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17 Aug 22. U.S. Navy Expands CH-53K® Training with Additional Simulators. Full-mission flight simulators provide safe, cost-effective pilot training in virtual environment. The United States Marines will gain additional training opportunities preparing them to operate the Sikorsky CH-53K heavy lift helicopter. The aircraft is the most modern and powerful helicopter in Department of Defense inventory capable of moving troops and equipment from ship to shore, and to higher altitude terrain, more quickly and effectively than ever before.
Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) will provide an additional Containerized Flight Training Device (CFTD) to the U.S. Navy with options for three more under the terms of a recent contract award. This follows up on the success of the first training device delivered in 2020 to Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) New River in Jacksonville, North Carolina.
“Marine pilots have smoothly transitioned from the training device to the actual CH-53K’s fly-by-wire cockpit and completed missions in the fleet environment – such as air-to-air refueling” said Flash Kinloch, Lockheed Martin, vice president of Training and Simulation Solutions. “Training in this highly immersive virtual environment permits flight crews to train the full scope of tasks that can be performed on the aircraft in a safe, cost effective and realistic manner.”
Flight crews will train on the full scope of Marine Corps heavy lift missions, including external lift operations, using the full-mission flight simulator that also replicates the various environmental conditions in which the aircraft is likely to fly. Through this new effort, Lockheed Martin is helping the Marine Corps expand proven and critical CH-53K Flight Training with training capability to more Marines.
The training devices include a full cockpit for the aircraft operated by a pilot and co-pilot, an instructor operating station as well as a brief/debrief room. The newest training devices will include upgrades that improve system performance, increase cost savings, and more closely align to the CH-53K aircraft for increased training realism.
CH-53K Flight Crews Complete Milestones
The Marine Corps achieved Initial Operational Capability (IOC) for the CH-53K in April following a successful test period that resulted in over 3,000 mishap free hours flown in challenging environments and terrain.
The CH-53K CFTD provided the capability to train mission scenarios which were then completed during Initial Operational Test & Evaluation (IOT&E). They include:
- Day and night air-to-air refueling
- Air-to-air refueling with 27,000 lb. external load
- Sea trials with over 350 landings
- Operation in Degraded Visual Environments
16 Aug 22. Top Aces Announces Military Flight Release for F-16 Advanced Aggressor Fighter.
- Certification an essential prerequisite for flight training with United States Air Force
Top Aces Corp., a leading provider of advanced adversary training and the only company in the world to own and operate the F-16 commercially, today announced receipt of Military Flight Release (MFR) from the United States Air Force (USAF) for its F-16 Advanced Aggressor Fighter (AAF) aircraft.
MFR allows Top Aces’ F-16 AAFs, the most sophisticated adversary air platform on the market today, to immediately begin supporting USAF flight training programs.
Equipped with Top Aces’ proprietary Advanced Aggressor Mission System (AAMS), the F-16 AAF replicates near-peer adversary fighter aircraft. Since AAMS is founded on open system architecture, it facilitates the rapid integration of sensors and functions to match evolving adversary threats.
Today, the F-16 AAF is fielded with:
- Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) air-to-air radar
- Scorpion Helmet-Mounted Cueing System (HMCS)
- Tactical datalink communications
- Infrared search and track (IRST) systems
- Advanced electronic attack pod employment
- Passive radio frequency (RF) detection capabilities
- High fidelity weapon simulation – accurately replicates adversary weapons and tactics
- An array of tactical functions coordinating the above systems which offer a wide spectrum of realistic adversary effects.
“To provide effective training to pilots flying fifth-generation fighters – such as the F-22 or F-35 – we must match the capabilities of near-peer adversary fighter aircraft,” says Russ Quinn, President, Top Aces Corp., a 26-year USAF veteran and former Aggressor pilot. “By combining the power and avionics of the F-16 with AAMS, we can replicate contemporary adversary threats with accuracy and cost-efficiency. And now with MFR, Top Aces is cleared to deliver the most advanced training solution available to the USAF.” (Source: ASD Network)
16 Aug 22. US Navy begins force protection exercise Citadel Pacific 2022.
CP22 will enhance security forces’ readiness and allows them to practise force protection in simulated scenarios. Security forces from the US Navy’s installations have commenced the annual force protection exercise Citadel Pacific 2022 (CP22).
The five-day exercise is being conducted by Commander, Navy Installations Command (CNIC) and Commander, US Pacific Fleet from 15 to 19 August.
The annual event aims to evaluate the emergency response of participating forces in the Navy Regions Japan and Korea and Joint Region Marianas.
