement, aligning uncrewed systems qualifications with established crewed aviation standards.
Craig Brown, Head of Aviation Training Division at Inzpire, commented that the milestone reflects the instructor team’s hard work and the wider commitment to raising training standards. He added that embedding the course within the RSA marks a meaningful step forward for how the Army approaches uncrewed systems training.
Inzpire is now working to ensure all its RPAS instructors achieve CFS endorsement as part of its wider commitment to Project TIQUILA.
Learn more on Inzpire’s website
