France Leases L-39 Albatros Aircraft While Seeking Replacement for Alpha Jet Trainers

The French Ministry of the Armed Forces has signed a contract with Babcock France’s British division to lease Czech-built Aero L-39 Albatros trainer aircraft for the EPNER flight test school.

Opex360 reported on this.

Under the agreement, the aircraft will be leased for one year, with an option to automatically renew for up to five additional years.

The L-39 will be used for training, test and simulation flights, including to assess flight characteristics and act as a mock adversary.

The contract also includes training for Flight Test Center technical personnel, as well as familiarization flights for instructors and test pilots already certified on the aircraft type.

Babcock France said this is the company’s first contract involving the operation of the L-39 in French aviation.

The move by the French Air and Space Force is largely linked to delays in acquiring a new jet trainer to replace the Alpha Jet aircraft currently flown by the Patrouille de France aerobatic team.

Babcock’s L-39s will allow France to maintain pilot proficiency and expand cooperation with potential partner countries for training flights.