Raytheon Marks 300th JPATS With Plans For More

While Raytheon would love to sell you a re-engined King Air 90, they’re just as happy selling single-engine trainers to the military. Earlier this month, the company announced it had begun producing the 300th copy of the T-6A Joint Primary Aircraft Training System (JPATS) aircraft, which both the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy use in their respective primary pilot training programs. Meanwhile, the services have decided to exercise their options on new copies of the two-seat trainer. This current option exercise extends deliveries into 2009. To date, the two U.S. military branches have ordered 418 T-6A aircraft; 283 have been delivered. Raytheon Aircraft Company is proud of the success of the T-6A, said Jim Smith, vice president of Government Business at Raytheon Aircraft Company.

JPATS has matured into the best flying training system in the world and we are pleased to continue our strong support of the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy training requirements. The JPATS program, which is the primary pilot training program for the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy, calls for nearly 800 aircraft through the year 2017. The U.S. Air Force began training pilots in the T-6A at Moody Air Force Base (Ga.) in October 2001. The U.S. Navy is conducting Undergraduate Military Flight Officer training at NAS Pensacola, Fla. In addition, the NATO Flying Training in Canada program purchased 26 T-6As and has been training pilots with the T-6A since 2000. The Hellenic Air Force of Greece ordered 45 aircraft, all of which have been delivered. Raytheon says it will continue supporting the T-6A through 2050.