EADS Socata has clinched a $2.5 million deal with the Indonesian navy for five TB-10 Tobago GT trainer aircraft and a Frasca fixed-base simulator.
The first two aircraft will be delivered in the middle of 2004, and the remaining aircraft will follow early in 2005.
The new aircraft will complement an existing fleet of four single-piston 160hp TB-9 Tampico GTs delivered to the Indonesian navy a decade ago.
This is the first order in the region for the latest version of the popular single-piston 4-5 seater. EADS Socata says it sees huge needs for quality training aircraft, such as the TB, GT aircraft. By the end of 2003, a total of 2,125 TB GT had been delivered worldwide. Currently 900 are in service with 45 civil or military training organizations.
In the Asia-Pacific region a total of 287 Socata TB aircraft are operated by 12 flying schools in seven countries - Australia, China, India, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand.
Following certification at the tail end of last year, a TB-10 Tobago GT and a TB-20 Trinidad GT were delivered to Malaysia. The Trinidad GT is the first single piston-engined aircraft ever certified for IFR operations in Malaysia.
In January Socata delivered the first TBM-700 C2 model, the latest version of the high-speed turboprop, to a customer in Australia.
First
Australia is the second country to have certified the increased gross weight version of the TBM-700, which in 1990 became the first-ever civilian pressurized single turboprop to be certified.
EADS Socata says the TBM is ideally suited for various missions, from liaison duties to border watch or navaid calibration. A fleet of four TBM-700s is currently being operated in the latter role by the Indonesian ministry of transportation.
HUGH MCATEAR
Source: Flight Daily News
