News Review: Lockheed Martin wins RSAF trainer program | ADM Dec 06/Jan 07

Lockheed Martin has won a 20-year contract from the Singapore Defence Science and Technology Agency to support the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) Basic Wings Course (BWC).

Under the contract Lockheed Martin's role as the BWC training systems integrator is to provide aircraft, maintenance, simulators, courseware and ground-based instructors to the RSAF's 130 Squadron at RAAF Base Pearce in Western Australia.

Students will be trained on the Pilatus PC-21 advanced turboprop aircraft. Australian company Hawker Pacific is a key partner and sub-contractor on the program.

The BWC arrangement allows the squadron to concentrate solely on high quality flight instruction.

Lockheed Martin Simulation, Training, and Support is the prime contractor, designing, integrating and installing all elements of the Ground Based Training System including two Operational Flight Simulators, an Ejection Seat Trainer and Computer-Based Training courseware.

Pilatus Aircraft Ltd in Stans, Switzerland, will deliver the advanced PC-21 turboprop trainer and logistics support, while Australian company Hawker Pacific Ltd. will provide maintenance support.

"BWC is unique in the world of military flight training," said Dale Bennett, president of Lockheed Martin Simulation, Training & Support (STS).

"We are taking a systems integration approach to training and providing the RSAF with a true turnkey program - everything from courseware to cockpits - that will serve the Republic and its pilot trainees for the next 20 years."

The contract calls for a two-phased approach for BWC - a mobilisation phase and a service provision phase.

In the mobilisation phase, Lockheed Martin will manage the aircraft production and training system components development, and establish a BWC maintenance organization.

Aircraft will be delivered in early 2008 and Lockheed Martin will begin the service provision in mid-2008, providing BWC support for 20 years.

Under the contract Hawker Pacific will conduct flight line operations, organisational and intermediate-level maintenance as well as providing the necessary personnel to ensure sufficient fleet on-line availability of the BWC fleet.

Hawker Pacific's Vice President, Avionics and Government Business, Mr Doug Park said, "The through life maintenance support of the new generation Pilatus PC21 training aircraft is an important strategic appointment for the company.

"It is also an endorsement of the turn key hybrid (civil/military) airworthiness methodology that has been developed by Hawker Pacific in over 20 years of providing fleet management through life support contracts to military operators.

"Our selection as part of the Lockheed Martin team to deliver the BWC contract not only reflects favourably on Hawker Pacific's standing as one of the foremost aviation maintenance and support organisations in South-East Asia, it is also the next important step in realising Hawker Pacific's vision to be the preferred provider of military, training related, Public Private Partnership (PPP) support services to the region."

Lockheed Martin and Pilatus have formed a strategic relationship to bid for several similar pilot training programs in the UK, Canada and Australia.

Lockheed martin Australia's managing director, Paul Johnson, told ADM it's too early to say how a bid for Australia's Project Air 5428 would be structured, but said he expects to bid with the same partners - Pilatus and Hawker Pacific.

If Air 5428 also requires a Private Finance Initiative (PFI) component ANZ bank would also join the team.

If a Lockheed/Pilatus bid succeeds in Australia, the majority of the RAAF's PC-21s will be co-located with the RSAF's aircraft at Pearce.

Notwithstanding sovereignty issues over the two air forces' separate fleets and detail differences between their aircraft this could offer some potential for cost savings in through-life support.

Defence is expected to release a Request for Information (RFI) for Project Air 5428 some time in 2007.

Copyright - Australian Defence Magazine, December 2006/January 2007