Page 14 - ADT MAY / JULY 2024 Digital Magazine | GBP

system and ejection seat. instructor pilot and the student pilot The Power of Two
an “excellent view from the cockpit.
In September last year, three The aircraft is also equipped with With the market brimming with
months after the first flight of the modern avionics, advanced display potential, companies are joining
T-7A production aircraft was con- systems and embedded training. hands to get a bigger share of the
ducted from St. Louis Lambert market. in June 2022, Lockheed
International Airport, the first of five Solid Presence Martin Corporation signed an
T-7A Red Hawks arrived at Edwards agreement with KAI to explore
Air Force Base in California for Textron Aviation, another prominent potential opportunities for advanced
USAF flight testing. Two more units player in the trainer jet market, will jet trainers such as the T-50 and
were delivered in 2023 and another have its new military multi-engine to market such aircraft internation-
one earlier this year. Assembly of training aircraft on display at the ally. In August last year, Pilatus
a production model is slated to Farnborough International Airshow. Aircraft awarded a contract to
begin this year. The entry of the The Special Missions Beechcraft Canadian avionics company, CMC
aircraft into the service is likely to King Air 260 has been chosen Electronics, to supply key avion-
be delayed at least until the end of to modernize aircrew training for ics systems for its Pilatus’s PC-21
2025 as USAF officials will decide military programmes in the U.S. advanced jet trainer. Just a few
only in early 2025 whether to and Canada. months earlier, Pilatus had received
approve building operational jets. a Spanish Air Force (SAF) order to
The Boeing-Saab team has already Last year, Textron Aviation won a supply 16 more PC-21 trainer jets.
seen plenty of interest from other contract to produce and deliver 10 The service already operates 24
air forces and hope to sell more T-54A multi-engine training system aircraft of the type.
than 2,700 of the T-7A trainer jets to (METS) aircraft for the US Navy.
international buyers. The contract provides an option for
as many as 64 planes. The trainer In June last year, Airbus Flight
According to company officials, will feature a flight management Academy Europe, which supplies
the T-7A is the first “wholly digi- system, an integrated global posi- training services for the French
tal” training aircraft and went from tioning system/inertial navigation Armed Forces pilots and civilian
concept to first flight in 36 months. system, multifunction displays with cadets, signed a MoU with AURA
The multi-role aircraft, which has a digital moving map, and redun- AERO to introduce electric-powered
been designed to provide improved dant ultra-high frequency and very aircraft for commercial and mili-
levels of safety and training for high frequency radios. The T-54A, tary pilot formation. As part of the
future fighter pilots, can be used for which are scheduled to be delivered agreement, Airbus Flight Academy
missions such as light attack/fighter by the end of 2026, will replace Europe (AFAE) will develop
and aggressor roles, and is also the service current T-44 Pegasus INTEGRAL E, a fully electric, two-
designed for high-angle-of-attack as aircraft that has been in service seater trainer aircraft suited for the
well as night operations. According for more than 40 years. The T-54A initial stages of pilot training. AFAE
to Saab, the trainer jet features will be used as well for Canada’s plans to operate a low-carbon air-
a single engine, twin fin and sta- Future Aircrew Training (FAcT) craft fleet by 2030..
dium seating that gives both the programme.

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