PESCO PROJECTS

European Defence Airlift Training Academy (EDA-TA)

The project aims at creating a network of 3 schools to offer a European solution for the military air transport pilots transition training. Furthermore, it strives to advance the results of Transport Pilot Training Capacity work, more specifically the European Undergraduate Military Transport Pilot Training program.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

The European Defence Airlift – Training Academy (EDA-TA) aims at creating a network of 3 schools to offer a European solution for the military air transport pilots transition training. Furthermore, it strives to advance the results of Transport Pilot Training Capacity work, more specifically the European Undergraduate Military Transport Pilot Training program (EUMTPT).

OBJECTIVES/PRODUCTS

From an operational point of view, the crews of EATC states now use common operating documentation. Tactical employment procedures are also harmonized. Germany and France provide cross-training for their A400M crews and mechanics and have recently inaugurated a binational squadron on the C130J. However, there is a gap in this convergence: the initial training of transport pilots is not shared between EU Member States. This PESCO project proposes to encourage this trend by creating a common school and curriculum for European air transport pilots.

The main target of the project is to harmonize the transport pilot training within Europe taking advantage of the three existing European Defence Airlift Schools (EDA-S) in Spain, Italy and France. This Training Academy will promote a solution for transport pilot training for the benefit of nations that do not have their own facilities. For IT/SP/FR it will allow a shift of trainees/instructors that should be agreed between nations, mitigating the consequences of unexpected variability of training flows. Spain and France are working about their training replacement by the end of the decade. The current conditions are unprecedented and will not be repeated for decades to come. EU nations should seize this opportunity to create a complete autonomous and coherent training academy.