Newest King Air 260 Replaces Fleet of Vintage King Air 90s

Textron Aviation has been awarded the Multi-Engine Training System (METS) contract by Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR), making the King Air 260 the aircraft of choice for future student pilots.

The contract award will provide up to 64 King Air 260s, designated the T-54A in Navy service. The initial Lot I award will procure 10 new commercial-spec Beechcraft King Air 260s with their associated support. Lots II and III, should they be exercised, would add another 27 aircraft apiece. Deliveries are planned from 2024 to 2026.

The King Airs will replace the current training fleet of T-44C Pegasus aircraft, themselves renamed King Air 90s. The model has served since it was initially procured in 1977.

“We are honored the U.S. Navy has again selected the Beechcraft King Air to fulfill its training needs,” said Bob Gibbs, vice president overseeing Special Missions Sales for Textron Aviation. “METS will modernize multi-engine aircraft training at CNATRA, providing an intermediate and advanced training platform for U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Coast Guard aviators into the P-8, EP-3, KC-130, E-6, E-2, CMV-22, CV-22 and MV-22 aircraft.”

The Navy's new aircraft will include a pretty full options list, but students may find it's a little lean on Beechcraft's higher-end comfort options. Instead, T-54As will be equipped with TACAN (Air to Air), angle of attack (AOA), V/UHF radio, digital audio system, engine trend monitoring, condition based maintenance plus, observer/jump seats, passenger mission seats, and full-face oxygen masks.

“With its advanced technology, the new METS platform will be more representative of fleet aircraft,” said Capt. Holly Shoger, Naval Undergraduate Flight Training Systems Program Office (PMA-273) program manager. “The T-54A will include an updated avionics suite, automation qualities, and virtual reality and augmented reality devices to better prepare students for the advanced aircraft they will fly in the fleet.”

FMI: www.txtav.com