Taking shape

Most recently, the project was among the high-value victims of the government’s push for a budget surplus, copping a 12-month delay in the 2012-13 federal budget with the year of decision pushed out to the 2014-15 to 2015-16 timeframe.

With first pass approval in August 2009, it’s unsurprising that the draft RFT released to industry in 2013 has changed slightly, with Defence saying that “minor refinements” to scope were obtained from government, although noting that “government budget delay has had no impact on the AIR 5428 scope or schedule. ” Many of the important aspects that made AIR 5428 as ambitious as it is, such as new platforms, a new syllabus, and high-end synthetic trainers remain in the project’s scope.

The Materiel System outlined in the draft RFT specifies a basic/advanced trainer aircraft, fixed base flight simulator, a computer-based learning environment, and training management package, as well as life support and ground support systems.

As well as a general training media and platform upgrade, this materiel requirement is aimed at meeting the broader capability requirement of increasing graduate numbers to 105 per year, specifically aiming at fast jet candidates, and building skills consistent with fourth and fifth generation fighter aircraft.

“In comparison to the current PTS, aspirations of the new PTS include a reduction in the time taken to complete undergraduate student training, improvement in candidate success rate and enhanced graduate capability with the objective of reducing the incidence of failure during follow-on operational conversion,” the draft document reads.

With the draft RFT now available, potential bidders can assess requirements and begin the selection of platform partners.

Platform frontrunners remain the Pilatus PC-21 and Hawker Beechcraft T-6C Texan II, particularly following the severance of exclusivity arrangements between the latter platform and Raytheon Australia. Both aircraft have seen extensive service, the T-6 as the initial trainer for the USAFand USN and the PC-21 in service as the advanced trainer for the Swiss air force, as well as the Singapore Basic Wings Course operating out of RAAF Base Pearce. Singapore’s Basic Wings Course is an industry partnership from Pilatus, Lockheed Martin and Hawker Pacific, and it seems likely that Pilatus would exclusively team with Lockheed Martin should the company submit the PC-21’s candidacy for AIR 5428.

The PC-21 is more in the style of an advanced trainer, with an advanced cockpit designed to mimic modern combat aircraft, so much so in fact that the Swiss air force’s Jet Pilot Training System directly transfers graduates from the turboprop trainer to the F/A-18 fighter, bypassing lead-in fighter training.

In contrast, the USAF’s Air Education and Training Command utilises the Hawker Beechcraft T-6 much in the same way Australia uses the PC-9: as a basic turboprop trainer, setting foundation flying skills before progressing students to a lead-in fighter trainer, the T-38 Talon, for development of advanced flying and jet-specialised skills.

Other potential candidates include the Embraer EMB-314 Super Tucano and the Grob 120TP.

One of the key challenges for AIR 5428 is the tri-service nature of ab initio pilot training, with various requirements for necessary levels of achievement as well as differing jump-off points for both rotary-wing services.

The PTS must also be managed in conjunction with the introduction the AIR 9000 Phase 7 Helicopter Aircrew Training System. With PTS the precursor to sending candidates to HATS, but HATS planned for introduction between 2014-16, three years ahead of AIR 5428, the risk of a disconnect between projects is high.

A Defence spokesperson told AA: “The current pilot training system will continue to train Army and Navy students with the qualifications required for entry into HATS. The implementation of AIR 5428 will be comprehensively managed to provide a smooth transition from the current pilot training system. ” While Navy will conduct the RAAF’s full Air Force Wings course of around 15 months duration, Army’s pilot course will only be six months. The varied requirements reflect different wants of the services – while Army wants qualified co-pilots, Navy wants command pilots capable of operating alone.

With a cost of around $1. 5 billion and the continued budgetary measures in place by government, further delays to AIR 5428 cannot be ruled out of the 2013-14 federal budget. The release of the draft tender might indicate enough confidence in the program’s stability to push more information to industry, and Defence told AA that there was no indication of further delays at this point in time.

Regardless, the project is one that is necessary and of a high-enough priority, with the PC-9 fleet planned for withdrawal in 2016 and the first F-35 aircraft arriving in 2017-18, placing an imperative on both existing platform life and pilot training requirements.