Wed, Jul 16, 2003
It's not really a 'flight
simulator' -- or is it? What do you call it, when the crew of a UAV
gets flight training? CAE doesn't care what you call it; the
company has won a five-year contract valued at C$14 million
(US$10.3 million) from the United States Air Force (USAF) to
continue training its Predator Remotely Operated Aircraft (ROA)
crews.
Under the terms of the new contract starting October 1, CAE will
continue to provide aircrew training and courseware development at
Indian Springs Air Force Auxiliary Field near Las Vegas (NV). The
training program is designed for both ROA pilots and sensor
operators and includes training curricula for entry-level students,
re-qualification, and instructors.
"The use of unmanned and remotely operated vehicles is beginning
to play a much more prominent role in U.S. military actions, and
this fact is reflected in the increased scope of training for
Predator crews," said John Lenyo, president and general manager,
CAE USA. "This win signals that the Air Force values the training
we provide to support readiness and combat capability for this
community."
The Predator ROA was used
extensively during recent operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, and a
Hellfire missile-equipped Predator was responsible for a
'hunter-killer' trackdown and obliteration of a carload of
suspected al Qaeda bigshots, in Yemen.
CAE will provide courseware products such as interactive
computer-based training, classroom instruction, simulator training
on a multi-task trainer, and actual flight instruction on the
Predator ROA. Approximately 120 pilots and sensor operators will
graduate each year from the ROA schoolhouse.
The Predator ROA is a medium-altitude reconnaissance aircraft
that can fly up to 500 miles and orbit for 24 hours. Imagery
collected by its sensors can be relayed in near real-time to the
battlefield or headquarters via satellite. In addition, the
Predator can provide laser designation for laser-guided weapons
carried on-board, or for other aircraft operating in the combat
theater.
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