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
-
![UK air focus: Drone spending trails European frontline states despite $10.46 billion valuation]()
UK air focus: Drone spending trails European frontline states despite $10.46 billion valuation
Despite the UK having the third-largest military UAV market in Europe, the country appears to be underinvesting in the capability relative to the size of its economy, particularly when compared with Baltic and eastern European states.
-
![Proteus: Forging the future of autonomous rotorcraft]()
Proteus: Forging the future of autonomous rotorcraft
As the home of British helicopters, Leonardo has worked with the UK Ministry of Defence for over a decade to advance technologies underpinning uncrewed rotorcraft. Today, in partnership with UK Defence Innovation and the Royal Navy, Leonardo is spearheading the next step in that journey: from remotely piloted technologies to fully autonomous systems.
-
![“Fifth-gen capability without the cost”: how autonomous strike can change the face of air warfare]()
“Fifth-gen capability without the cost”: how autonomous strike can change the face of air warfare
In Conversation… Armor Harris, Senior Vice President for Aircraft at Shield AI, talks to Shephard’s Gerrard Cowan about why cost-effective autonomous aircraft are a game-changer for air forces worldwide, and the key roles played by VTOL and AI as enabling technologies.
