French Air force presented Tuesday their newly acquired PC-21 fighter trainer

Celle-ci présentait officiellement mardi son nouvel avion d’instruction des équipages de chasse, un biplace de fabrication suisse amené à remplacer les mythiques Epsilon et Alphajet. D’ici l’an prochain, l’armée de l’air disposera de 17 Pilatus PC-21, tous basés sur la base aérienne de Cognac-Châteaubernard (Charente). Le site a été choisi pour accueillir cette nouvelle école de chasse et absorbe actuellement les unités autrefois déployées à Tours. Trente jeunes pilotes et dix navigateurs de l’armée de l’air, dix pilotes de la marine nationale et dix moniteurs y seront désormais formés chaque année. « Une révolution, insiste le général Lavigne. Le PC-21 annonce la rénovation de notre système de formation. »
Car cet avion remplace à lui seul Epsilon et Alphajet, et donc deux phases d’apprentissage jusque-là bien distinctes. « C’est un outil intelligent pour mettre le pied à l’étrier : 8 g, c’est comparable à ce que les pilotes encaissent dans un Rafale ou un Mirage », confirme le commandant Thibault, l’un des instructeurs. Si la formation s’avère moins onéreuse, la maintenance le serait aussi : l’entretien d’un PC-21 – confiée durant 8 ans au groupe britannique Babcock via un contrat de service – reviendrait à terme « dix fois moins cher qu’un Alphajet ».

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[French Air Force] officially presented on Tuesday its new training aircraft fighter crews, a Swiss-made two-seater to replace the mythical Epsilon and Alphajet. By next year, the Air Force will have 17 Pilatus PC-21s, all based at the Cognac-Châteaubernard airbase (Charente). The site was chosen to host this new hunting school and is currently absorbing units formerly deployed in Tours. Thirty young pilots and ten sailors of the Air Force, ten pilots of the Navy and ten instructors will be trained there every year. “A revolution,” insists General Lavigne. PC-21 announces the renovation of our training system. “
Because this aircraft replaces Epsilon and Alphajet alone, and thus two phases of learning hitherto quite distinct. “It’s a smart tool to put your foot in the stirrup: 8 g is comparable to what pilots cash in a Rafale or Mirage,” confirms the commander Thibault, one of the instructors. If training is less expensive, maintenance would be as well: the maintenance of a PC-21 – entrusted for 8 years to the British group Babcock via a service contract – would ultimately “ten times cheaper than Alphajet “.

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Source:
Le Parisien.fr

2 French Mirage 2000 strike militants inside Burkina Faso

France’s army said in statement that at the request of the local authorities its forces intervened to hunt down the attackers. It dispatched a Reaper drone and two Mirage fighter jets from a base in neighboring Niger on Wednesday night.

“The drone detected a column of several motorcycles leaving the area in the direction of the north. After observing the group and establishing its terrorist nature, both Mirage planes carried out strikes,” the statement said.

An army spokesman said some 15 motorcycles had been targeted, but it was too early to say how many fighters had been killed.

and:

French warplanes killed around 10 rebels in northern Burkina Faso following a deadly raid on a gendarmerie, the Burkinabe military command announced Friday.

Source:
USNews.com
expactica.com

DefenseNews reports today that US FMS request includes:

[INDENT]Belgium’s request for F-35s ($6.53 billion)

[/INDENT]

Source:
DefenseNews.com

https://youtu.be/7JA2wjKO9mY

Hallow: The single biggest thing to track a flotilla is to track their communications. With Stealth plane, discreet com and blablabla, the same flotilla leave a much reduced footprint behind them making the game of detection harder and forcing their opponents to unmask themselves even more in order to have a chance to detect them. In the meantime you can still launch and have the best picture around thanks to your superior SA.
Regarding the QE carrier, is that such difficult to admit simply that she is one of the latest design around there?

Don’t forget that she is a ship with RCS reduction operating the best of modern Stealth fighters. The mass effect of the larger deck is increased by the lower signature of the concept. It would be indeed worrisome for anyone to have this thing sailing off your shores.

people here have to understand that if they beat Leonardo that have an amazing design with a low price (presumably) it’s only because the T-X should offer beyond needed capabilities. Notably the flying trainer needs high G capabilities to simulate 5th gen and beyond aircraft that the M346 struggles to offer (much discussed already). So we have a superior airframe that seems to offer lower cost of ownership thanks to its modern design and tailored airframe (hence probably better than a 4th gen based LM/KAI T-50). Notice also that the USAF committed only 810M$ so far.

Let’s be realistic, It’s a better Helo for hauling Vip’s around.