On 27 November 2025, the Government approved the award of a comprehensive 20 year service contract to Pilatus to provide training services based on the PC-7 MKX. The package includes the aircraft and a suite of advanced ground based tools designed to form a fully integrated system.
Pilatus will supply new simulators, computer based training platforms and mission planning and debriefing systems to ensure continuity from classroom to cockpit. In parallel, Pilatus and its Belgian partners Sabena Engineering and AG Real Estate will deliver new and upgraded infrastructure at Bevekom and Beauvechain Air Force Base and provide operational support for two decades.
Belgian industry will have an important role in constructing and maintaining these facilities and in providing In Service Support for the aircraft. Training is scheduled to start in 2028, once the infrastructure and simulators are in place and instructors have completed familiarisation.
With Belgium’s planned introduction of the PC-7 MKX, the country will join the Royal Netherlands Air and Space Force and the French Air and Space Force, both of which selected the same system in late 2024. Markus Bucher, CEO of Pilatus, said: “We are proud to welcome Belgian Defense as a new Pilatus customer and the third European air force to select the PC-7 MKX. This milestone reinforces the trust placed in our training systems and highlights our commitment to supporting air forces globally with state-of-the-art solutions.”
Ioannis Papachristofilou, Vice President Government Aviation at Pilatus, said the agreement reflects a long term service approach. “This contract is based on a services business model that allows Belgian Defense to benefit from a comprehensive fully integrated training system, while ensuring long term financial predictability. We are looking forward to serving Belgian Defense over the next years along with our Belgian industrial partners and providing a leading-edge training capability,” he said.
The PC-7 MKX features a new cockpit built around the Garmin G3000 PRIME suite, combining Pilatus training expertise with advanced avionics. Pilatus states that this marks the first integration of the G3000 with custom user defined displays, creating a flexible platform tailored to military training needs.
