At least five major flying training organisations are expected to tender for a contract to provide flight training of about 200 pilot recruits a year for the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF).
Among the invited bidders are British Aerospace Flight Training Australia at Tamworth, New South Wales, which already conducts flight screening on all Australian Defence Force (ADF) pilot entrants, Canada's Bombardier Defence Services, which unsuccessfully contested the ADF contract on the basis of setting up a facility in Australia,UK company Serco and Singapore Technologies (which would probably conduct the training as a joint venture in Thailand or the Philippines).
The results of the contest, initially for a three-year contract with a further seven-year option, are not expected for at least two months.
The RSAF already operates self-sufficient facilities for advanced flight training at the Royal Australian Air Force's base at Pearce, Western Australia, and helicopter pilot training at the Army's School of Army Aviation at Oakey, Queensland.
Source: Flight International
