Beechcraft has signed an agreement with the Royal New Zealand Air Force to provide 11 T-6C Texan II turboprop military training aircraft, plus spare parts, two simulators, training, logistics, and maintenance support, the company announced this week. “As the Royal New Zealand Air Force began the process of modernizing its pilot training capabilities, we were able to offer a proven, low-risk and highly capable solution that met their current and future training needs,” said Russ Bartlett, president of the Beechcraft Defense Company.
The T-6C aircraft and simulators will support primary through advanced aircrew training before they move on to operational squadrons or the flight instructor course. The aircraft also will be flown by the RNZAF formation aerobatic team. Deliveries will start in November and will be complete by the middle of next year, Beechcraft said. The T-6 military trainers are also operated by the U.S. Air Force, the U.S. Navy, and military units in Canada, Greece, Israel, Iraq, Morocco, and Mexico. Beechcraft was recently bought by Textron.
