Babcock's 39 steps to Africa

“We are providing a complete system for training the combat crews of tomorrow, and one of our focuses is Africa,” said general (ret) Thierry Caspar-Fille-Lambie, managing director Babcock France.

Babcock France is acquiring 11 L-39s from Apache Aviation, with aspirations to set up several training streams.

“Training young pilots to become fighter pilots; training fighter pilots to become instructor pilots or refresher courses for senior pilots who may have been away from flying for a while,” he said.

“The latter is the course we are focussing on in Africa where some air forces don’t currently fly fighters and we can refresh them or maintain their skills.

“We are also offering a tactical training syllabus that will include close air support (CAS) training and intend to update the L-39s with digital technology as well as ROVER-like capability.”

Working with ROVER sees information on targets downloaded from aircraft to the JTAC (Joint Terminal Air Controller) formerly known as a forward air controller.

The latter requirement has been included in the French Air Force Red Air contract tender, which Babcock France is bidding for. This will cover JTAC training, digital CAS and ROVER capabilities to train the JTAC. As a result, Babcock France will be able to offer this service to African or other foreign air forces. “Babcock France will adapt the syllabus to meet the customer’s requirements,” Fille-Lambie continued.

Not all the L-39s will be updated, Babcock France is currently designing a prototype upgrade with another company that is being kept confidential. “Implementation of the new systems and certification would take about a year,” he added.

“We could upgrade three or four L-39s initially, but the numbers depend upon us being selected for the FAF Red Air tender, which could be awarded in early 2025. But it is possible to use the L-39 in the old way of doing CAS, without the digital system until we have it, by talking to the JTAC through voice communications.

“We bought the L-39s because we know they are well maintained, and we can fly them until 2030/35 and in our aviation strategy it is a first step in the tactical training of air forces. We want to propose a global training solution for the training of their operational squadrons, which could feature not just the L-39, but also other modern training aircraft. We want to partner with OEMs on a future training aircraft that can work with simulation and emulation etc to ensure it is low-cost.”

Babcock has a lot of experience in educating future pilots, rather than training operational squadrons, which companies like Top Aces, Draken and ATAC does. But Babcock France wants to get a foothold in that business as Thierry is convinced it is no longer the business of air forces to develop a training solution.

“We want to discuss all the options with African countries, initially with air forces that currently fly the L-39, like Uganda, Nigeria and Angola as well as the western African countries in co-operation with the French government like Ivory Coast, Gabon and Senegal.

“Most of the instructors will come from the French Air Force, and we have pilots that we want to work with, but we can’t hire them until we get the first contract. Initially we will work with Apache Aviation pilots, who are very experienced.

Fille-Lambie finished: “We hope to have a first contract with an African air force in early 2025. The chief of that air force we won’t name, has agreed to send pilots and now he is in discussions with his MOD for the funding.”