Lockheed Martin, Pilatus Aircraft team for AIR 5428
A new team is in the running for the Australian Defence Force’s AIR 5428 pilot training system (PTS) programme, with the announcement that Lockheed Martin and Pilatus Aircraft will team to compete for the contract.
The consortium, known as Team 21, will be supported by Hawker Pacific, and will draw on its experience in providing the Pilot Training Basic Wings Course to the Republic of Singapore Air Force. The team is in the seventh year of a 20 year performance-based contract for that programme.
Air 5428 will provide the Australian Air Force, Army and Navy with a new fixed wing PTS. The system will provide platforms for flight screening and cover all facets of undergraduate pilot training from basic flying up to entry into air force Lead-In Fighter and Operational Conversion Units.
Raydon Gates, chief executive, Lockheed Martin Australia, said: ‘Our team builds on an existing and highly successful relationship between Lockheed Martin and Pilatus Aircraft. We have a proven track record of providing a flexible, low-risk solution using the PC-21 aircraft and will leverage this experience to offer a training programme that can evolve with mission requirements.’
Markus Bucher, chief executive officer, Pilatus, added: ‘It became very clear after a thorough review of potential partners that the existing alignment of Lockheed Martin, Pilatus and Hawker Pacific would deliver the best overall customer outcome, not only for the Australian Defence Force, but also for on-going operational budgets and taxpayers, to deliver best value for money.’
In September BAE Systems announced that it will team with industry partners CAE and Beechcraft to develop a potential solution for the programme.
More from Defence Notes
-
![US Army seeks 'fundamental transformation' to face future threats]()
US Army seeks 'fundamental transformation' to face future threats
‘The army is really undergoing its most fundamental transformation in 40 years. We are moving away from the system that we designed in the 80s’, Secretary of the Army Christine Wormuth has claimed,
-
![US provides a further $325 million worth of arms and equipment to support Ukraine, taking total to $43.9 billion since invasion]()
US provides a further $325 million worth of arms and equipment to support Ukraine, taking total to $43.9 billion since invasion
The US on 21 September announced another $325 million in arms and equipment to Ukraine, including missiles, air defence systems, ammunition and vehicles in support of the Eastern European country’s operations against the Russian invasion.
-
![DSEI 2023 in review: Ukraine, AI and the real world]()
DSEI 2023 in review: Ukraine, AI and the real world
DSEI 2023 took place in the shadow of the largest European land war in more than seven decades and a growth in conversations about artificial intelligence (AI) with limited UK immediate defence programme opportunities; many of the new products and exhibitors' announcements reflected this.
-
![Pentagon to strengthen cyber networks of US partners and allies]()
Pentagon to strengthen cyber networks of US partners and allies
The recently released 2023 Cyber Strategy states that the US will build the capacity and capability of allies and partners in cyberspace and expand avenues of potential cyber cooperation.
-
![Pentagon bets on advanced autonomous solutions to match Chinese military capabilities]()
Pentagon bets on advanced autonomous solutions to match Chinese military capabilities
The US DoD recently disclosed details of the Replicator initiative to field thousands of uncrewed systems in two years across multiple domains.
-
![The centre of gravity of ‘Axis of Evil 2.0’ shifts eastwards (Opinion)]()
The centre of gravity of ‘Axis of Evil 2.0’ shifts eastwards (Opinion)
Russia might be at the tip of the spear in terms of authoritarian aggression, but it has plenty of backers in the shape of countries like China, Iran and North Korea. Others, like India, try to duplicitously sit on the fence.
