Prime contractors Lockheed Martin [LMT] and BAE Systems are forming their own teams to compete for the Australian Defense Forces’ new pilot training program, formally known as the AIR 5428 pilot training system program.
Lockheed Martin said in a statement it will form a consortium known as Team 21 with Pilatus Aircraft, supported by Asia Pacific and Middle Eastern integrated aviation solutions provider Hawker Pacific. Team 21 is currently in its seventh year of a 20-year performance-based contract to provide the Pilot Training Basic Wings Course to Singapore’s air force, according to Lockheed Martin.
BAE said recently it would team with Beechcraft and Canadian modeling, simulation and training provider CAE. The team will bring together BAE’s training, systems integration and sustainment capabilities; CAE’s simulation, training and support services and Beechcraft’s T-6C mission system, according to BAE.
L-3 [LLL] said although it competes for pilot training system programs it would not bid for the AIR 5428 program. Representatives from both Embraer [ERJ] and General Dynamics [GD] also said they wouldn’t bid for AIR 5428. Boeing [BA] spokesman David Sidman said although there are a number of opportunities in Australia the company is focused on, it wouldn’t say for competitive reasons if it was bidding on AIR 5428.
Though Northrop Grumman [NOC] provides pilot training services for both manned and unmanned aircraft, company spokesman Mark Root said it would not bid for AIR 5428.
AIR 5428 will provide platforms for flight screening and cover all facets of undergraduate pilot training from basic flying up to entry into Australian air force lead-in fighter and operational conversion units. The program’s acquisition cost is estimated to be more than $1.5 billion, according to a “Defense Capability Plan 2009” from Australia’s defense department.
Proposals are due Feb. 17, according to Australian Defence Magazine, which also said in its August issue that Raytheon’s [RTN] Australia unit is teaming with the BAE Systems-Beechcraft team. Raytheon spokesman Keith Strubhar said while he couldn’t comment on AIR 5428, the company could have more information within “a few weeks.”
Cobham plc spokesman Greg Caires said the company did not bid on AIR 5428.