On Monday, April 6, 2026, the new primary trainer aircraft of the Chilean Air Force (Fuerza Aérea de Chile, FACh) made its debut at FIDAE 2026, the largest defense exhibition in South America, held in Santiago. The T-40 Newen was developed by the domestic company ENAER (Empresa Nacional de Aeronáutica) together with its subsidiary DTS, under the program to replace the T-35 Pillán training aircraft.
“Newen” means “strength” or “energy” in the indigenous Mapudungun language / Photos: Chilean Ministry of Defence, ENAER
The ceremony, presided over by President of the Republic of Chile José Antonio Kast, was attended by Defence Minister Fernando Barros, the commanders-in-chief of the Chilean Armed Forces (Fuerzas Armadas de Chile), including FACh Commander General Hugo Rodríguez González, representatives of the public order and security forces, ENAER Chief Executive Officer Henry Cleveland Cartes, government officials, and invited guests.
Defence Minister Fernando Barros emphasized that the T-40 Newen is proof that Chile is capable of designing, producing, and building its own capabilities:
“The T-40 NEWEN is proof that Chile can design, manufacture, and develop capabilities of its own. It is proof that our institutions, when they work with vision and purpose, can deliver tangible results for both the present and the future.” Reaffirming this, he added that “it is also proof of the contribution made by our Armed Forces in the service of the nation, where in peacetime they contribute to national development through organization, technology, discipline, knowledge, territorial presence, and high-level human capability.”
In structural terms, it is a modern aircraft equipped with a glass cockpit featuring an integrated flight management system, a Head-Up Display (HUD), and Hands on Throttle and Stick (HOTAS) controls. Its airframe is made of carbon-fiber composite materials, accounting for 30% of its weight, with an optimized aerodynamic design, filling the gap between basic flight training and more complex combat aircraft. The crew has Martin-Baker Mk17 ejection seats at its disposal.
According to the manufacturer, the aircraft is 8.46 m long, has a wingspan of 10.01 m, and stands 2.71 m high. A six-cylinder Lycoming AEIO-580-B1A piston engine rated at 315 hp (234.9 kW) drives a four-blade MP MTV-14-BC/C190-130 propeller with a diameter of 1.91 m, allowing the aircraft to reach a maximum speed of 317 km/h. Its range is 758 km, the rate of climb is 7.98 m/s, and the service ceiling is 6,510 m. Thanks to underwing auxiliary fuel tanks, endurance will increase from 2 hours 30 minutes to 5 hours 20 minutes.
In addition to the aircraft itself, flight simulators, mission planning and evaluation tools, real-time tracking systems, and a ground training system have also been developed.
Interestingly, the manufacturer has also developed a concept for integrating a more powerful Rolls-Royce 250-B17F turboprop engine rated at 420 hp (309 kW). This would, however, increase the maximum takeoff weight by 20 kg, from 1,386 kg in the aerobatic configuration to 1,406 kg. The certified load factor limits range from +6G to -3G for aerobatic flights and from +3.8G to -1.5G for non-aerobatic flights.
According to the manufacturer, the aircraft features a new wing design, removable winglets, a new engine, and an improved power-to-weight ratio, while preserving its recognized reliability and low operating costs.
The T-40 Newen program marks the return of aircraft production to Chile after nearly two decades, generating highly specialized jobs and strengthening the domestic industrial supply chain. What is more, production of the first 33 aircraft is expected to create 300 highly specialized direct jobs, which in turn will be linked to a network of domestic SMEs.
The aircraft is intended to replace 30 T-35A/B/BE aircraft delivered by ENAER since 1986. Initially, deliveries of the new-generation aircraft were planned for 2027–2028, but the current schedule foresees prototype flight testing only in 2027, with serial deliveries beginning in 2030. Interestingly, the T-40 Newen was initially designated the T-35 Pillán II.
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