Aircraft
Upgraded Orlik Trainer Unveiled
Airbus Defence and Space unveiled the Orlik MPT, an upgrade of the PZL-130 Orlik (eaglet) trainer that first flew 30 years ago.
Poland’s Orlik trainer has been around since the mid-1980s, but the latest MPT version, seen here during its unveiling this week, is tailored for training pilots for fourth- and fifth-generation fighters. (Photo: Airbus Defence and Space)
Poland’s Orlik trainer has been around since the mid-1980s, but the latest MPT version, seen here during its unveiling this week, is tailored for training pilots for fourth- and fifth-generation fighters. (Photo: Airbus Defence and Space)

This week Airbus Defence and Space unveiled the Orlik MPT, an upgrade of the PZL-130 Orlik (eaglet) trainer that made its first flight in 1984 and has been the Polish air force’s basic trainer since entering service in 1993. The new version introduces a host of improvements intended to equip it to serve as the initial step in a new-look Polish training syllabus, and the unveiling follows Poland’s decision to procure the Alenia Aermacchi M-346 to serve as the advanced/lead-in trainer before students progress to Poland’s front-line F-16 fighters.

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