Spanish Air Force buys more PC-21 trainer aircraft and simulators

The Spanish Air Force has decided to buy an additional 16 PC-21 advanced trainer aircraft.

In January 2020, Pilatus was awarded a contract worth more than €200 million ($214 million) to provide the Spanish Air Force with 24 PC-21s, including spare parts and simulators. The deliveries were completed in June 2022.

The new contract signed with the Dirección General de Armamento y Material (DGAM) makes Spain the largest PC-21 operator in Europe.

Fourteen PC-21s will be delivered to the Academia General del Aire (AGA) in San Javier. An additional two PC-21s will also be delivered to the Centro Logístico de Armamento y Experimentación (CLAEX).

Spain’s future military pilots have been training with the PC-21 since summer 2022.

‘Now in use with the Spanish Air and Space Force for over 18 months, the PC-21 integrated training system far exceeds our expectations,’ Lit Col Ildefonso Martínez-Pardo González, AGA Air Operations Group Commander, noted in a statement.

‘It’s reliable and efficient powerplant, aerodynamics, safety systems and avionics make the PC-21 a highly versatile trainer, capable of performing any phase of flight training from the most elementary to the most advanced.’

The contract also includes a PC-21 simulator, two cockpit procedure trainers, additional mission planning and debriefing systems as well as pilot training software.

The PC-21 can also be operated in the light attack role.

The Swiss Air Force was the launch customer, with an order for four aircraft, which was later increased to eight. Subsequent customers include Singapore (19), Qatar (24), Saudi Arabia (55), the UAE (25), Jordan (10) and Australia (49).