It will also improve the readiness of the US Navy’s security personnel and prepares the navy’s installations for potential force protection situations.
In addition, CP22 provides a learning environment for the participating security personnel to exercise functional plans and operational capabilities.
CNIC Operations director Mark Sinder said: “Citadel Pacific simulates threat scenarios such as active shooters, gate runners and improvised explosive devices so that our personnel are prepared to respond for such events, should they occur onboard our installations.
“This training approach ensures US Navy security forces maintain a high level of readiness in a dynamic security environment.”
The CP22 is a regularly scheduled exercise and will not address any specific threat.The CNIC is responsible for managing around 48,000 employees at 70 Navy shore installations established in ten different regions worldwide.
It conducts force protection exercises, including CP22, at all 70 installations.
The exercise will involve simulated gunfire, explosions and large voice public address systems at Naval Base Guam installations, due to which local residents will hear related announcements regarding force protection throughout the exercise. (Source: naval-technology.com)
16 Aug 22. Australia plans to drop PC-21 from attack controller training. Australia is “developing options” to better meet Joint Terminal Attack Controller (JTAC) training. The country’s JTAC training programme is being sustained by 49 Pilatus PC-21 training aircraft serving with the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). However, Australia’s Department of Defence (DoD) told Janes that the PC-21 is only able to “satisfy up to 80% of JTAC training system live-fly requirements”.
“It does not have the ability to provide the live weapons passes needed to complete initial, currency, and proficiency training,” the DoD added.
The need for another option appears to have been highlighted amid the RAAF’s deployment of a detachment of PC-21s from No 4 Squadron to New Zealand. The aircraft are participating in a combined training exercise with the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) from 8 to 19 August.
(Source: Janes)
16 Aug 22. Iran hosting UAV competition for Russia’s Army Games. An Iranian base that is allegedly used to train foreign terrorists to operate unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) is hosting part of the International Army Games 2022, raising questions about earlier reports that Russians are training to operate UAVs in Iran.
The Fars News Agency cited a senior officer in the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Aerospace Force as saying on 15 August that the Falcon Hunting UAV competition would be held in Kashan, near Isfahan, as part of the games. It will involve teams from Armenia, Belarus, Iran, and Russia. Visiting teams in the International Army Games often use equipment supplied by the host, which was initially the Russian military in 2015, but the event has since expanded, with 12 countries hosting competitions this year.
The IRGC has a base at Kashan Airport that has been used for its larger UAVs since at least 2016, when it was identified as the location of the test site for a copy of the US RQ-170 stealth UAV that crashed in Iran in December 2011. (Source: Janes)
11 Aug 22. RCAF implements operational pause on CT114 Tutor aircraft fleet. The fleet will undergo a detailed risk analysis, ensuring safe resumption of future operations. The Royal Canadian Air Force’s (RCAF) Operational Airworthiness Authority (OAA) has temporarily halted the flight operations for the CT114 Tutor aircraft fleet.
The operational pause was ordered by OAA and 1 Canadian Air Division (Cdn Air Div) Commander major general Iain Huddleston, after consulting with the Directorate of Flight Safety investigators.
Huddleston also consulted with the experts from the Technical Airworthiness Authority, under the Canadian Department of National Defence’s (DND) Assistant Deputy Minister (Materiel).
This comes after the aircraft experienced an emergency during take-off in Fort St John, British Columbia, Canada on 2 August.
According to DND, the pilot managed to immediately land the aircraft and suffered no injury, but the plane was damaged in the process.
Huddleston said: “RCAF aircraft cannot be flown unless they are determined to be airworthy and safe to fly.
“Given that cause of this accident remains to be determined by the Airworthiness Investigative Authority, I have ordered an operational pause on the CT-114 fleet as we continue the investigation and commence a thorough operational airworthiness risk assessment process.
“We will return the fleet to flying operations when it is safe to do so, and in accordance with our rigorous airworthiness programme.” (Source: airforce-technology.com)
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About InVeris Training Solutions
InVeris Training Solutions combines an agile approach with an unmatched expertise in training technology to design and deliver customized, cutting-edge, first-rate training solutions that keep military, law enforcement and commercial range customers safe, prepared and ready to serve – Because Seconds Matter™. With a portfolio of technology-enabled training solutions, and a team of 400 employees driven to innovate, InVeris Training Solutions is the global leader in integrated live-fire and virtual weapons training solutions. With its legacy companies, FATS® and Caswell, InVeris Training Solutions has fielded over 15,500 live-fire ranges and 7,500 virtual systems globally during its 95-year history. The Company is headquartered in Suwanee, Georgia and partners with clients in the US and around the world from facilities on five continents.
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