CAE today announced it has completed a major upgrade to one of the Chinook dynamic mission simulators located at CAE's Medium Support Helicopter Aircrew Training Facility (MSHATF) and the Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF) is now training its Chinook aircrews to both the CH-47D and CH-47F standards.
The upgrade was done over the past two years to support RNLAF Chinook training, which is contracted to run through 2018 at CAE's MSHATF. The RNLAF have recently fielded six new-build CH-47F Chinook helicopters to reinforce its existing fleet of 11 CH-47D Chinooks.
"Training our pilots to become acquainted with the new CH-47F is essential for enhanced flight safety and mission effectiveness," said Major Franklin Groenewold, Program Manager - Expansion Chinook Fleet, Netherlands Ministry of Defence. "CAE's MSHATF offers the ideal synthetic training environment for initial conversion training as well as advanced mission training. With the comprehensive ground school and simulator training we get at the MSHATF, our crews are well-prepared and operationally ready for current and future missions."
The simulator upgrade included ensuring concurrency with the RNLAF's current Avionics Control and Management System (ACMS) Block 5 CH-47D and new Block 6 CH-47F Chinook helicopters. The Chinook simulator was also upgraded to support other specific features of the CH-47F model, including missile warning sensors, radar warning receivers, chaff/flare dispense system, and digital automatic flight control system.
"This is an important upgrade for the Royal Netherlands Air Force Chinook force and we are pleased that our long term partnership with the Netherlands Ministry of Defence as well as the UK Ministry of Defence allows us to continue adapting the training services we offer at the MSHATF," said Andrew Naismith, Managing Director, CAE Aircrew Training Services plc. "Our aim is always to ensure the aircrews who train at the MSHATF experience training consistent with the aircraft they fly and relevant to current operations."
CAE is a global leader in modelling, simulation and training for civil aviation and defence. The company employs approximately 8,000 people at more than 100 sites and training locations in approximately 30 countries. CAE offers civil aviation, military and helicopter training services in more than 45 locations worldwide and trains approximately 100,000 crew members yearly. In addition, the CAE Oxford Aviation Academy offers training to aspiring pilot cadets in 11 CAE-operated flight schools. CAE's business is diversified, ranging from the sale of simulation products to providing comprehensive services such as training and aviation services, integrated enterprise solutions, in-service support and crew sourcing. The company applies simulation expertise and operational experience to help customers enhance safety, improve efficiency, maintain readiness and solve challenging problems. CAE is now leveraging its simulation capabilities in new markets such as healthcare and mining. More information can be found at www.cae.com.
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