STEWART PENNEY / LONDON
The UK Royal Air Force has converted an option for four Eurofighter deployable cockpit trainers (DCTs) into firm orders. The devices are due for delivery from the end of 2006 to late 2008.
The DCTs will have similar capabilities to the cockpit trainer/interactive pilot station (CT/IPS) fixed-based simulators and procedures trainers. The DCT and CT/IPS are part of the Eurofighter Aircrew Synthetic Training Aids (ASTA) programme, which will comprise the four devices for the RAF, nine CT/IPS and 18 dome-equipped full mission simulators, says Karl-Heinz Stenner, Eurofighter ASTA joint team leader.
The other Eurofighter partner nations - Germany, Italy and Spain - will acquire only full mission simulators and cockpit trainers, says Stenner.
The CT/IPS will be networked with the mission simulators to allow pilots to train in formations of aircraft, or with the cockpit trainer representing an adversary aircraft.
The ASTA contract is being managed by a team consisting of the Eurofighter partner companies - Alenia, BAE Systems, EADS Casa and EADS Germany - and ESS, a joint venture consisting of a German partnership of CAE Germany and STN, Spain's Indra and Italy's Meteor, and the UK's Thales Training and Simulation.
The first cockpit trainers are due for delivery in April 2004, with the full capability systems being handed over in February the following year, says Stenner. The last CT/IPS will be delivered in April 2010.
Stenner says simulator fidelity with the Eurofighter will be maintained by upgrading the devices with aircraft software with only a slight lag behind introduction of the fighter to allow modifications to meet training needs, such as the ability to freeze the flight in the air.
The first mission simulator should be delivered in October 2004. Until the ASTA devices are handed over, the four air forces will rely on engineering and other simulators at the Eurofighter partner companies.
Stenner says the devices will be located at main operating bases rather than offsite simulator centres. The RAF, for instance, will have its national ASTA data preparation facility, two mission simulators and two CT/IPS at RAF Coningsby, while RAF Leeming and RAF Leuchars will each have two mission simulators and two DCTs.
Source: Flight International
