10 juillet 2020 | Local, Aérospatial

Les Alpha-Jet de la Défense vendus à la société canadienne Top Aces

Les Alpha-Jet de la Défense vendus à la société canadienne Top Aces.

La Défense belge a revendu 25 de ses anciens avions d'entraînement Alpha-Jet à une société canadienne, Top Aces, spécialisée dans l'entraînement au combat aérien au profit de différentes forces aériennes. Depuis la fermeture de l'école franco-belge de pilotes de chasse de Cazaux en France le 11 octobre 2018, les Alpha-Jet ont été retirés du service. Ils sont encore restés un an en France à disposition de l'Armée de l'Air française le temps de solder les comptes de l'AJeTS. Depuis leur retour en Belgique, ils sont stockés sur la base de Beauchevain. La société canadienne Top Aces serait responsable du démontage et du transport des appareils selon l'agence Belga.

Le dossier de la vente des Alpha-Jet a été lancé en 2018. Neuf candidats avaient été retenus par la Défense en décembre 2019 et devaient soumettre une nouvelle offre. La société canadienne Top Aces possède déjà une vingtaine d'Alpha-Jet utilisée par la Luftwaffe, l'armée de l'air allemande, plus 7 A-4 Skyhawk et les 3 Learjet 35 (sans compter d'autres appareils civils en plus petites quantités). Des F-16 devraient bientôt les rejoindre pour compléter l'offre. Selon le blog français Lignes de Défense, cet achat n'est pas surprenant car Top Aces fait partie des sociétés choisies par l'USAF, l'armée de l'air américaine, pour le gros contrat d'externalisation des services ADAIR (adversary air). Top Aces se doit donc d'augmenter sa flotte d'Alpha-Jet. D'autres armées de l'air font appel à ses services pour l'entrainement de leurs pilotes (la Luftwaffe, la Royal Canadian Air Force et la Royal Australian Air Force). Ces programmes comprennent tant le combat air-air qu'air-sol (formation de JTAC), la défense anti-aérienne à partir de navire ou encore la réalisation de mission ISR. L'entreprise emploie une quarantaine de pilotes issu des armées de l'air américaine, canadienne, allemande et australienne (dont une grande partie est diplômée de l'école Top Gun).

L'Alpha-Jet est un appareil de conception franco-allemande qui a effectué son premier vol en 1973 et qui est entré en service dans différentes armées de l'air en 1979. Il a été un réel succès de l'aéronautique avec plus de 500 appareils construits et une carrière loin d'être terminée. Conçu en deux versions (entrainement et attaque au sol), 12 armées de l'air à travers le monde y ont ou y ont eu recours. La Belgique a commandé 33 appareils, assemblés par la SABCA, et livrés entre 1978 et 1980. Quatre d'entre eux ont été perdus durant leur carrière.

Durant presque quinze ans et jusqu'en 2018, 165 pilotes de chasse de la Composante Air ont été formés à Cazaux en France au sein de l'école franco-belge de pilotes de chasse sur l'Alpha-Jet. Avec la décision de ne pas remplacer les Alpha-Jet, la Défense s'est tournée vers l'Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training (ENJJPT), une école installée sur la base aérienne Sheppard, dans le nord du Texas, pour former ses pilotes de chasse. La formation est moins coûteuse pour la Défense belge. En 2017, le ministre de la Défense Steven Vandeput estimait à environ 1,3 millions de dollars la formation de 18 mois aux USA. « L'économie pour la Défense est difficile à chiffrer mais, étant donné qu'il n'y aura pas d'investissement dans un nouvel avion d'instruction (le life cycle cost étalé sur 20 ans pour une flotte d'environ 15 avions est estimé à +/- 750 millions d'euros) et qu'on pourra aussi épargner sur les coûts d'infrastructure et de personnel, on peut présumer que celle-ci sera importante », expliquait-il dans une réponse écrite à la député Karolien Grosemans (N-VA). Le personnel détaché est aussi moins important passant de 40 personnes (pilotes, personnel administratif et techniciens) à 10 personnes. En plus d'économies de coût et personnel, le ministre Steven Vandeput défendait ce choix par l'absence de solution alternative au niveau européen, l'Armée de l'Air française n'ayant à cette époque pas encore de solution pour son Fast Jet Training.

Actuellement, les élèves pilotes suivent un tronc commun de formation sur les Marchetti à Beauchevain avant de se séparer dans leur filière spécifique. Mais le ministère de la Défense envisage aussi de recourir à l'outsourcing au lieu de remplacer les Marchetti, qui arrivent en fin de vie. Les pilotes d'avions de transport ou d'hélicoptères sont toujours formés en France.

Article co-écrit avec Pierre Brassart

https://defencebelgium.com/2020/07/09/les-alpha-jet-de-la-defense-vendus-a-la-societe-canadienne-top-aces/

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