Training Of Royal Thai Air Force Pilots/Maintenance Professionals To Begin In 2022

The Royal Thai Air Force has contracted with Textron/Beedchcraft for an Integrated Training System in support of operations at the Royal Thai Air Force Flying Training School at Kamphaeng Saen air base. The contract is for 12 Beechcraft T-6C Texan II advanced military training aircraft, ground-based training systems for pilots and maintenance professionals, a mission planning and debrief system, spare parts and ground support equipment. The work will take place at the company's Wichita, Kansas facilities.

"The Royal Thai Air Force operates one of the most advanced air forces in Asia Pacific and is a key U.S. security ally," said Thomas Webster, regional director of Textron Aviation Defense Asia Pacific Sales. "Their acquisition of the Beechcraft T-6C Texan II Integrated Training System empowers their cadre of student pilots with a technological advantage throughout their flight training and prepares them for a successful transition to advanced fighter and attack aircraft."

The contract - which supports modernization and interoperability objectives at the forefront of the mutual defense cooperation between the U.S. and Thailand - further strengthens the U.S.-Thai alliance and contributes to the continued growth of Thailand's aerospace industry.

Textron Aviation Defense training of Royal Thai Air Force pilots and maintenance professionals is set to begin in Wichita in 2022 while the 12 Beechcraft T-6C Texan II aircraft - christened the T-6TH in Thailand - are expected to join the Royal Thai fleet between late 2022 and early 2023. Textron Aviation Defense plans to ferry two of the 12 aircraft to Thailand, crating and transporting the remaining 10 aircraft to Kamphaeng Saen air base.

"We're proud to equip the Royal Thai Air Force with the world's most proven off-the-shelf training capability in the industry," noted Brett Pierson, vice president of Textron Aviation Defense Strategy & Sales. "The Royal Thai Air Force will now have an affordable, low-risk next-generation military trainer designed for all levels of instruction, enabling a steady tempo of flight students transitioning from Pilot-In-Training to Pilot-In-Command. I know the legendary T-6 will support the Royal Thai Air Force with long-term reliability, cost-effective operations and a fully integrated array of simulators, computer-based academics and sustainable logistics."

To date, the Beechcraft T-6 Texan II has logged more than 4.1 million flight hours across a global fleet of nearly 1,000 aircraft.

FMI: www.textron.com