New Argentine Basic Trainer Project Unveiled

摘要

Fabrica Argentina de Aviones (FAdeA, the former Lockheed Martin Argentina) has unveiled plans for a new basic trainer for the Fuerza Aerea Argentina (FAA, Argentine Air Force) known as the IA-73. Development is expected to cost between $10 million and $12 million (￡6.5 million to ￡7.8 million). The company expects to have a prototype ready in 2013 and plans to start mass production in 2015 to replace the FMA-assembled Beech B-45 Mentors used in the basic training role by the FAA. Julio Lombardi, Vice-President of FAdeA, stated that the new aircraftrnis being designed to allow pilots to transition smoothly from it to the IA-63 Pampa Serie II advanced trainer.