BAE Systems has awarded a contract to Montreal-based CAE to provide three Hawk Mk127 full-mission simulators for the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF).
The simulators are part of an upgrade program to the Hawk aircraft and the training systems that BAE Systems is delivering under a program called Project AIR5438 program. The contract was awarded during CAE’s first quarter of fiscal 2014.
In an interview last November, LGen Yvan Blondin, commander of the Royal Canadian Air Force, spoke about the need to examine the RCAF’s training program for fighter jets as it prepares to transition to a next-generation air craft. Canada currently uses the CT-155 Hawk for its lead-in pilot training and BAE is following the program closely, company officials acknowledge at CANSEC.
At the same time, CAE announced CAE USA it will provide “comprehensive” Predator and Reaper remotely piloted aircraft aircrew training services to the U.S. Air Force, including classroom, simulator, and live flying instruction.
The terms involve a one-year base contract valued at US$20 million, with four one-year options.
Training for the MQ-1 Predator and MQ-9 Reaper programs will be delivered at four U.S. air force bases, Holloman AFB in New Mexico; Creech AFB in Nevada; March Air Reserve Base in California; and Hancock Field Air National Guard Base in New York.
