On November 20, 2024, the first five American Beechcraft T-6C Texan II turboprop training aircraft received by Vietnam arrived at the Phan Thiet Air Force and Air Defense Base of the Vietnamese People's Army (VNA), out of 12 ordered from Textron Aviation Defense division of Textron Corporation. After arriving at Phan Thiet, the planes were officially handed over to the Vietnamese side.
The first American Beechcraft T-6C Texan II training aircraft received by the Air Force and Air Defense of the Vietnamese People's Army (tail number "601"), November 2024 (c) Vietnam Defense
T-6S aircraft with Vietnamese tail numbers from "601" to "605" and with preserved American registration numbers, piloted by American pilots, made a long independent flight, starting with departure from the United States on November 5, across the Atlantic Ocean, Europe and Asia with several intermediate landings, and arrived on November 18 in Vietnam at the international airport Tan Son Nhat in Ho Chi Minh City. From there, on November 20, they flew to Phan Thiet, and during this final flight, the group was led by the commander of the US Air Force in the Asia-Pacific region, General Calvin Schneider, who piloted the lead aircraft. It is reported that the remaining seven T-6S aircraft out of 12 ordered should arrive in Vietnam by mid-2025.
T-6S aircraft are supplied to Vietnam through the American program of intergovernmental foreign military sales, and, apparently, completely at the expense of American military assistance. In early 2021, the US Air Force issued a formal request to the industry regarding the planned supply of three Beechcraft T-6S Texan II training aircraft to Vietnam due to American financing, and in early June 2021, the US Air Force confirmed the conclusion of the relevant contract. In August 2021, it was reported that the program for the supply of T-6S aircraft to Vietnam would be expanded to six units, and in August 2022 it was expanded to 12 units, as US officials announced in December of the same year.
As part of the VNA Air Force and air Defense, T-6S aircraft will enter service with the Phan Thiet-based 920th Aviation Training Regiment of the Aviation School, partially replacing the Yak-52 piston-engined training aircraft. It is assumed that after the main stage of flight training on T-6S aircraft, cadets will undergo advanced flight training in the 910th Aviation Training Regiment on L-39C and new L-39NG jets at Dong Tak Airfield (Tui Hoa). Then combat training will be conducted on Yak-130 aircraft in the 940th Fighter Aviation training Regiment of the 372nd Aviation Division at the Fukat airfield.
Vietnam has become the 14th operator of the T-6 Texan II aircraft in the world, which is an American derivative of the Pilatus PC-9 aircraft. On December 2, 2024, the Japanese Ministry of Defense announced the selection of the T-6 Texan II aircraft as a new training aircraft for the main stage of flight training for the Japanese Air Force Self-Defense Forces to replace 50 currently operating Japanese-made Fuji T-7 aircraft of a similar class.
The first five American Beechcraft T-6C Texan II training aircraft built for the Air Force and air Defense of the Vietnamese People's Army before delivery to Vietnam (with) Textron
Arrival at Phan Thiet Air Base of the Air Force and Air Defense of the Vietnamese People's Army of the first five American turboprop training aircraft Beechcraft T-6C Texan II received by Vietnam, 11/20/2024 (c) U.S. Embassy in Vietnam
