NH90 full-mission simulator

Helicopter Flight Training Services (HFTS), a consortium owned equally by CAE, Eurocopter, Thales and Rheinmetall Defence Electronics, has officially inaugurated the world’s first NH90 full-mission simulator in its newly built facility in Bückeburg, Northern Germany.

HFTS will design, build and operate a total of three NH90 simulator training centres for what is presently the German Armed Forces’ largest private-finance initiative program for military aircrew training.

At the launch ceremony, HFTS Managing Director Robert Hollensteiner announced that Finland and Sweden – as well as launch customer, the German Army Air Corps – have also decided to also train their NH90 pilots at the HFTS simulator facilities.

The German government’s decision to proceed with privately-financed training for the NH90 is consistent with the trend for governments to consider this approach for military training requirements.