DEFENCEWEB
Tunisia’s Air Force has taken delivery of the first T-6C Texan II training aircraft as part of an order for eight planes.
The U.S. company Textron said all eight planes should be delivered by the end of 2023.
Training of the initial cadre of pilots began in late 2022 at Textron Aviation Defense facilities in Wichita, Kansas, in the U.S. The Tunisian Air Force is relying on TRU Simulation + Training Inc., an affiliate of Textron, for a suite of training devices and related support. The devices, slated for installation at Sfax air base in Tunisia, include a ground-based training system, an operational flight trainer and a computer-based training lab.
The Tunisian contract covers eight aircraft and in-country field service and logistics support, program management support, interim contractor support for the first year, training for pilots and maintenance professionals, spare engines, spare parts, and aircraft support equipment.
In October 2019, the U.S. State Department approved the sale of up to 12 T-6 aircraft to Tunisia for an estimated $234 million.
Tunisian Air Force students do their basic training on Italian SF-260s. Tunisia received nine SF-260CTs and 12 SF-260WT Warriors between 1974 and 1978. About 18 SF-260s remain in use. Tunisian student pilots then move on to the jet-powered Aermacchi MB-326.
The T-6 is a development of the Swiss Pilatus PC-9 turboprop trainer and was designed to fill the Joint Primary Aircraft Training System role for the U.S. Air Force and the U.S. Navy. The C model is a further refinement of the T-6A Texan II with an integrated glass cockpit, an advanced avionics suite and hard-point wings that can accommodate auxiliary fuel tanks.