Babcock International has been contracted to support the French Test Pilot School (École du Personnel Navigant d’Essais et de Réception – EPNER) with an Aero L-39 jet trainer, the company announced on 4 December 2025.
The contract, for flight test training, will see the L-39 used for instruction and evaluation sessions, enabling trainees to assess aircraft performance and flying qualities under realistic operational conditions.
The contract also involves target simulation missions for the Direction Générale de l’Armement – Essais en Vol (DGA EV). The L-39 will be used in adversary simulation roles for flight testing and technical missions, including: the training of servicing mechanics for the DGA EV, refresher training for DGA EV mechanics, and release flights for EPNER instructors and test pilots already qualified on the L-39
“EPNER is a world-renowned school of excellence, dedicated to training test pilots, engineers and technicians involved in flight testing,” Pierre Basquin, chief executive aviation and CEO France for Babcock, was quoted as saying in a company press release. “The partnership reflects Babcock’s commitment to supporting the French armed forces in its critical missions by providing high-performance aerial assets tailored to the demands of training and testing.
“The contract is the first involving our L-39 aircraft and paves the way for further opportunities, particularly in operational training and the training of international pilots,” Basquin added.
Babcock acquired 11 L-39 Albatros aircraft in December 2024 from Apache Aviation. The aircraft were previously operated by Apache Aviation as the Breitling Jet Team – the only civilian aerobatic team in the world to fly jet aircraft – before its operations were disbanded in 2019.
