As a partner of Helicopter Flight Training Systems (HFTS) GmbH, Rheinmetall is modernizing the flight simulators for the NH90 helicopters of the German Army Air Corps as part of a team; according to the company, the order value is “in the lower double-digit million range”.
The overall contract for HFTS continues to cover the operation, service and maintenance of the simulators with a contractually guaranteed availability of at least 98 percent until 2027. The Bundeswehr is thus retaining the current operator model for its NH90 simulators through HFTS GmbH. Founded in 2004, the company currently operates NH90 full mission simulators at the Bückeburg, Fassberg and Holzdorf sites. HFTS GmbH is a consortium held in equal parts by Airbus Helicopter, CAE, Rheinmetall and Thales.
The modernization includes updating to the current configuration status of the NH90 (MR1) as well as the qualification of the four simulators in accordance with EASA regulations, Level C. In addition to flight simulations, Rheinmetall has already supplied several NH90 training systems for the training of NH90 ground personnel. Such an Asterion-based facility for the NH90-NTH naval helicopter only went into operation at the Nordholz naval aviation site in mid-2019. Ground crew training systems had previously been delivered to Fassberg. Here, German Army ground personnel are trained in the operating and maintenance procedures for the NH90 TTH on three faithful cockpit replicas.
Here for further reports on Rheinmetall.
