The U.S. Army Contracting Command has awarded Raytheon Intelligence and Space a potential three-year, $145 million contract to train Afghanistan Air Force pilots, the company reported on Tuesday.
"Raytheon training experts help the Afghanistan Air Force develop a pipeline of skilled flyers and officers," said Bob Williams, vice president of Global Training Solutions at Raytheon Intelligence & Space.
Under the contract, Raytheon will conduct initial flight training for the U.S. Army's Program Executive Office for Simulation, Training and Instrumentation. The Afghanistan Air Force students will go through flight school in third-party nations in Europe and the Middle East.
Raytheon will also provide tailored training for the Afghanistan Air Force pilots, including classroom, fixed-wing and rotary aircraft instruction. "Our program uses the latest training techniques, and a focus on individual mentorship to produce well-rounded officers that will help create a secure future for Afghanistan," added Williams.
The Raytheon Afghanistan Air Force pilot training program began in 2010. The original mission for basic flight proficiency has expanded to advanced aircraft qualifications and flight techniques. Raytheon's focus on mentorship and leadership training helps the program maintain a 93 percent graduation rate with every student returned to Afghanistan.
The Afghanistan Air Force Pilot Training program was awarded under the Enterprise Training Services Contract vehicle. Raytheon previously announced a related task order for the Aviation Maintenance Training program.
Raytheon’s recent contract will add to the company’s variety of efforts with the service branch for international support and services. In Aug. 2019, the U.S. Army Contracting Command has selected Raytheon to train the Afghanistan Air Force in aircraft maintenance.
Raytheon will develop a new training program for the U.S. Army's Program Executive Office for Simulation, Training and Instrumentation under the $108 million contract, called Afghanistan Air Force Aircraft Maintenance Training, or AMT.
Under the 2019 contract, Raytheon will provide maintenance training for aircraft flown by the Afghanistan Air Force. The training program will be directed by the Combined Security Transition Command-Afghanistan and Train, Advise, Assist Command-Air.
The AMT contract is awarded under the previously announced Enterprise Training Services Contract vehicle. ETSC provides core training services to combatant commands and their training of security cooperation partners.
About Raytheon Technologies
Raytheon Technologies Corporation is an aerospace and defense company that provides advanced systems and services for commercial, military and government customers worldwide. With 195,000 employees and four industry-leading businesses ― Collins Aerospace Systems, Pratt & Whitney, Raytheon Intelligence & Space and Raytheon Missiles & Defense ― the company delivers solutions that push the boundaries in avionics, cybersecurity, directed energy, electric propulsion, hypersonics, and quantum physics.
The company, formed in 2020 through the combination of Raytheon Company and the United Technologies Corporation aerospace businesses, is headquartered in Waltham, Massachusetts.
