First US Navy T-54A training aircraft delivery arrives
Arrival of the first two T-54A multi-engine training system aircraft will allow the US Navy to begin the decommissioning process of its ageing T-44C Pegasus aircraft on schedule.
The US Navy (USN) received the first two T-54A multi-engine training system aircraft at Naval Air Station Corpus Christi, Texas.
The USN has selected the aircraft as part of the Multi-Engine Training System (METS) programme. Under a US$113 million contract, 10 aircraft were ordered in February 2023, but up to 64 units could be procured with contract options worth up to a total of $667.2 million.
According to the FY2023 US defence budget, the flyway unit cost of the T-54A was around $9.2 million.
With deliveries on track, the T-54A can begin replacing the T-44C Pegasus aircraft within the next six months. The new aeroplanes will provide advanced instrument and asymmetric engine handling training to student naval aviators selected for multi-engine fleet communities.
The turboprop T-54A has a length of 13.4m, a height of 4.5m and a wingspan of 17.65m. It is powered by two P&W PT6A-52 engines, with a maximum take-off weight of 5670kg and nine occupants. The aircraft features a tricycle landing gear and a reconfigurable cargo bay in the cabin.
Student naval aviators selected for multi-engine fleet communities will be provided advanced instrument and asymmetric engine handling training on the T-54A.
METS will be able to capture data that will feed into Conditioned-Based Maintenance Plus, a capability that enables the USN to monitor aircraft health over time to facilitate improved maintenance planning and efficiency – a trend that has been increasingly prevalent among newly built training jets.
Among Five Eyes nations, counterparts to the T-44 have been in operation, with most of them nearing retirement dates. It has only been the US and the UK, however, that have put forward plans for their replacement.
