US T 54 170751 KNEW 09Aug24 Carey Mavor file info 1150 640Name selected for Beechcraft T-54A

The US Navy has selected the name Marlin II for the new Beechcraft T-54A multi-engine aircraft.

The T-54A has been developed to replace the Beechcraft T-44C Pegasus as the new multi-engine training system (METS) aircraft.

On 25 January 2023, the US Navy announced that they awarded Textron Aviation a single, firm-fixed-price contract valued at USD 677 million to develop the T-54A METS aircraft. The total contract value, including the base and contract options, is for the procurement of up to 64 aircraft. This contract also covers support equipment, spares and initial training.

Until this moment, around ten T-54A Marlin II training aircraft have been delivered to TAW-4 at NAS Corpus Christi (TX).

The name Marlin was earlier used for the Martin P5M twin piston-engined flying boat. The P5M Marlin (P-5M after 1962) entered service in 1951, and served into the late 1960s with the US Navy performing naval patrols. It also served with the US Coast Guard and the French Navy.

Credit photo: Carey Mavor (Scramble Archive)

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