Australia signs contract for PC-21 trainer

A consortium led by Lockheed Martin has been formally awarded a A$1.2 billion ($870 million) contract to train Australian Defence Force (ADF) pilots using Pilatus PC-21 aircraft.
The ‘Team 21’ consortium, which includes Pilatus Aircraft and local MRO provider Hawker Pacific, was announced as the preferred tenderer for the pilot training system requirement in September.
Included in the deal is the acquisition of 49 PC-21 trainer aircraft, seven flight simulators and updated courseware for an initial seven-year term from 2019.
flightglobal