Netherlands Orders Eight Pilatus PC-7 MKX Trainers, Fleet Hits 100,000 Sorties

The Royal Netherlands Air Force became the first customer for the upgraded Pilatus PC-7 MKX trainer, placing an order for eight aircraft. The new type, based on the PC‑7 MK II, features an advanced avionics suite and will support the basic flight training of future F‑35 pilots, transport aircraft crews and helicopter pilots at the Elementaire Militaire Vlieger Opleiding (EMVO) in Woensdrecht. One aircraft will be kept in reserve while the others conduct up to 2 150 flight hours per year.

Since the PC‑7 entered service in 1989, the Dutch fleet has accumulated more than 100 000 training sorties, a milestone attributed to high aircraft availability and rigorous maintenance. The existing fleet will be phased out from 2027 and replaced by the PC‑7 MKX, which will be integrated with simulators, virtual‑reality tools and other digital learning systems to modernise pilot training.

The procurement underscores the long‑standing partnership between the Netherlands and Swiss manufacturer Pilatus Aircraft, which supplies the aircraft and associated ground‑based training systems.