With convoys in Iraq requiring air cover, the US Army has reintroduced helicopter door gunner training, last performed during the Vietnam War. A virtual door gunner trainer developed by Raydon is in use at Ft Hood, Texas in conjunction with virtual convoy trainers. The US Army is looking at buying additional devices from 2008 under the Virtual Helicopter Aircrew Training System programme.
L-3 Link Simulation & Training is demonstrating a helicopter gunner simulator that can be used alone or networked with the company’s aviation combined-arms tactics trainer (AVCATT) to provide collective training. The AVCATT is a transportable suite of reconfigurable devices that can simulate several army helicopter types.
“In Iraq, they train by throwing old tyres and cable reels out the door and shooting at them,” says Gary Wehrfritz, principal systems engineer. The containerised simulator includes a helmet-mounted virtual-reality display for the gunner and can replicate either a Sikorsky UH-60 pintle-mounted door gun or Boeing CH-47 side or ramp gun.
Binghampton Simulator, meanwhile, is developing a virtual trainer for the US Navy Sikorsky MH-60R/S programme that is derived from its moton-based advanced gunner scanner simulator.
Source: Flight International