E-3D Sentry and RC-135W Rivet Joint.
The recent SDSR [Strategic Defence and
Security Review] has envisaged an, as yet,
unrealised need for more rear crew training
for Boeing P-8 Poseidon crews. With the
experience, location and expertise at 750,
we are in a prime position, subject to an
appropriate level of investment in terms oftraining staff and equipment, to undertake
this growing requirement.”
The AGM at Culdrose has overall
responsibility for delivering the training to a
high standard and is a former observer and
instructor of 20 years’ experience. His key
relationship is with the CO of the squadron.
Assisting is a team of eight RN and fourqualified observer instructors (QOIs)
from Ascent, two civilian ground school
instructors, three Fleet Air Arm and five
civilian pilots, a civilian operations manager
and a programmer. All Ascent personnel at
the air station have a military background,
mostly ex-RN but with a few formerly with
the RAF. This is a crucial factor in making
the system work. All the instructors are fully
conversant with service ethos and will work
towards producing not just skilled observers,
but also young officers who are fully imbued
with the traditions and demands of the navy.
Equally important is the blend of senior
civilian instructors and younger serving RN
instructors, who can bring recent experience
of operational procedures.AVENGER
The Avenger is equipped with the Proline 21
cockpit. It has a communications suite of
six radios (two VHF, two UHF, one HF and
one VHF/FM), Traffic Collision Avoidance
System (TCAS), Terrain Avoidance and
Warning System (TAWS) and an Electronic
Standby Instrument System. The state-
of-the-art Telephonics 1500A radar gives
360° cover and has mapping, weather,
search and navigation modes – similar to
systems found on operational helicopters. A
Mission Planning System (MPS) can be pre-
programmed to input details of routing and
waypoints. Importantly, the student interface
has the same architecture as the operational
aircraft types, to ensure transition from the
Avenger to the OCU will be seamless.
The onboard avionics of the Avenger
can also generate false contacts to
investigate, emulate the data link and
electronic support measures (ESM –
locating and identifying hostile radar)
functions and so create a very realistic
simulation of the operational environment,
which can be programmed by the instructor
during the course of a training sortie.
All the instructors agree that the greater
the realism, the better value the training.
It aims to build student confidence and
prepare them for the pressures they will
face on operations. Each aircraft has two
training consoles, Tactical Mission Trainers
(Air) (TMT(A)) in the cabin, which mirror the
training device used in the classroom on
the ground, the TMT(G) – also known as
the procedural trainer. At present only one
student is taught in the air on a sortie by an
instructor though the second console gives
flexibility for the future.
Over the course of 16 weeks, students
learn to operate and manage the system
on the ground and in the air following a
carefully planned syllabus. Tuition increases
steadily in complexity and intensity – firstly
over land and then out to sea, working
singly, then as a pair and finally as a mission
commander. It is now possible to provide
a much greater degree of realism than was
previously achievable and the TMT(G) has
greatly impressed the instructors. With
four consoles and two instructor stations66 Aviation News incorporating Jets July 2018The black pod under the fuselage houses the Telephonics 1500A maritime search radar. Tony GuestAvengers feature the Proline 21 cockpit. Guy WarnerThe Avenger has two consoles on the left for students with instructor positions next to them on
the right. Guy Warner64-67_avengerDC.mfDC.mfDC.indd 66 07/06/2018 15:22