Following the news that Australia’s Aircraft Research and Development Unit (ARDU) has received three Pilatus PC-21 aircraft as the Air Force’s newest test and evaluation capability;

Mathew George, Ph.D., Aerospace & Defense Analyst at GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company, offers his view:

“As part of the AIR-5428 program for Pilot Training System that replaced the PC-9/A with 49 PC-21 aircraft and 7 flight training device simulators, these three aircraft allow Australia to test the capabilities of the aircraft to influence the training of future pilots and modify approaches for the future.

“ARDU allows RAAF to maintain aircraft readiness and long-term supply requirements through the various tests and exercises it subjects on the various equipment in their possession. The transfer of the three PC-21 will now allow the RAAF to ensure a ready fleet to help train their future generation of pilots, ideally, without any trouble. In addition, the army too will have their pilot cadets train on the PC-21 aircraft. It shows the importance of these aircraft when it comes to the availability of pilots to take their roles in each service. This is especially true with the new generation of aircraft and capabilities that Australia is acquiring over the coming years.

“According to the RAAF, the system will ensure undergraduate pilots develop the necessary knowledge and skills prior to progressing onto advanced military aircraft such as the F-35A Joint Strike Fighter, Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter, and MRH-90 helicopter. With the arrival to ARDU, Flight Test Engineers and Test Pilots can finally start all the processes that they need to ensure that their cadets and trainers are ready for their learning and growth, and do it quickly and safely.”