Flight International – 11 June 2019

ightglobal.com 11-17 June 2019 | Flight International | 61

PARIS

NATO AWACS

says. To date, the equivalent of more than

120,000 flight hours have been accumulated

using the device.

To keep pace with the major CNS/ATM up-

date, CAE was contracted to modernise the

fleet’s training infrastructure in 2014. This in-

volved bringing the FFS and an associated

flight training device to the Level D and Level

II operating standards, respectively.

“NATO decided that it would qualify both

simulators up to the highest level,” Hoffmann

says. The benefits of having done so are al-

ready apparent, he adds, describing the up-

dated capability as representing “a perfectly

managed system”.

CAE’s equipment undergoes annual requal-

ification inspections by France’s DGAC mili-

tary certification authority, and Hoffmann

notes that its most recent check – conducted

following the updates’ introduction – resulted

in “absolutely no [adverse] findings”.

Building on its long experience, CAE was

also contracted to provide wider training ser-

vices at the Geilenkirchen site in 2017. “We’re

not only the technical solution provider, re-

sponsible for maintaining and updating [the

simulators],” Hoffmann says. The company

now has two teams on the base, comprising

10 maintainers for the synthetic devices, plus

18 operators “throughout the entire variety of

the positions that are flying on NATO

AWACS”. These include two instructor pi-

lots, a pair of instructor flight engineers, and a

communication and navigation system spe-

cialist. “We are covering most of the positions

at the back end – either as an operator in the

[Boeing-supplied] mission simulator, or as in-

structors,” he notes.

CAE also provides console familiarisation,

aircrew instructor – or “train the trainer” –

courses, and crew resource management and

continuation training. In total, the company

supports the instruction of more than 400

personnel per year.

TRAINING UPDATE

“NATO AWACS has become more and more a

schoolhouse for lots of nations, so instead of

sending the combat-ready people to the com-

ponent, they have sent new people,” Hoff-

mann notes. As a result, the company has also

prepared an aircrew tactical procedure

course, “to make each and every aviator famil-

iar” with its operational requirements.

With many years of operational use to

come, CAE is investigating potential further

updates for its training system, and the possi-

bility of including an upgraded visual system

for the FFS.

“We are looking to the future – there are

still lots of needs on the customer side, and

they would like to go on that path with us,”

Hoffmann says. “We have our bits and bytes

together, and have solutions on hand.”

An ever-present asset during coalition op-

erations, the E-3A fleet has since October

2016 supported the multinational campaign

against the Islamic State group in the Middle

East, with aircraft forward-deployed to Konya

air base in Turkey. “AWACS can detect air-

craft hundreds of kilometres away, so they

can monitor airspace in Iraq and Syria from

inside Turkey,” NATO notes, while also

stressing that its crews are not being em-

ployed to control combat aircraft or coordi-

nate air strikes.

As it celebrates its 70th anniversary, the

Alliance must resolve issues including the

sustained tension between Turkey and the

USA caused by Ankara’s acquisition of both

the Lockheed Martin F-35 and Russian-pro-

duced Almaz-Antey S-400 long-range air-de-

fence system. Also likely to be on the agenda

at a NATO summit in London in December

will be fresh calls for more member states to

work towards committing 2% of their GDP to

defence spending to further bolster its collec-

tive strength.

Whatever challenges may lie ahead for the

Alliance, its leaders can rely on the AWACS

force for at least another 15 years, during

which time member states will have to launch

plans to replace its venerable E-3As. The

opportunity to provide such a flagship sur-

veillance capability will doubtless prompt

keen competition. ■

Operating out of Germany, the Boeing 707-based surveillance platform is recognisable from the large radar installed atop its fuselage

NATO