Eight Trainers to Replace T-34C
After a thorough analysis and evaluation of an offer delivered in 2015, the Ecuadorian Air Force (FAE) has confirmed an acquisition programme covering eight Grob G-120TP aircraft for its training fleet.
Introduced by Grob in 1999, the G-120 two-seater is specifically designed for both civil and military training. In Latin America it is already in service with the air forces of Argentina and Mexico. In Ecuador, they will replace the now-retired Beechcraft T-34C TURBO MENTORs, which have been grounded since 2015. The new aircraft will be stationed at Salinas Air Base, on the Pacific Coast.
Details of contract value and scheduled delivery dates have not yet been publicly disclosed. The complete lack of budget resources caused the considerable delay in taking so vital a decision for the service: pilots have been forced to pass directly from basic training on the fleet of 10 Diamond DA-20C1 to advanced training on the Embraer SUPER TUCANO.
Santiago Rivas and Florencia Lucero Heguy in Buenos Aires for MON