Babcock wins €795 million contract to support French Air Force training
The PC-7 MkX is a low-cost military training alternative to the PC-21 aircraft. (Photo: Pilatus)
The contract will last for 17-years and covers provision to support military air training for the French navy, air and space forces.
Babcock France, part of the Babcock International Group, has been awarded a €795 million (US$811 million), 17-year contract by the Direction Générale de l’Armement (DGA) to provide military air support for the French air, space and naval forces.
The contract will see students train on 22 new PC-7 MkX Pilatus aircraft and on 12 training simulators, before specialising as fighter or transport pilots.
It will also, reportedly, create 100 new roles in the Salon-de-Provence and Le Cannet-des-Maures regions which will help to deliver 11,000 flight training hours to around 120 students a year.
Babcock’s chief executive aviation & CEO France, Pierre Basquin, said: “The French Air and Space Force and French Navy play leading roles in national and international security. We are delighted to support our customer with their air-based training requirements, further enabling them to focus on delivering critical military aviation needs.
“This new long-term contract underpins our strong relationship with the French Air and Space Force and places us as its main capability support partner in fighter pilot training programs.”
Babcock France has been working alongside the French Air and Space force to provide training systems on its 26 PC-21 aircraft since 2018 at Cognac-Châteaubernard Air Base.
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
More from Air Warfare
-
![V-22 Osprey safety upgrade moves towards wider fleet installation under $35.5 million deal]()
V-22 Osprey safety upgrade moves towards wider fleet installation under $35.5 million deal
Bell Boeing will supply 73 additional ODSSHI kits as NAVAIR prepares to introduce predictive drive-system monitoring across US and Japanese V-22 fleets.
-
![AFA 2026: US Air Force examines uncrewed cargo aircraft for contested logistics]()
AFA 2026: US Air Force examines uncrewed cargo aircraft for contested logistics
The US Air Force is evaluating demonstrators for uncrewed cargo missions as it considers logistics requirements across the Pacific and other contested environments.
-
![Europe risks losing control of CUAS production capacity as manufacturers look abroad]()
Europe risks losing control of CUAS production capacity as manufacturers look abroad
European counter-drone developers are securing early orders in the Middle East while slow domestic acquisition processes threaten to redirect production capacity, expertise and investment away from Europe.
-
![India’s rotary-wing capability gap grows as IMRH programme delays persist]()
India’s rotary-wing capability gap grows as IMRH programme delays persist
With IMRH and DBMRH potentially years from service, India faces a widening rotary-wing capability gap that could drive further foreign purchases even as HAL and Safran build the foundations of an indigenous successor.
-
![AFA 2026: Swarm Aero eyes 2027 Gamera flight as Textron/Merlin reveal SkyCourier UX]()
AFA 2026: Swarm Aero eyes 2027 Gamera flight as Textron/Merlin reveal SkyCourier UX
Two new uncrewed aircraft concepts target very different US military requirements, from massed long-range strike to autonomous logistics. Shephard spoke with executives from Swarm Aero, Textron Aviation and Merlin Labs at this year's AFA Air, Space & Cyber conference to learn more about their capabilities.
