US Army Inks $145Mln Contract to Train Afghan Air Force Pilots - Raytheon
The United States Army has awarded a $145 million, three-year contract to train pilots in Afghanistan's fledgling Air Force, Raytheon said in a press release on Tuesday
WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 12th May, 2020) The United States Army has awarded a $145 million, three-year contract to train pilots in Afghanistan's fledgling Air Force, Raytheon said in a press release on Tuesday.
"Raytheon will conduct initial flight training for the US Army's Program Executive Office for Simulation, Training and Instrumentation. The Afghanistan Air Force students will go through flight school in third-party nations in Europe and the middle East. Raytheon will provide tailored training for the Afghanistan Air Force pilots, including classroom, fixed-wing and rotary aircraft instruction," the release said.
The latest contract represents an extension of Raytheon's Afghanistan Air Force pilot training that began in 2010. The original training mission has expanded from a focus on basic flight proficiency to qualifications and flight techniques needed to fly advanced aircraft, the release added.
The US seeks to develop an Afghan Air Force that can take responsibility for strikes on Taliban and other terrorist targets from the American-led coalition.