The Spanish Secretary of State for Defense, María Amparo Valcarce, presided this morning at the General Air Academy of San Javier (Murcia) the signing of the contract for the acquisition of 16 new PC-21 Pilatus aircraft (E.27 in its military denomination), the training system for the formation of the pilots of the Air and Space Army.
The Secretary of State, who was accompanied by the Chief of Staff of the Air and Space Army, Air General Javier Salto Martínez-Avial, pointed out that «the block formed by the E.27 trainer aircraft and its simulation system provides advantages in terms of flight safety, teaching quality and resource efficiency«.
The Spanish Air and Space Army decided to acquire 24 PC-21s in early 2020. The first two PC-21 aircraft arrived in Spain on september 14, 2021 and the last one was delivered in mid-2022. The Spanish Air Force now decided to buy another 16 PC-21 trainers, whose total investment amounts to 445 million euros. The contract signed with the Directorate General of Armament and Material (DGAM) makes Spain the largest PC-21 operator in Europe.
It is also expected that in the future, the PC-21 will also be used for elementary training in addition to basic training.
Lieutenant Colonel Ildefonso Martínez-Pardo González, Academia General del Aire (AGA) Air Operations Group Commander, commented as follows: “Now in use with the Spanish Air and Space Force for over 18 months, the PC-21 integrated training system far exceeds our expectations. Its reliable and efficient powerplant, aerodynamics, safety systems and avionics make the PC-21 a highly versatile trainer, capable of performing any phase of flight training from the most elementary to the most advanced.”
The new Spanish PC-21 and simulators
According to Pilatus, 14 PC-21 training aircraft will be delivered to the General Air Academy (AGA) in San Javier. Another two PC-21s will also be delivered to the Centro Logístico de Armamento y Experimentación (CLAEX). These two PC-21s will be used for experimental, flight test training and research and development activities. The aircraft will be based at Torrejón, near Madrid.
The package also includes a PC-21 simulator, two cockpit procedure trainers, additional mission planning and debriefing systems, as well as pilot training software.
