of use. The award forms the "Rear Crew Stage 1" element of the UK
Military Flying Training System (MFTS); a 25-year private finance
initiative deal between the MoD and Ascent signed in May 2008.The first replacement King Air 350ER has already been produced in the USA, and is scheduled to arrive at Cobham Aviation Services subsidiary FR Aviation's Bournemouth airport site in the UK on 3 September for modification. The work will include the integration of a live radar and operator consoles, and the first students are scheduled to start training with the aircraft in October 2011, says Ascent.
"The rear crew contract will present the opportunity for significant improvements in the training of non-pilot aircrew through the addition of new aircraft, infrastructure and training tools," says Ascent managing director Fred Ross.
Cobham says its combined modification and five-year maintenance subcontract is worth £18 million. Lockheed Martin Simulation, Training & Support will provide ground-based training equipment and a training management and information system, while VT will deliver infrastructure services.
Formed of Lockheed Martin UK and VT, the Ascent consortium says the new RN training system "will ultimately be subsumed into [a] Rear Crew Stage 2" service. This will harmonise the navy's observer training activities with similar non-pilot instruction work for the British Army and Royal Air Force.
Source Flight global