If Farnborough management demanded an absence note for a no-show, Raytheon Aircraft would have the perfect excuse for the non-arrival of its Beechcraft Mk. II JPATS trainer, dubbed the T-6A Texan II by the U.S. forces. It is busy being evaluated in the U.S. by Greek Air Force pilots.

While Farnborough crowds might be disappointed at not catching their first glimpse of the JPATS winner, Raytheon considers it more important to chase another export order for the two-seat turboprop trainer. To date 24 Texan IIs have been ordered by Bombardier Services for its NATO training program in Canada, and Chile is understood to have signed a letter of intent for an initial batch of 16 to 25 aircraft. The U.S. Air Force and Navy together have expressed a requirement for up to 711 of the aircraft.