Peter La Franchi in London
The Australian Department of Defence (DoD) wants to secure initial funding approval for its Project Air 5428 pilot training system requirement in November-December this year, ahead of a proposed international competitive tender release during the third quarter of 2007.
The A$600-750 million ($450-560 million) project is giving priority to private finance-based solutions and will be rolled out in two phases. The lead elements will see development of a new basic flight training capability starting in early 2011 to replace the contracted service now run by BAE Systems Australia from commercial facilities at Tamworth, northeast of Sydney.
Details of the schedule have been released by the DoD as part of a request for information (RFI) due to close on 11 August. The DoD is intentionally structuring proposed contract arrangements for its developing Project Air 5428 pilot training system requirement to enable potential linkages with a second nation or common alliance training efforts.
The DoD has observers attached to Singapore’s current basic and advanced pilot training outsourcing competition under a service-to-service arrangement. Singapore is expected to select a preferred service provider late this year.
Responses to Australia’s planned request for tenders will close in the first quarter of 2008, with approvals by the DoD’s planning committee to follow late the same year. Contract negotiations and system design by the contractor are to take the bulk of 2009, with the basic flight training system developed during 2010, ready for the 2011 start target.
The proposed operational system will comprise fixed-wing trainers, a synthetic training suite, and flying and ground training services for pilots and instructors. The service will also be used to provide Australian Defence Force helicopter pilots with basic flight training ahead of transfer into a new rotary-wing training system to be developed under Project Air 7000 Phase 7. Unmanned air vehicle operator training requirements may also emerge as a requirement for the Air 5428 system.
The RFI also reveals plans for a mid-life upgrade to the Royal Australian Air Force’s BAE Systems Hawk 127 lead-in fighter trainers under Project Air 5438.
Source: Flight International
