Joint Primary Aircraft Training System
The Joint Primary Aircraft Training System (JPATS) was an aircraft procurement program of the United States in the 1990s by the United States Air Force and United States Navy, a merger of 1980s era training aircraft programs. The winner was declared in 1995 and entered service a few years later as the Beechcraft T-6 Texan II. The program was partly a result of the cancelled Fairchild T-46 of the 1980s.
| Joint Primary Aircraft Training System (JPATS) | |
|---|---|
| A USAF T-6A Texan II at Laughlin AFB, Texas | |
| General information | |
| Project for | Primary training aircraft |
| Service | United States Air Force United States Navy |
| Proposals | Cessna 526 CitationJet Embraer EMB-312H Super Tucano Vought Pampa 2000 Lockheed T-Bird II Beech-Pilatus PC-9 Mk 2 Rockwell Ranger 2000 SIAI Marchetti S.211 |
| History | |
| Concluded | 1995 |
| Outcome | Beech-Pilatus PC-9 Mk 2 selected for production as the Beechcraft T-6 Texan II |
| Predecessors | Next Generation Trainer (NGT) |
In 1995, the selection of Beech Aircraft Corporation of Wichita, Kansas, to develop and deliver the JPATS was made. The aircraft would be manufactured by Raytheon, Beechcraft's parent company, starting in the late 1990s and into the early 21st century. The companies that initially responded and competed were Vought, Northrop, Grumman, Rockwell, Beechcraft, Lockheed, and Cessna. However, by the time the selection was over, Northrop, Grumman, and Vought were all part of the same larger company. Over 700 JPATS are intended to be bought over time.