Team 21, representing Lockheed Martin, Pilatus and Hawker Pacific has been officially selected as the preferred tenderer for the new Australian Defence Force Pilot Training System (Air 5428), as foreshadowed by ADM in May.
The Pilot Training System will deliver 49 Pilatus PC-21 aircraft, with RAAF Base East Sale in Victoria to become home to 22 of the new aircraft and the ADF's Basic Flying Training.
From 2019, RAAF Base East Sale will have an annual intake of up to 165 trainee pilots and will allow Defence to increase in the number of graduates from 77 to 105 pilots each year.
The new training system will streamline future pilot training, co-locating multiple training facilities to support both Officer Training and Basic Flying Training at RAAF Base Sale. East Sale is already home to the Central Flying School and advanced training will continue to be conducted from RAAF Base Pearce in WA.
The training system will ensure undergraduate pilots develop the necessary knowledge and skills prior to progressing onto advanced military aircraft such as the F-35A Joint Strike Fighter, Tiger Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter, and MRH-90 helicopter.
Chief of Air Force, Air Marshal Leo Davies AO, CSC said that the new training system is about much more than just acquiring a new aircraft.
“The new pilot training system will enable us to use the latest in simulator technology that can be adapted to student needs and different learning styles to allow students to progress through training faster,” Air Marshal Davies said.
“This will create efficiencies for pilot training and allow more flexibility for our student pilots.”
BAE Systems Australia (BAE), the current Basic Flying Training System contractor in Tamworth, will continue to provide the ADF with high-quality basic pilot training until the end of 2019.
BAE’s Tamworth facility is also used by other defence customers, including the Republic of Singapore Air Force, the Royal Brunei Air Force and the Papua New Guinea Defence Force.
Defence will work closely with BAE over the next four years to actively promote the unique flight training opportunities offered at Tamworth.