New training aircraft

The Air Force will lease a fleet of seven Super King Air 350 Turboprop aircraft to undertake navigator training.

The aircraft will be leased from Hawker Pacific to provide training aircraft for No. 32 Squadron and the School of Air Navigation at RAAF Base East Sale.

Defence Minister Robert Hill announced that the fleet would replace the HS748 fleet – almost 35 years old – and the King Air B200 aircraft currently used in support of navigator training.

Hawker Pacific will supply and maintain the Super King Air aircraft using facilities at East Sale under a 10-year contract worth about $170 million.

Senator Hill said the first of the new aircraft would be delivered to East Sale in March but training would not start until navigator training stations were fitted.

.