Has UAE Found A New Trainer Aircraft?

It became obvious at the recent Dubai Air Show 2025 that the United Arab Emirates Air Force and Air Defense, is still reconsidering its flying training options.

With the need to phase-out the Grob 115 and PC-7 MKII, the UAEAF&AD has since 2021 been considering its options. It’s not surprising given that the UAEAF&AD has 80 Dassault Rafales on order, and still harbors the purchase of 50 F-35A Lightning IIs that will require a new training set-up.

Anyone familiar with the new European military training system solutions, will understand the operational costs of introducing 4.5/5th generation fighters. New training aircraft, equipped with glass cockpits combined with Live Virtual Constructive (LVC), could lead to a better, more economical, and relevant way of learning to fly these military aircraft.

There appears to be no solution yet, but what we do know now is that the Calidus B-250 is no longer being considered as a training option, instead it is being geared towards light attack, to replace the UAEAF&AD’s Archangel border patrol aircraft.

The UAE though still want a local modern training solution. So step up the Chinese version of the Diamond DART-450, now known as the Wuhu Zongke Aircraft TA-20.

The new trainer appeared at Dubai Air Show 2025 parked outside the Edge pavilion, and it soon became obvious that the ever-expanding UAE company has plans for the TA-20, with one representative telling Arabian Aerospace that Edge had signed a memorandum of understanding to develop the aircraft for the UAEAF&AD.

If so, this would represent the first fixed-wing aircraft design to come under the UAE company’s remit.

Should the UAEAF&AD opt to go for the TA-20 that was emblazoned with the name ‘Hamdan’ at the show, after the Crown Prince of Dubai, Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum, then it would replace the Grob 115s and Pilatus PC-7s, with the Pilatus PC-21 continuing to act as a lead-in fighter trainer.