Taiwan has completed the preliminary design phase for its indigenous military trainer aircraft, marking a crucial advancement in the program.
The country’s main domestic aircraft developer, Aerospace Industrial Development Corp. (AIDC), announced the development Monday, saying a prototype aircraft can be expected by 2028.
With the design phase complete, the program will move to engineering and development stages once the Taiwanese Air Force gives the green light.
Mass production of the trainer aircraft should begin in 2031, according to AIDC.
Multimillion-Dollar Deal
AIDC has been contracted to develop 45 indigenous military trainer aircraft worth 21.4 billion New Taiwan dollars ($688 million).
They will replace the almost four-decade-old Beechcraft T-34C trainers in the Taiwanese Air Force inventory.
The aging aircraft reportedly lacks modern safety features such as ejection seats – an area that will be given priority in the new aerial training asset.
Price Difference
According to a report by Focus Taiwan, the island nation would have just needed to spend 18.6 billion New Taiwan dollars ($598 million) if it ordered from foreign manufacturers.
However, Taipei reportedly took into consideration the amount needed for maintenance services.
Maintenance fees spent on home-built planes over a lifespan of 25 years are estimated at 52 billion New Taiwan dollars ($1.67 billion), as opposed to the 53 billion New Taiwan dollars ($1.7 billion) needed for planes manufactured abroad.
Awarding the contract to a local firm would also boost the domestic economy by energizing the local manufacturing sector and creating a robust supply chain.
