| Competition hots up as replacement of trainer aircraft tops shopping lists.
As a new generation of combat aircraft - the Eurofighter, Joint Strike Fighter, Rafale, Gripen and F-22 - enter service, air forces will be looking to field training aircraft to prepare new pilots to fly and fight in this century's warplanes.
The introduction of glass cockpits, off-bore sight air-to-air missiles, precision guided air-to-ground weapons and helmet-mounted sights will change the way pilots will be trained and manufacturers are busy developing the next generation of trainers to meet these requirements. And air forces that cannot afford top-line fighters see the armed trainer as a method of acquiring a limited combat capability at a price they can afford.
HAWK LIFT
A programme to upgrade the best-selling BAE Systems' Hawk, that is in use by over a dozen air forces, under the Hawk lead-in-fighter (LIFT) programme, is underway. The first examples have been built for Australia where local production has begun. South Africa has selected a version of the Hawk for its Gripen pilots and a local production line is to be set up there too. India also is negotiating a $1 billion deal for a production line to build Hawks. The Indian air force needs the trainers because it recently acquired Mirage 2000 and Sukhoi Su-27/32 fighters.
BAE Systems' acquisition of a stake in South Africa's Denel means it is possible that the company will run down UK Hawk production and rely on off-shore facilities to meet new orders. Production of the carrier-landing version, the T-45 Goshawk, for the US Navy is underway by Boeing.
AERO VODOCHODY L-159
The Czech-Boeing joint venture is in the final stages of moving the L-159 into production. Orders from the Czech Republic's air force underpin the programme and give Boeing a trainer product to offer alongside the Super Hornet, F-15 Eagle and the Joint Strike Fighter. The L-159 has evolved from Aero Vodochody's family of trainer aircraft. It includes a glass cockpit and western engines, avionics and weapon systems.
EMBRAER
Advanced versions of the popular Tucano turbo-prop continue to be produced. The EMB-314 Super Tucano has been ordered by the Brazilian air force for training and armed surveillance roles. Original Tucanos have been license-built in the UK and Egypt, with export prospects for the new version likely to result in 200 orders.
MiG-AT
Russia's great hope for the training market is the MiG-AT, being produced to replace its ageing Czech- made Aero L-39s. French industry is involved in the programme, providing engines and avionics for the fly-by-wire aircraft. The first prototype flew in 1997 and also is being offered with Russian-made engines to customers who cannot afford versions equipped with western products.
MAKO
Germany's Daimler-Chrysler Aerospace (DASA), now the European Aeronautics Defence and Space company's (EADS) military aircraft division has been developing the AT-2000 MAKO as a private venture. The MAKO is being marketed in Spain, Greece and the middle east with the United Arab Emirates as the launch customer.
The UAE's recent purchase of more than 100 new Mirage 2000 and F-16 Fighting Falcon combat aircraft has boosted the country's pilot-training requirements.
The MAKO's stealth characteristics and combat capability mean it is also competing for orders in the light combat aircraft market.
GOLDEN EAGLE
This joint venture between South Korea and Lockheed Martin is designed to meet requirements for fighter-pilot training aircraft. The T-50/A-50 Golden Eagle has evolved from the US-South Korean project to co-produce F-16 fighters - almost all the design and development work being undertaken in South Korea. A prototype will fly next year and series production begins a year later.
Economic problems in South Korea and the rapprochement between the two Koreas has raised doubts about the programme but the South Korean government remains bullish about its commitment to the development of the aircraft. Recent interest from Indonesia has boosted the Golden Eagle's prospects.
PILATUS
The Swiss company's PC-7 and PC-9 turbo-prop trainers have won many export orders and remain in production. New production methods have been introduced.
T-6 TEXAN
Raytheon's T-6A Texan II aircraft, a development of the basic Pilatus PC-9, is in production for the USAF and US Navy, Greece and the Canadian NATO training programme. Some 454 and 328 are under contract to the USAF and USN respectively.
The turbo-prop aircraft won the 1995 USAF-USN joint primary aircraft training system (JPATS) programme, the Pentagon believing it provides a cost-effective solution to its training needs.
AERMACCHI
Italy's Aermacchi has been co-operating with Russia's Yakolev on the AEM-130 twin-jet engine trainer to meet Russian air force requirements for new trainers. The AEM-130 is flying in prototype form - no production orders have been received. It is offered with optional Russian, Slovakian and western engines and avionics. Aermacchi continues to market the MB339B jet trainer and is proposing a digital-cockpit version for the Italian air force.
SOIM
Romania's Avioane has teamed with Elbit, Israel's avionics specialists, to produce the IAR-99 SOIM or Hawk that boasts western-style avionics and weapon systems. A large part of the upgrade involves cockpit improvements, following on from Elbit's earlier work with Romania's Aerostar on the MiG-21 Lancer upgrade.
The future
The training-aircraft market will provide much work over the next decade. Many air forces have to replace old models and competition is likely to be fierce with the survival of several of the contending companies at stake. |
