Pilatus Aircraft Ltd is pleased to announce that a contract has been signed with BAE Systems to supply the Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF) with a fleet of 55 Pilatus PC-21 turboprop aircraft, together with an integrated ground based training system and a comprehensive logistics support package. This makes it by far the biggest ever order in the history of Pilatus.

Following agreement between the Governments of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia  and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, under the Saudi British Defence Cooperation Programme (SBDCP), deliveries of the aircraft, ground based training systems and the logistics support package are scheduled to commence in 2014. The aircraft will provide basic flying training in Riyadh to the RSAF and will replace the PC-9 with the state of the art PC-21 platform in the shortest possible time

Twenty-five years have passed since the initial batch of Pilatus PC-9 training aircraft were delivered to the RSAF under an agreement with BAE Systems. After so many years of sterling service the RSAF has selected the PC-21 aircraft and ground based training system following a thorough evaluation both here in Stans and under hot weather conditions in Riyadh Saudi Arabia.

This is yet another major success for Pilatus Aircraft Ltd, confirming the confidence and the trust our customers place in the quality of our aircraft and the cost effectiveness of our through life support services.

After Switzerland, Singapore and the UAE, Saudi Arabia is now the fourth country to procure the PC-21 aircraft. This is in line with today’s changing training philosophies which are required for advanced operational aircraft now coming into service with major air forces around the world.

Pilatus is proud to continue serving the Royal Saudi Air Force by delivering and supporting the most advanced turboprop trainer aircraft in the world – the Pilatus PC-21.