Jordan orders PC-9 trainers

The Royal Jordanian Air Force (RJAF) has ordered nine Pilatus PC-9M turboprop training aircraft, a simulator, training equipment, and a comprehensive logistics package.
Deliveries will begin in January 2017.
The RJAF currently has Slingsby T67 Firefly basic trainers and CASA C-101 Aviojet advanced trainers.
janes

Pilatus delivers additional PC-21 trainer to Royal Saudi Air Force

Pilatus has shipped another PC-21 expanded envelope trainer aircraft off its final assembly line for the Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF).
The aircraft represents the 100th turboprop trainer PC-21 to be rolled off the company's final assembly line in Switzerland.
Saudi Arabia ordered 55 PC-21 aircraft in May 2012.
The deal also covered the delivery of 22 Hawk 165 advanced jet trainers.
The PC-21 will also replace RSAF's existing PC-9 trainer fleet, which comprises 47 aircraft that were delivered by BAE as part of a package deal with Hawks to Saudi Arabia in the mid-1980s.
The RSAF took delivery of the initial six aircraft in June 2014. The remaining aircraft are currently in production, while the instructors are preparing for their first student courses.
The PC-21 is currently operated by the air forces of Singapore, Switzerland and the UAE, and has also been ordered by Qatar.
airforce-technology

Croatia to sell surplus military Mi-24Vs, An-32Bs and PC-9s

Croatia is looking to sell a wide range of its surplus Croatian Air Force aircraft.
The country hopes to sell seven Mil Mi-24V 'Hind' attack helicopters, two Antonov An-32B 'Curl' tactical transport aircraft, and six Pilatus PC-9 turboprop trainer aircraft).
The country has set a deadline of 28 January for interested parties to submit a letter of intent.
The principal reasoning behind the sale of the aircraft is financial, caused by the declining state of the Croatian economy and its defence budget, although other reasons are also at play.
Croatia's Mi-24Vs were in limited use after the conflicts of the 1990s, and were withdrawn from service over a decade ago. Their sale has previously been contemplated on multiple occasions, but at least once a prospective sale is understood to have been squashed by active opposition from Moscow.
The two An-32Bs were recently used in Croatian Air Force service, including in both Iraq and Afghanistan, but with the aircraft due to undergo a period of deep maintenance Croatia now seeks to sell them. No official thought was given to their conversion for a naval surveillance role, although such aircraft are sorely missed in Croatia.
The sale of the PC-9s is driven partially by the imbalance between the number of training aircraft Croatia has for its pilots and its meagre number of available supersonic fighter aircraft. However, with Croatia's MiG-21 upgrade programme finally reaching completion, and with demand for foreign pilot training growing, the sale of the PC-9s may be reconsidered in the near future.
janes

Croatia nears receipt of delayed MiG-21s from Ukraine

Croatia's defence ministry says the current turmoil in Ukraine has nothing to do with a roughly five-month delay in returning its Mikoyan MiG-21bisD that are being overhauled in Odessa, instead citing “technical problems”.
These include issues with integrating new navigation and communication equipment, along with digital to analogue signal conversion.
The project includes the overhaul of seven aircraft and the provision of five additional single-seat examples.
The air force on 21 February took delivery of its first two Mil Mi-8MTV/-17 transport helicopters to have been overhauled under a co-operation agreement between repair facilities in Ukraine and Croatia.
Meanwhile, the Croatian defence ministry has signed a deal to train 16 student pilots from Oman, using its Pilatus PC-9s.
flightglobal

Lockheed, Pilatus, Hawker Pacific bid for RAAF basic trainer deal

Lockheed Martin, Pilatus and Hawker Pacific have formally entered the competition for Canberra’s Air 5428 pilot training system requirement.
The offer will be based on the three companies’ existing training of Singapore Air Force pilots under the Basic Wings programme in Perth, which uses the Pilatus PC-21 basic trainer aircraft.
The trio will promote their offering as “Team 21”. They are the second group of companies to formally enter bidding. In September, BAE Systems announced that it would enter the competition with CAE and Beechcraft, with an offering based on the Beechcraft T-6C Texan II.
Since 1992, BAE has operated the Australian Defence Force's Basic Flight Training School (BFTS) at Tamworth, which provides ab intio training and pilot screening for all ADF pilots using a fleet of Pacific Aerospace CT-4B piston trainers.
Boeing, Thales and Raytheon are also expected to announce bids.
Currently, pilots who graduate from the BFTS are then posted to the Royal Australian Air Force's No 2 Flight Training School at RAAF Pearce in Western Australia for advanced training on the Pilatus PC-9/A, after which they are posted to an operational squadron.
Under Air 5428, the respective training aircraft would be replaced by a new integrated training system run by the successful contractor. Australia would also likely acquire the same aircraft for use with the RAAF's Aircraft Research and Development Unit and Forward Air Control Development Unit.
flightglobal

Croacia y Eslovenia comprarán un caza conjuntamente/ Croatia, Slovenia to pursue joint fighter deal

Croacia y Eslovenia han acordado estudiar la compra conjunta de 12 nuevos cazas.
Croacia dispone de cazas MiG-21 cuya vida útil termina en 2011. Actualmente dispone de 10 unidades, estando solo cuatro operativa.
Se ha tenido en cuenta para su sustitución el Eurofighter Typhoon, Lockheed Martin F-16, RSK MiG-35 y el Saab Gripen, pero debido a restricciones presupuestarias no ha sido posible adquirir un sustituto.
Eslovenia dispone de nueve Pilatus PC-9M, con capacidad de disparar cohetes, ametralladoras y misiles AIM-9 Sidewinder, aunque su defensa aéra la proporciona Italia.
Podría formarse una fuerza aérea conjunta entre ambos países, y podría también adquirirse un avión de transporte de manera también.
flightglobal
____________________________________
Croatia and Slovenia have agreed to form a new working group to study the possible joint procurement of at least 12 multirole fighters.
Croatia's remaining MiG-21s will reach the end of their service lives by the end of 2011. Two of its aircraft were lost in a recent mid-air collision, which reduced its fleet of the type to 10, but that includes only four operational examples.
The nation had postponed a new fighter tender due to budget constraints, with the Eurofighter Typhoon, Lockheed Martin F-16, RSK MiG-35 and Saab Gripen having been in contention. It is unclear when a decision could be made under the new bilateral arrangement.
The Slovenian air force has nine Pilatus PC-9Ms modified to carry unguided rockets and pod-housed machine guns. They are also wired to carry Raytheon AIM-9 Sidewinder short-range air-to-air missiles, although Italy now provides air policing cover for the nation.
A joint Croatian/Slovenian air force could be established at the latter's Cerklje air base, with co-operation between the NATO members to also possibly be extended to a joint transport acquisition.
flightglobal