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| Helicopter Flight Training Services inaugurates World’s first NH90 Full-Mission Simulator |
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Robert Hollensteiner, Managing Director of HFTS, stated, “We are
proud to have delivered our first NH90 simulator on time and we welcome
our launch customer, the German Army Air Corps, to make full use of our
facility and service. Indeed, this is a milestone in the NH90
helicopter programme, the largest ever launched in Europe. NH90
customers from many nations are attending our inauguration ceremony
today, and I am pleased to announce that Finland and Sweden have
decided to also train their NH90 pilots at the HFTS simulator
facilities. We are fully committed to supporting the German Army Air
Corps in turning their Bückeburg base and Aviation School into an
international training centre for the NH90.”
HFTS was founded in
December 2004 on the basis of a German government contract worth a
total of €488 million in order to develop, build and operate four NH90
full-mission simulators and three training centres located in
Bückeburg, Fassberg and Holzdorf. The start of operations in late 2008
will now be followed by a 14.5-year operational phase that extends
through 2022. During the operational phase, HFTS will deliver turnkey
training services, payable at an hourly rate, to NH90 customers.
Through
this PFI programme, the German Armed Forces save operating and finance
costs by eliminating the need for capital procurement and ongoing
maintenance of an expensive infrastructure. The military customers pay
for a turnkey training service that results in fully-qualified,
mission-ready aircrews, since the responsibility for delivering the
service and all the necessary equipment supporting the service lies
with HFTS.
Simulator-based training has been proven efficient by
the German Armed Forces for basic and recurrent training. Germany will
be able to reduce the number of flight hours on the actual NH90
helicopter, thus providing significant savings while reducing wear and
tear as well as better protecting the environment. The HFTS training
programme for simulator-based pilot training will ensure the German
Armed Forces of the quickest and most cost-effective availability of
training for the NH90 helicopter.
The decision by the German
government to proceed with privately-financed training for the NH90 is
consistent with the trend for governments to consider this approach for
military training requirements. The services provided by HFTS also fit
perfectly to the requirements of other NH90 customers, as demonstrated
by Finland’s and Sweden’s decision to utilize the facility in Bückeburg.
The
NH90 full-mission simulator is comparable to Level C according to JAR
FSTD 1H standards. It includes a full-motion system with six degrees of
freedom, an instructor station, simulation of all systems and optional
equipment solutions, avionics system and full replica of the NH90
cockpit, sound system, OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) simulation
data package and a visual system field of view of 200° horizontal and
60° vertical daylight/dusk/night. The visual database features detailed
environmental visuals as well as realistic 3D moving models and full
correlation between databases.
The full-mission simulator
guarantees the most representative synthetic environment of the NH90
and the latest aircraft configuration, with through-life upgrades,
based on a Eurocopter data package and flight loop software using
genuine aircraft manufacturer software. Flight profiles will be
adjustable to any customer’s mission profile and environment.
About the Industry Consortium
HFTS
GmbH is headquartered in Hallbergmoos, Germany, and currently employs a
total of 27 staff at its head office and its Bückeburg and Holzdorf
facilities.
CAE is a world leader in providing simulation and
modelling technologies and integrated training solutions for the civil
aviation industry and defence forces around the globe. With annual
revenues exceeding C.4 billion, CAE employs approximately 7,000 people
at more than 75 sites and training locations in 20 countries. The
Company has the largest installed base of civil and military
full-flight simulators and training devices and through its global
network of 27 civil aviation and military training centres, trains more
than 75,000 crewmembers yearly.
Established in 1992, the
Franco-German-Spanish Eurocopter Group is a Division of EADS, a world
leader in aerospace, defence and related services. The Eurocopter Group
employs approx. 14,000 people. In 2007, Eurocopter confirmed its
position as the world’s No. 1 helicopter manufacturer in the civil and
parapublic market, with a turnover exceeding 4 billion Euros, orders
for 802 new helicopters, and a 53 percent market share in the civil and
parapublic sectors. Overall, the Group’s products account for 30
percent of the total world helicopter fleet. Its strong worldwide
presence is ensured by its 17 subsidiaries on five continents, along
with a dense network of distributors, certified agents and maintenance
centres. More than 10,000 Eurocopter helicopters are currently in
service with over 2,800 customers in 140 countries. Eurocopter offers
the largest civil and military helicopter range in the world.
The
defence arm of Germany's Rheinmetall Group stands out prominently among
the world's top suppliers of defence technology and security equipment.
With its Simulation and Training division, Rheinmetall is one of the
world’s leading suppliers in this field. Simulation technology from
Rheinmetall makes it possible to replicate practically any technical
sequence, procedure or machine with extreme realism. A key mission of
the Simulation and Training division is to develop and fabricate
sophisticated simulators for training law enforcement and military
personnel. The division’s portfolio ranges from PC-supported training
software to part-task trainers and full-scale simulators for naval,
army and air force applications.
Thales is a leading
international electronics and systems group, addressing Defence,
Aerospace and Security markets worldwide. The group is global leader in
simulation, modelling and training for civil and military markets.
Thales' leading-edge technology is supported by 22 000 R&D
engineers who offer a capability unmatched in Europe to develop and
deploy field-proven mission-critical information systems. To this end,
the group's civil and military businesses develop in parallel and share
a common base of technologies to serve a single objective: the security
of people, property and nations. The group builds its growth on its
unique multi-domestic strategy based on trusted partnerships with
national customers and market players, while leveraging its global
expertise to support local technology and industrial development.
Thales employs 68,000 people in 50 countries with revenues in 2007 of €
12.3 billions.
For further information, please contact:
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| Robert Hollensteiner |
| Friday, 16 January 2009 |
| http://www.eurocopter.com/publications/FO/scripts/newsFO_complet.php?lang=EN&news_id=583 |
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| LAW ENFORCEMENT SEMINAR |
| Eurocopter Southern Africa proudly supported by Carl Zeiss, Denel Aviation and Turbomeca Africa will be hosting a Law Enforcement Seminar in Cape Town |
| more... |
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| AFRICAN AEROSPACE & DEFENCE 2010 |
| African Aerospace & Defence will be hosted at AFB Ysterplaat, Cape Town from the 21st – 25th September 2010.
You can visit us in Hall 5. |
| more... |
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