Mittens Or Masters, Blue Magpies Or Golden Eagles?

As the complexity of fighter aircraft keeps increasing, the need for better training aircraft that can prepare pilots for this higher level of performance are required.

- David Oliver

The world’s air forces operate more than 7,500 fixed-wing training aircraft, with a further 600 on order. Of this total, there are 1,852 in the Asia-Pacific region with 250 on order. Over 1,100 fixed-wing military training aircraft are forecast to be delivered in the next ten years, valued at nearly $20 billion.

The most numerous turboprop basic trainer is the Beechcraft T-6A/B/C Texan II, 760 of which are operated by the United States (US) armed forces. The Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) and the Republic of China Air Force (ROCAF) are the only Asia-Pacific customers for the T-6C.

Outside the US, Pilatus of Switzerland dominates the basic trainer market with the PC-9 in service with the Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF), and the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), while the PC-7 Mk.II, which is still in production, has been delivered to the Royal Brunei Air Force (RBAirF), the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) and the Indian Air Force (IAF). A total of 75 PC-7 Mk.IIs have been delivered to the IAF and in March 2015, India’s defence acquisition council approved an option for 38 additional aircraft as part of the IAF’s requirement for 181 basic trainer aircraft (BTA). However, earlier this year, the then defence minister Manohar Parrikar announced that the IAF had reached Stage II of the BTA programme and that it will procure the Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL) HTT-40 basic trainer instead of the further import of foreign-built basic trainer aircraft.

The latest turboprop basic trainer from the Pilatus stable is the PC-21 which is in service with the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) and 49 are being delivered to the RAAF to replace its fleet of PC-9s.