Twelve European air forces and five companies have signed agreements to begin a year-long Advanced European Jet Pilot Training (AEJPT) programme feasibility study.
The €8 million ($8 million) study will be funded by Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland and will consider a joint training system, Eurotraining, part of which "will be a European conceived and built advanced training aircraft", the Eurotrainer.
Italian defence procurement agency the DGAA, which is the lead government body, says AEJPT will comprise several centres "to be conveniently located" in northern, central, and southern Europe.
The deal was signed with Aermacchi on behalf of the G-5 companies, which also includes Dassault, EADSCasa, EADSDeutschland and Saab. Aermacchi and EADSDeutschland have active programmes, the M346 and Mako respectively.
Aermacchi says the G-5 group is aiming for a 2010 Eurotrainer service entry date, and that the feasibility study will consider synthetic environments and other ground- based systems, syllabi, infrastructure and location, and implementation.
Although the study will concentrate on advanced and lead-in fighter training, it will also consider some basic training that could be included within the AEJPT, says an industry insider.
Each company will take the lead on one aspect but participate in all areas of the study. The G-5 companies will be supported by simulator, propulsion and avionics "sub-groups" consisting of manufacturers from the 12 nations.
Source: Flight International