Pilatus Aircraft Ltd is delighted to announce the signing of three PC-21 fleet orders by end of December 2016, for a total of 21 PC-21s, of which 17 are for the French Air Force and two each for the Royal Jordanian Air Force and QinetiQ, a British company which operates the “Empire Test Pilots’ School”. Together, these orders are worth over 300 million Swiss francs and will help to ensure jobs at Stans.

Babcock France and Dassault Aviation have signed a partnership which would initially materialize in the delivery of the French “FOMEDEC” training contract with the creation of a joint company under the leadership of Babcock France.

Following a competitive bid process, the France’s Direction Générale de l’Armement (DGA) has awarded Babcock France with the FOMEDEC contract to provide and maintain a training platform and related services for the French Air Force (Armée de l’Air).

This 11-year contract will provide new training aircraft (Pilatus PC 21), related simulators (CAE) and modernised training facilities for the training of fighter jet crews to be performed by the Air Force itself at the Cognac Air Base. The first aircraft will be delivered in March 2018.

Archie Bethel, Chief Executive of Babcock International Group, said:

“We are delighted that our French company will be working as a key support partner on this major French defence contract. The project will draw on our expertise in the European aviation industry and our experience of delivering long-term military flight training programmes. It is also a great satisfaction to engage a partnership with such a recognized aviation leader as Dassault. We look forward to working with the French Air Force over the next decade.”

Eric Trappier, Chairman and CEO of Dassault Aviation, said:

“As the manufacturer of the Rafale, the spearhead of the French fighters, and of its advanced training companion, the Alpha Jet, Dassault Aviation bolsters this new project with Babcock, an outstanding provider of support environments, for the benefit of the French Ministry of Defence. With this programme, we are very proud to keep on our enduring participation to the training of the French fighter pilots. Since 1959, our company has been the provider of the French fighter training cursus.”