Textron Aviation Defense has delivered the first Beechcraft T-6C Texan II trainer aircraft to the Tunisian Air Force in support of operations at No. 13 Squadron at Sfax air base in Tunisia.
The first airframe is part of a Foreign Military Sales (FMS) contract comprising eight T-6C Texan IIs, in-country field service and logistics support representatives, program management support, interim contractor support for the first year, training for pilots and maintenance professionals, spare engines, spare parts and aircraft support equipment.
Textron delivered the first airframe after receiving an initial $12.5 million contract for long lead efforts in 2021. In July this year, the company received a $90.7 million contract modification for the delivery of aircraft
The company said it expects to deliver the second T-6C to Tunisia in late 2022, while the remaining six aircraft are slated for delivery in 2023. Training of the initial cadre of pilots began on October 31 at Textron Aviation Defense facilities in Wichita, Kansas.
The T-6C is a popular military trainer, empowering global pilot training across the NATO Flight Training program in Canada, the Euro NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training Program (ENJJPT) at Sheppard AFB, Texas and the US Air Force Aviation Leadership Program as well as the US Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, Army and Coast Guard, the Hellenic Air Force, the Argentine Air Force, the Israeli Air Force, the Royal Air Force, the Iraqi Air Force, the Royal Canadian Air Force, Mexican Navy, the Mexican Air Force, the Royal Moroccan Air Force, the Colombian Air Force, the Royal New Zealand Air Force, the Royal Thai Air Force and now the Tunisian Air Force.
“Textron Aviation Defense is honored the Tunisian Air Force has chosen the world’s best and most affordable military trainer — the legendry Beechcraft T-6C Texan II — as its next primary trainer,” said Fouad Kasri, director of Sales & Strategy for Africa and the Middle East, Textron Aviation Defense. “Tunisia is the thirteenth nation to acquire the T-6 and has now taken delivery of the 1,001st T-6 manufactured by our team in Wichita.”
Textron Aviation Defense collaborated with the US Air Force Life Cycle Management Center (AFLCMC) and the US Air Force Security Assistance Training Squadron (AFSAT) to support the Tunisian Air Force’s modernization and growth program.
Additionally, the Tunisian Air Force will rely upon TRU Simulation + Training Inc., an affiliate of Textron Aviation Inc, for a suite of training devices and related support. The devices — slated for installation at Sfax Air Base — include a ground-based training system, an operational flight trainer and a computer-based training lab.
Textron is also on contract to deliver four Cessna Grand Caravan EX intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) aircraft to Tunisia.
