Helicopter Flight Training Services inaugurates World’s first NH90 Full-Mission Simulator

Bückeburg, January 15, 2009

Helicopter Flight Training Services (HFTS), a consortium owned equally by CAE, Eurocopter, Thales and Rheinmetall Defence Electronics, today officially inaugurated the world’s first NH90 full-mission simulator in its newly built facility in Bückeburg, Northern Germany, adjacent to the German Army Aviation School. HFTS will design, build and operate a total of three NH90 simulator training centres for what is presently the German Armed Forces’ largest private-finance initiative (PFI) programme for military aircrew training.

Robert Hollensteiner, Managing Director of HFTS, stated, “We are proud to have delivered our first NH90 simulator on time and we welcome our launch customer, the German Army Air Corps, to make full use of our facility and service. Indeed, this is a milestone in the NH90 helicopter programme, the largest ever launched in Europe. NH90 customers from many nations are attending our inauguration ceremony today, and I am pleased to announce that Finland and Sweden have decided to also train their NH90 pilots at the HFTS simulator facilities. We are fully committed to supporting the German Army Air Corps in turning their Bückeburg base and Aviation School into an international training centre for the NH90.”

HFTS was founded in December 2004 on the basis of a German government contract worth a total of €488 million in order to develop, build and operate four NH90 full-mission simulators and three training centres located in Bückeburg, Fassberg and Holzdorf. The start of operations in late 2008 will now be followed by a 14.5-year operational phase that extends through 2022. During the operational phase, HFTS will deliver turnkey training services, payable at an hourly rate, to NH90 customers.

Through this PFI programme, the German Armed Forces save operating and finance costs by eliminating the need for capital procurement and ongoing maintenance of an expensive infrastructure. The military customers pay for a turnkey training service that results in fully-qualified, mission-ready aircrews, since the responsibility for delivering the service and all the necessary equipment supporting the service lies with HFTS.

Simulator-based training has been proven efficient by the German Armed Forces for basic and recurrent training. Germany will be able to reduce the number of flight hours on the actual NH90 helicopter, thus providing significant savings while reducing wear and tear as well as better protecting the environment. The HFTS training programme for simulator-based pilot training will ensure the German Armed Forces of the quickest and most cost-effective availability of training for the NH90 helicopter.

The decision by the German government to proceed with privately-financed training for the NH90 is consistent with the trend for governments to consider this approach for military training requirements. The services provided by HFTS also fit perfectly to the requirements of other NH90 customers, as demonstrated by Finland’s and Sweden’s decision to utilize the facility in Bückeburg.

The NH90 full-mission simulator is comparable to Level C according to JAR FSTD 1H standards. It includes a full-motion system with six degrees of freedom, an instructor station, simulation of all systems and optional equipment solutions, avionics system and full replica of the NH90 cockpit, sound system, OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) simulation data package and a visual system field of view of 200° horizontal and 60° vertical daylight/dusk/night. The visual database features detailed environmental visuals as well as realistic 3D moving models and full correlation between databases.

The full-mission simulator guarantees the most representative synthetic environment of the NH90 and the latest aircraft configuration, with through-life upgrades, based on a Eurocopter data package and flight loop software using genuine aircraft manufacturer software. Flight profiles will be adjustable to any customer’s mission profile and environment.

About the Industry Consortium
HFTS GmbH is headquartered in Hallbergmoos, Germany, and currently employs a total of 27 staff at its head office and its Bückeburg and Holzdorf facilities.

CAE is a world leader in providing simulation and modelling technologies and integrated training solutions for the civil aviation industry and defence forces around the globe. With annual revenues exceeding C.4 billion, CAE employs approximately 7,000 people at more than 75 sites and training locations in 20 countries. The Company has the largest installed base of civil and military full-flight simulators and training devices and through its global network of 27 civil aviation and military training centres, trains more than 75,000 crewmembers yearly.

Established in 1992, the Franco-German-Spanish Eurocopter Group is a Division of EADS, a world leader in aerospace, defence and related services. The Eurocopter Group employs approx. 14,000 people. In 2007, Eurocopter confirmed its position as the world’s No. 1 helicopter manufacturer in the civil and parapublic market, with a turnover exceeding 4 billion Euros, orders for 802 new helicopters, and a 53 percent market share in the civil and parapublic sectors. Overall, the Group’s products account for 30 percent of the total world helicopter fleet. Its strong worldwide presence is ensured by its 17 subsidiaries on five continents, along with a dense network of distributors, certified agents and maintenance centres. More than 10,000 Eurocopter helicopters are currently in service with over 2,800 customers in 140 countries. Eurocopter offers the largest civil and military helicopter range in the world.

The defence arm of Germany's Rheinmetall Group stands out prominently among the world's top suppliers of defence technology and security equipment. With its Simulation and Training division, Rheinmetall is one of the world’s leading suppliers in this field. Simulation technology from Rheinmetall makes it possible to replicate practically any technical sequence, procedure or machine with extreme realism. A key mission of the Simulation and Training division is to develop and fabricate sophisticated simulators for training law enforcement and military personnel. The division’s portfolio ranges from PC-supported training software to part-task trainers and full-scale simulators for naval, army and air force applications.

Thales is a leading international electronics and systems group, addressing Defence, Aerospace and Security markets worldwide. The group is global leader in simulation, modelling and training for civil and military markets. Thales' leading-edge technology is supported by 22 000 R&D engineers who offer a capability unmatched in Europe to develop and deploy field-proven mission-critical information systems. To this end, the group's civil and military businesses develop in parallel and share a common base of technologies to serve a single objective: the security of people, property and nations. The group builds its growth on its unique multi-domestic strategy based on trusted partnerships with national customers and market players, while leveraging its global expertise to support local technology and industrial development. Thales employs 68,000 people in 50 countries with revenues in 2007 of € 12.3 billions.

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