Babcock has secured a 17-year contract to ship and keep air coaching options for the French Air and House Drive, in addition to the Navy.
Valued at €795m ($810.15m), the contract issued by the French Path Générale de l’Armement (DGA) includes coaching of cadet pilots utilizing 22 new PC-7 MkX Pilatus plane alongside 12 coaching simulators on the Salon-de-Provence Air Base.
This initiative is geared toward getting ready them for specialisation in both fight or transport aviation roles.
The scope of the contract extends past tools provision to embody full lifecycle assist of the plane, infrastructure, and pilot gear.
The PC-7 MKX, with a wingspan of just about 10.5 metres, was unveiled in 2021.
It represents an upgraded model of the Pilatus PC-7 MkII and is claimed to have endured “acid testing” in 2020 underneath excessive temperatures within the UAE.
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This new settlement is anticipated to generate greater than 100 jobs within the Salon-de-Provence and Le Cannet-des-Maures areas, together with positions for engineers, technicians, mission managers, and administrative employees.
These professionals will contribute to delivering almost 11,000 flight hours and 6,500 simulator coaching hours yearly to round 120 college students.
Babcock Aviation chief government and France CEO Pierre Basquin stated: “The French Air and House Drive and French Navy play main roles in nationwide and worldwide safety. We’re delighted to assist our buyer with their air-based coaching necessities, additional enabling them to deal with delivering important navy aviation wants.
“This new long-term contract underpins our sturdy relationship with the French Air and House Drive and locations us as its most important functionality assist accomplice in fighter pilot coaching programmes.”
Babcock has been collaborating with the French Air and House Drive since 2018, offering coaching methods and managing a fleet of 26 PC-21 plane on the Cognac-Châteaubernard Air Base.
This announcement comes after the Netherlands Ministry of Defence chosen Pilatus in October 2024, to supply eight PC-7 Mk X plane and two simulators.
It was meant to interchange the 13 PC-7 trainers acquired in 2008 which are approaching the tip of their operational life.
