CAE secures defence contracts to train U.S. Air Force drone pilots
by Canadian Manufacturing.com Staff
Company has announced several contract wins worth over $120M
MONTREAL—CAE has won several defence contracts worth more than $120 million, including one with the U.S. Air Force that will expand the firm’s drone pilot training program. The company will provide simulation products, operational systems and training services for a number of global defence customers.
The other key contracts include a magnetic anomaly detection systems for Japan and a C-130J simulator for Lockheed Martin.
“We are continuing to see increased opportunities globally for the delivery of training services, and we are well positioned to capitalize on this trend,” Gene Colabatistto, CAE’s president of Defence & Security, said. “I am particularly pleased with how we have been able to expand our support to the U.S. Air Force on the MQ-1 Predator/MQ-9 Reaper unmanned aerial system training program, which is an area of significant growth across the global defence market.”
CAE, which is already providing the U.S. Air Force’s MQ-1 Predator and MQ-9 Reaper drone crews with training services and courseware development as part of a previous contract, will expand the program significantly. The Montreal-based company said the move will greatly increase the number of training instructors it employs to support the training programs.
“Unmanned aerial system pilot training in the U.S. Department of Defense has received significant attention since the release of a Government Accountability Office report several months ago, and the Air Force is taking a number of initiatives to improve UAS pilot training,” Ray Duquette, president and general manager of CAE USA, said.
“One of these initiatives is to address the shortage of instructors at the formal training units at Holloman. The comprehensive training for aircrews is delivered by both active-duty and contract instructors who work as an integrated team, and CAE is pleased to be able to provide additional instructors to help improve the training throughput for the MQ-1 Predator and MQ-9 Reaper,” he added.
In addition, CAE received a purchase order from Mitsubishi Electric United States to provide critical components of CAE’s AN/ASQ-508 Advanced Integrated Magnetic Anomaly Detection system for 20 P-1 maritime patrol aircraft operated by the Japanese Ministry of Defence. The P-1 is a Japan-developed long-range anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance platform.
CAE also won a contract to design and manufacture a C-130J/LM-130J weapon systems trainer for Lockheed Martin’s new international training centre to be built in Marietta, Georgia.
