Thales has been chosen to provide a radio management system for use by an undisclosed European customer for the Pilatus PC-7 trainer.

The equipment supplier says its technology will provide “robust, uninterrupted communications, even under the most complex conditions”, and is “tailored to evolving operational requirements”.

“Together, we have come up with a system offering a high-level of efficiency, which will enable these aircraft to carry out extremely demanding missions,” says Nicolas Bonleux, Thales’s vice-president, aerospace communications.

“This choice by Pilatus marks a new step for Thales, which, since April 2024, has strengthened its portfolio in the cockpit connectivity and secure communications sector with the acquisition of Cobham Aerospace Communications,” Thales states.

Fleets data from aviation analytics company Cirium shows that there are three current European operators of the legacy PC-7 trainer: Austria (12), the Netherlands (12) and Switzerland (27).

Pilatus also has to date secured a trio of buyers for its new-generation PC-7 MKX version: Belgium (which will take 18 examples), France (23), and the Netherlands (8). Deliveries of the latest version are due to commence during 2027, with the Swiss airframer having last year secured initial certification for the updated version.