27 May 2020

US Navy seeks multi-engine trainer aircraft

The US Navy (USN) is seeking a new aircraft to train multi-engine students for itself, the US Marine Corps (USMC), and US Coast Guard (USCG).

Having flown the T-44 Pegasus (pictured) since 1980, the US Navy is now looking for a new multi-engine trainer to instruct its own student pilots, as well as those of the US Marine Corps and US Coast Guard.

A request for information (RFI) for the Multi-Engine Training Aircraft (META) requirement called for a commercially available aircraft to replace the Beechcraft T-44 Pegasus variant of the King Air 90 that the service has used for the role since 1980.

“This Performance Based Specification (PBS) establishes the overall system capabilities, functionality, and equipage for the commercial airplane that is part of Multi Engine Training System (METS)”, the solicitation posted on the beta.sam.gov website on 26 May said.

The RFI laid out some required performance parameters for the candidate aircraft, including a cruise speed of no less than 195 kt, a service ceiling no less than 20,000 ft, and endurance no less than 3.5 hours (while performing certain stated flight profiles). Other specifications included passenger seating numbers, baggage carrying loads, and other items.

While the solicitation made no mention of anticipated aircraft numbers, Janes World Navies lists the USN as currently having 54 T-44s in its inventory. Operational multi-engine types flown by the USN, USMC, and USCG include the Bell-Boeing V-22 Osprey, Lockheed Martin C-130 Hercules, Northrop Grumman E-2 Hawkeye, Boeing P-8A Poseidon, Boeing C-41 Clipper, Airbus HC-144A Ocean Sentry, and Leonardo HC-27J.

Responses to the RFI are due no later than 16:30 h EDT, 10 July.

The US Navy (USN) is seeking a new aircraft to train multi-engine students for itself, the US Marine...

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