The Air Force has made official the purchase of seven T-35 Pillan training aircraft from the Spanish Air Force. The news was first released by a specialized aviation news service in Spain.
A press release from the Dominican Republic Air Force (FARD) says the aircraft was purchased to significantly enhance its pilot training capabilities. The aircraft purchase from the Spanish Air Force is described as a pivotal step in strengthening the institution’s operational capacity and ensuring a seamless transition for aspiring pilots.
The FARD says that in August 2022, at the outset of the current administration, the FARD faced a critical challenge: a lack of available training aircraft due to maintenance requirements. This situation placed five classes of officers awaiting pilot training courses in limbo, with another class scheduled to commence in December 2022.
Opportunely, in October of the same year, it emerged that the Spanish Air Force was planning to replace its T-35 Pillán aircraft with Pilatus PC-21s. Recognizing this as an opportunity to acquire a cost-effective fleet of training aircraft, the FARD moved swiftly to secure these decommissioned but well-maintained planes.
The acquisition of the seven T-35 Pillán aircraft was conducted under a direct agreement between the Dominican Republic and Spain, at a unit cost of €140,000.00. While the purchase was authorized in early 2023, the final bureaucratic procedures were recently completed, paving the way for the imminent arrival of the first four aircraft on 3 August and the remaining three on 10 August 2024.
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FARD
23 July 2024