With The Latest Order, The PC-21 Fleet Will Increase To A Total Of 26

In 2017 the Armée de l'Air et de l'Espace purchased 17 PC-21s and has successfully trained its future military pilots since then. The Air Force has now ordered a further nine PC-21s to reinforce its training programme with additional Pilatus training aircraft.

The French procurement authority, the Direction générale de l'armement (DGA), signed the agreement with F-AIR 21 (Cognac Formation Aero SAS France), with Pilatus acting as the exclusive subcontractor for the supply of the nine PC-21s and other groundbased training systems and spare parts. The order will secure jobs in Switzerland, where the PC-21s are produced.

Markus Bucher says of the agreement: “French evaluations are highly professional, which again proves to us that we offer the world’s best training system in this market. I am delighted that the Armée de l'air et de l'espace has opted for further PC-21s. Nous vous remercions de faire confiance à Pilatus et à notre PC-21 – L’Armée de l'Air et de l'Espace pourra toujours compter sur notre meilleur service client!»

The PC-21s will be stationed at the Cognac-Châteaubernard air base from 2023, where PC-21s have been in use since 2018. The first pilots concluded their training in 2020. With the latest order, the PC-21 fleet will increase to a total of 26. Besides Switzerland and Spain, France is the third European nation to adopt the PC-21, the world’s most advanced training system. Over 230 PC-21s are now in service with nine air forces worldwide. The PC-21 is also used to train future test pilots at the Empire Test Pilots’ School in Boscombe Down, England.

FMI: www.pilatus-aircraft.com