CAE Provides C-130J Simulation Training To Australian And British Air Force During Nepal Earthquake Operations

CAE announced today that the Australian (RAAF) and UK Air Force (RAF) have been using their simulation-based training to prepare C-130J aircrews to fly into airfields around Nepal.

Both the RAAF and RAF quickly mobilized their air mobility forces to bring supplies to the region in support of humanitarian relief efforts following the devastating earthquake on April 25.

After the earthquake, Australian Air Force responsible for providing training to RAAF C-130J Hercules crews asked CAE to quickly prepare virtual databases of airfields around Nepal, including Kathmandu and Pokhara.

In a couple of days, CAE Australia staff was able to develop and deliver the required databases so that RAAF C-130J aircrews and begin flying pre-deployment missions in the C-130J full-flight mission simulator (FFMS).

"Our C-130J crews are often called upon to respond to short-notice and highly-complex tasks, such as Operation Nepal Assist," said Wing Commander Nick Hogan, 285 Squadron, Royal Australian Air Force.

"The ability to practice and rehearse our flying missions in simulation before actually deploying, particularly to areas which are unfamiliar to us, is invaluable and extremely beneficial." Hogan added.

CAE UK staff asked the RAF if they wanted CAE to install a database of the Kathmandu area in the RAF's two C-130J dynamic mission simulators. The staff liaised with CAE Australia staff to secure the virtual database of the Kathmandu airfield that had already been developed for the RAAF and will be installing it in the RAF's C-130J simulators.

Both the RAAF and RAF train on CAE-built C-130J simulators that feature databases built to the Common Database (CDB) standard, which is an open database architecture that is rapidly updateable and enables joint distributed mission training.

The implementation of the CDB architecture on simulators and training devices enhances interoperable training and mission rehearsal capabilities, while reducing development time, configuration control and associated database development costs.