The French Directorate General of Armaments (Direction Générale de l’Armement, DGA) has officially selected the Pilatus PC-7 MKX as the new basic training aircraft for the French Air and Space Force (Armée de l’Air et de l’Espace) and the French Navy. The delivery of the fleet of 22 trainer aircraft is set to begin in 2027.
The ‘Mentor 2’ program, which aims to consolidate and upgrade France’s basic flight training capabilities, also includes 12 simulators developed by Exail. These simulators, along with ground-based training tools, will be deployed at Salon-de-Provence Air Base, the home of the École de l’Air et de l’Espace, France’s military aviation academy.
On January 10, 2025, the DGA confirmed that Babcock International France Aviation had been awarded the ‘Mentor 2’ contract, following a formal notification issued on December 31, 2024. This 17-year contract covers the delivery, deployment, and operational management of the new PC-7 MKX training system, integrating both live flight training and ground-based simulation.
Modernizing and streamlining the French Air and Space Force trainer fleet
According to the DGA, the contract represents the final phase of a multi-year effort to modernize the training pipeline for fighter and transport pilots. The new system is designed to streamline training at a single site, using a single aircraft type, with a greater emphasis on simulation and modern educational tools.
The DGA emphasized that this modernization would improve training quality, reduce course duration, and ensure seamless continuity between basic and advanced training phases. It added that the PC-7 MKX will offer a training experience much closer to the operational aircraft that the cadets will fly later in their careers.
The PC-7 MKX will replace the Cirrus SR20 and Grob 120A, which have served as France’s primary basic training aircraft. It will join the Pilatus PC-21, already in service for advanced training at Base Aérienne 709 in Cognac-Châteaubernard since 2018. France currently operates 26 PC-21s, acquired in two batches to replace the TB-30 Epsilon and the Alphajet.
With the PC-7 MKX taking over the basic training phase, France will exclusively rely on Pilatus aircraft for all military pilot training stages, from initial flight to advanced qualification.
On February 2, 2025, the Royal Netherlands Air Force (Koninklijke Luchtmacht) officially became the launch customer for the PC-7 MKX, securing a contract with Pilatus to modernize its basic pilot training program. Delivery of the new aircraft and integrated training solutions is scheduled for the first half of 2027.
