Is Helo crew training meeting today's demands? Operation Enduring Freedom has seen most fixed-wing aircraft deployed to combat areas only at heights judged to be beyond the range of surface-to-air missiles. Helicopters however can only avoid enemy weapons by their crew's skill in making use of the terrain. Should that fail, only decoys may prevent loss or damage. (Simulation Approach).

Thus losses to ground fire over Afghanistan have been confined to helicopters; including two MH-47E Chinooks destroyed and three more severely damaged. During US Army deployment of AH-64A Apaches to Albania in 1999, the risks of exposing such valuable assets to enemy fire led commanders to insist that their crews undertake further training before being committed to combat.

Preparing for Combat

There is no doubt that the US Special Operations Command Chinook resources were stretched during support of ground operations in Afghanistan, underlining the importance of bringing crews to the highest level of combat readiness. To this end an upgraded MH-47E Special Operations Aircraft Combat Mission Simulator at Fort Campbell played its part by increasing its fidelity.

Under contract to L3 Communications, last year SEOS installed the full flight simulator (FFS) with a Panorama 200[degrees] x 45[degrees] field of view, an NVG-compatible display with a day and night imagery capability. The SEOS Panorama system also equips a W-3WA Sokol mission simulator produced by ETC-PZL.

The per hour costs to run a Chinook simulator level off at approximately $256, compared to some $1770 to train on the real thing, so simulation can do much to help keep crews in a high state of readiness. However, it is said that in the United States (and therefore almost certainly elsewhere as well), budget constraints have cut into the allocation of ammunition training rounds, particularly laser-guided missiles.

Nevertheless, the training industry has responded to demands to provide improved fidelity and an ability to deliver training `in the field'. Moreover, it has devised means of taking such devices to combat zones without increasing simulator costs. In fact, the Mission Command Trainer (MCT) recently developed by Evans & Sutherland is a low-cost simulator based on the company's experience in designing a Unit Level Tactics Trainer for the British School of Army Aviation.

That the MCT is fully reconfigurable and can simulate both air and ground vehicles may suggest that it is a very basic device. However, this is far from the truth, although it must be conceded that a compromise in terms of visual and control/instrument fidelity has been made. Nevertheless, the MCT provides for mission rehearsal against a dynamic, intelligent enemy in a virtual environment and users may train over specific terrain drawn from a 70 x 111 km database.

But crews training on the MCT must be aware that although nap-of-the-earth flying may shield a helicopter from enemy defences, it also imposes limitations on the use of radio communication with other helicopters on the same mission. Similar compromises in fidelity have been made with the Avcatt-A system produced by L3 Link Training & Simulation, but then this is a reconfigurable simulator that can be used to replicate an MH-47 one moment and 90 minutes later provide training for Apache crews.

The Avcatt-A helmet-mounted visual display system meets essential needs including NVG and PNVS outputs, with principal instrument displays being altered to replicate the OH-58 or UH-60 in addition to the Chinook and AH-64 and eventually the RAH-66 Comanche. The erection of a screen between otherwise side-by-side seating configurations provides a tandem environment for Apache crews.

Housed in a pair of (rather large) semi-trailers, the Avcatt-A system can be easily transported from site to site to provide comprehensive training, from SOP briefing to participation in exercises (interfaced for combined arms training if required) and finally to after action review. Networking is also a capability of the training facilities provided to the British Army by Aviation Training International Limited (Atil)--a joint venture company formed by GKN Westland and Boeing.

Cutting Training Costs

Some 19 per cent of Britain's total defence budget is spent on training, but to spread such costs over longer periods the Ministry of Defence has enthusiastically embraced the private finance initiative (PFI) concept. This involves suppliers and bankers putting up the capital needed to equip and staff training centres, in return for contracts valid for long periods. For example, the CAE-led Medium Support Helicopter Aircrew Training Facility will cost the Ministry some $416 million over the first 20 years of a 40-year PFI contract.

Under a 30-year $975 million PFI contract, Atil makes use of crew training devices produced by Boeing, including some field deployable Longbow trainers in addition to a six-degree-of-freedom full mission simulator. Initially, four training sites in Britain will be linked by a wide area network, but before long, air transportable trailer-mounted simulators may be despatched to anywhere they are needed. The field deployable simulators include a three-degree-of-freedom dynamic motion seat to help achieve high fidelity. A multi-purpose display trainer produced by Boeing for the Apache Longbow can also be easily deployed to support both aircrew and field maintenance personnel.

Airborne Training

A separate $75 million contract awarded to GKN Westland provides for the supply of a collective training system (CTS), whereby up to 16 Apaches may train together to attack a range of targets without the use of either real or dummy munitions. The system uses a combination of GPS and radio transceivers to create a radio network across a `battle area.'

Meanwhile, a Miles (Multiple Integrated Laser Engagement System)-compatible air-to-ground system developed by Lockheed Martin assists in the training of Apache and Kiowa Warrior crews in laser rangefinder/designator techniques and can provide Hellfire simulation in any location without restriction. GDI Simulation (now part of Eads) also offers a laser-based interoperable tactical engagement simulator for use on various helicopters.

Recently developed by BVR Systems, the Helicopter Combat Manoeuvring Instrumentation system provides a truly realistic `train as you fight' embedded electronic warfare and real-time training system. This comprises an airborne pod or internal LRU and a PC-based ground debriefing station.

As a final note, the new Ansat lightweight helicopter from Kazan features digital fly-by-wire controls that enable it to successfully replicate the handling of Mi-24 combat helicopters, which makes it not so surprising to find that a number have already been ordered specifically for this training role.