The Chief of Air Staff of the Bangladesh Armed Forces disclosed during a farewell dinner banquet he signed a deal with the German aircraft manufacturer Grob for acquiring 24 Grob G120TP basic training aircraft. Grob Aircraft will supply 24 aircraft and construct two workshops including a composite material repair workshop and propeller repair workshop. The agreement with the Bangladesh Air Force includes along with transfer of technology of computer based training (CBT) simulators.
The Grob G 120TP is a two-seat, single-engine military trainer aircraft with a carbon composite airframe manufactured by Grob Aircraft. It is based on the Grob G 115TA training aircraft and is specially designed for military and civil pilots training. It has a tricycle landing gear and a low tailplane. The airframe is made of carbon fibre reinforced plastic and is stressed to +6/-4g. Its minimum service life is just over 15,000 flight hours.
The G 120TP is certified to latest airworthiness standards and features enhanced aerodynamic performance, future oriented flexible avionics, including both civil and military communication and navigation systems, providing excellent situational awareness and safety features. The cockpit provides room for students wearing military equipment and helmets. The plane is equipped with movable seats and rudder pedals and an air conditioning system. A second thrust lever is available.
G 120TPis a Turboprop powered version with a Rolls Royce 250-B17F aircraft engine producing 456 shp (340 kW) for take-off. The Allison Model 250, now known as the Rolls-Royce M250, (US military designations T63 and T703) is a highly successful turboshaft engine family, originally developed by the Allison Engine Company in the early 1960s. It will be the first time Bangladesh Air Force will also be capable of maintaining British-made Rolls Royce turboprop engines.
