First T-6C Texan II Trainer for Vietnam to Arrive End of 2023
HANOI: The first T-6C Texan II trainer ordered by Vietnam will arrive by end of 2023. This was confirmed by Tom Webster, Vice President, Defense Sales Asia/Pacific of Textron Aviation Defense LLC to ADJ here.
Textron Aviation is present at the Vietnam International Defence Expo 2022 to show their commitment to the Foreign Military Sales programme and to also promote their Cessna SkyCourier freighter to the Vietnamese defence and security forces.
“Vietnam ordered T-6C Texan II in 2021 to replace their old Yakovlev Yak-52 primary trainer aircraft. However, the Texan II being a more capable aircraft can prepare pilots from initial pilot screens to advanced operational training,” he told ADJ at the Hanoi event.
Currently Thailand has ordered both the T-6C Texan II trainer and the armed variant AT-6TH Wolverine, while Vietnam has ordered the T-6C trainer. “The company is open to additional orders of both the T-6C and/or the AT-6 should the requirement arise,” he added.
Together, more than a dozen countries have logged a cumulative five million hours operating a global fleet of 1,001 Beechcraft T-6 Texan II aircraft. The next generation T-6C trainer fast tracks fundamentals and equips pilots with advanced skills at a low cost.
The T-6C trainer features customisable pilot training courseware, media-integrated lectures and computer-based training and training management systems for the most effective transition to fourth- and fifth-generation aircraft. –adj/mhi/mgm
