Australia takes delivery of AIR5428 pilot training system
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| RAAF PC-21 trainer aircraft. |
Lockheed Martin Australia has completed delivery of the Project Air 5428 Pilot Training System to the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), the company said on Monday. It is the result of a project that Lockheed Martin Australia has developed together with its partners Pilatus, Jet Aviation and the RAAF (the so-called Team 21) which includes PC-21 aircraft, flight simulators, cockpit trainers, as well as mission planning and maintenance support.
To date, the Pilot Training System has graduated 35 Air Force, 11 Navy and 27 Army pilots.
Launched in 2013, Air 5428 Phase 1 was won by Team 21 in December 2015. Lockheed Martin’s leadership of the team was cited as a major contributory factor in winning the competition, given its experience with providing the Republic of Singapore Air Force’s Basic Wings course that also used the PC-21.
The RAAF’s first PC-21 made its maiden flight in July 2016, and the first two aircraft were ferried to Australia in February and March 2017, with the last aircraft arriving in late 2019.
The initial seven-year programme, with performance-based milestones for up to 25 years, was valued at A$1.2 billion ($850,000), although this figure has now grown to A$1.6 billion.
The next step of the AIR5428 project (Phase 3) involves the introduction of an Aviation Mission Training System (AMTS) that will be used to train the RAAF’s mission aviators, including electronic warfare officers, maritime patrol and response officers, air battle managers, air traffic controllers, and other mission specialists.
The AMTS will be deployed at the Air Academy located at RAAF Base East Sale in Victoria and will feature a comprehensive training solution, including ground-based and airborne training and a digitally-enabled integrated learning environment.
Launched in 2013, Air 5428 Phase 1 was won by Team 21 in December 2015. Lockheed Martin’s leadership of the team was cited as a major contributory factor in winning the competition, given its experience with providing the Republic of Singapore Air Force’s Basic Wings course that also used the PC-21.
The RAAF’s first PC-21 made its maiden flight in July 2016, and the first two aircraft were ferried to Australia in February and March 2017, with the last aircraft arriving in late 2019.
The initial seven-year programme, with performance-based milestones for up to 25 years, was valued at A$1.2 billion ($850,000), although this figure has now grown to A$1.6 billion.
The next step of the AIR5428 project (Phase 3) involves the introduction of an Aviation Mission Training System (AMTS) that will be used to train the RAAF’s mission aviators, including electronic warfare officers, maritime patrol and response officers, air battle managers, air traffic controllers, and other mission specialists.
The AMTS will be deployed at the Air Academy located at RAAF Base East Sale in Victoria and will feature a comprehensive training solution, including ground-based and airborne training and a digitally-enabled integrated learning environment.
Written by Darren Bondi
Image: Lockheed Martin
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