A joint venture between Boeing and GKN Westland has been selected for a 30-year, £650 million ($1 billion) contract to provide ground-based training for the British Army's WAH-64D Apache attack helicopters.
Aircrew and groundcrew training centres, equipped with simulators, will be established at Army Air Corps bases at Middle Wallop, Wattisham and Dishforth, and the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers base at Arborfield. The contract, which is still being negotiated, will place full responsibility on the joint venture to provide training in time for the WAH-64D's entry into service in 2000.
The contract will be awarded under the UK Ministry of Defence Public/Private Partnership programme, formerly known as the Private Finance Initiative, requiring the companies to fund construction and operation of the centres in return for a service fee.
Similar programmes include the Defence Helicopter Flying School, won by the Flight Refuelling-led FBS consortium; the Medium Support Helicopter Training Facility, won by CAE-led CVS; and the Hawk training school, won by Reflectone UK.
Boeing already operates the US Army's AH-64D training centre, which is adjacent to the manufacturer's helicopter plant in Mesa, Arizona. The former McDonnell Douglas Training Systems built and operates the training devices and provides instructors for maintenance training. Flight instructors are provided by the Army.
Source: Flight International
