CAE Delivers First MH-60R SeaHawk And MH-60R Avionics Maintenance Trainers To Australia

CAE today announced that the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) has accepted first of two MH-60R Seahawk Tactical Operational Flight Trainers (TOFT) along with an MH-60R Avionics Maintenance/Weapons Load Trainer (AM/WLT).

CAE also announced the MH-60R TOFT was formally certified to Level D by the Australian Defence Force Airworthiness Authority based on an evaluation conducted by an independent simulator evaluation authority. This marks the first time an MH-60R helicopter simulator has been formally certified to Level D, which is the highest qualification for flight simulators.

"The MH-60R Seahawk will play a critical role as the Royal Australian Navy's new naval combat helicopter, and our MH-60R training systems will be used extensively to help prepare our aircrews to safely and effectively accomplish a range of missions," said Commodore Colin Lawrence, Director General of Navy Aviation Systems in the Australian Defence Materiel Organisation.

The Commonwealth of Australia is acquiring a fleet of 24 MH-60R Seahawk helicopters via the US Government. This was the first-ever procurement of the US Navy's most advanced anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare helicopter outside the United States. In late 2012 and early 2013, CAE was awarded FMS contracts from the U.S. Navy to design and manufacture two MH-60R TOFTs and an MH-60R AM/WLT for the Royal Australian Navy.

Ray Duquette, President and General Manager, CAE USA said, "The Royal Australian Navy will be operating some of the most advanced helicopter flight simulators anywhere in the world, and CAE is proud to have delivered them on-time and is committed to providing long-term service and support."

The MH-60R TOFTs include both a full-motion operational flight trainer (OFT) that is used to train pilots as well as the weapons tactics trainer (WTT) used for training airborne tactics officers together with rear-crew sensor operators in the MH-60R Seahawk helicopter. The MH-60R simulators for the Royal Australian Navy include the CAE True electric motion system, motion seats, 220-degree by 60-degree Barco visual display, and the latest-generation CAE Medallion-6000 image generator. The MH-60R OFT and WTT can be operated as standalone training devices, or networked to become an MH-60R tactical operational flight trainer that provides a total aircrew mission training system.