The Dutch Ministry of Defense has decided to procure new PC-7 MKX training aircraft from Swiss manufacturer Pilatus. As the authority announced on its website, the new aircraft will replace the aging PC-7 fleet of the Dutch Air Force.
According to the report, the 13 existing PC-7s have been used in basic pilot training since 1988. Now the prospective operational pilots are to learn how to maintain control in emergency situations or during complex flight maneuvers in eight new PC-7 MKX training aircraft and two flight simulators. “This will prepare them for their further training as pilots of F-35 fighter aircraft (-> The Dutch are increasing their order of F-35s), a transport aircraft (-> Together with Austria, the Netherlands is procuring new C-390M transport aircraft from Embraer) or a helicopter type”, according to the Dutch Ministry of Defense.
The new training aircraft are expected to fly 2,150 hours per year, enabling up to 60 flight students to start their training. In combination with the simulators, the ministry plans to achieve a total of 2,650 flight hours per year. As the new and old aircraft are similar in many ways, there will be hardly any changes to the training, maintenance and administrative capacities, according to the press release. https://militaeraktuell.at/fliegerabwehrbataillon-2-uebung-in-tschechien/ The Ministry of Defense expects the new training aircraft and associated equipment to be delivered in the first half of 2027.
