Britain extends helicopter pilot training contract

Oct. 25 (UPI) -- Britain's Ministry of Defense is investing in its helicopter simulation training center for military helicopter pilots at a Royal Air Force base in the country.

The purpose-built center, at RAF Benson, trains future pilots of Chinook, Puma and Merlin aircraft. The contract for the center amends a current CAE training award, adding eight more years of service to it.

The ministry said the new contract for the center represents an investment of more than $118.5 million.

CAE simulators at the RAF base in South Oxfordshire, together with four computer-based classrooms and a tactical control room, provide operational mission training to the pilots and crew of the aircraft.

"The importance of effective synthetic training cannot be underestimated and continues to play an increasingly important role in our overall training curriculum," Adrian Baguley, director for Air Support at the MoD's Defence Equipment and Support organization, said in a press release. "The Medium Support Helicopter Aircrew Training Facility has consistently delivered a high standard of quality training to the operators of our front line helicopter capabilities.

"This agreement continues to maintain the world-leading ground school and simulator training facility for our helicopter aircrews."

The simulators put pilots through their paces in replicated real-life scenarios, including flying in blizzards, while under enemy fire, dealing with power failures and electronic warfare.