This year the Royal Air Force celebrated 15 years of operation of the Lockheed Martin C-130J total training system, with simulators and other tools supplied by CAE (Chalet 56). The current contract for maintenance and support of the system ends on December 31, and CAE is currently negotiating a five-year extension that will take the system nearer to the C-130J’s planned out-of-service date of 2022. In the meantime, the company continues to improve the system as part of its support contract, under which CAE acts as a subcontractor to Lockheed Martin (Chalet 316) as part of the overarching Hercules Integrated Operational Support program.

The RAF was the launch customer for the second-generation Hercules, receiving its first aircraft in November 1999. By that time LM’s C-130J training partner, BAE Systems (Reflectone), had already installed one dynamic mission simulator, and a second became operational a few months later. CAE acquired the BAE business in 2011.

In addition to the two linked dynamic simulators, the training system includes a fixed flight training device, a rear cabin trainer for loadmaster training and maintenance part-task trainers covering systems such as propulsion, APU and avionics. They are supported by a range of computer-based training tools.

Maintained by eight CAE staff, the system has proven to be very reliable, regularly achieving greater than 98-percent availability. Last year CAE introduced a major upgrade to the simulators using the latest Medallion-6000 visual package and common database suite that allows rapid updates and distributed training.

As operational burdens on the RAF’s C-130J fleet remain at a high level, training is increasingly being transferred into the simulator. All emergency training and check rides are carried in simulators, and various operational mission rehearsals are also undertaken in these devices.

The simulator can be made to comply with “secret” security requirements, if required. The system includes maritime reconnaissance and search and rescue modules, roles that are performed by the RAF’s Hercules fleet, especially in the Falkland Islands. It can be used for low-level NVG training as well.

Under current RAF plans, the service intends to rationalize its transport fleet to two types–the Airbus A400M and the Boeing C-17. However, it is possible that some of the 24-strong C-130J fleet may gain an extension to support special forces.

In respect of the drawdown, starting in 2016 the RAF’s air mobility training and operational evaluation unit, No. 24 Squadron, will reduce its throughput of C-130J conversion training from the current output of around 12 crews per year. This will release simulator time that can be used for upgrading the ratings of current crews and can be offered for training overseas aircrew. Australian and Danish crews have already made use of the RAF’s simulators.

Currently, the squadron is organized into subordinate flights. “A” Flight handles basic C-130J conversion, with around 90 percent performed in the simulator, while “B” Flight handles tactical air transport and special-forces training, with a 50-50 live/simulator split. “C” Flight is being established as the A400M training unit. The RAF is creating an air mobility training center at Brize Norton, and the A400M facility has been planned to a large extent on that created for the C-130J.

Hercules training is now conducted in a purpose-built building, the simulators having been transferred to Brize Norton from Lyneham in 2012 when the Hercules force moved base. For the time being, the RAF conducts C-17 maintenance training at Brize Norton, while aircrew receive simulator training with Boeing at Farnborough.

In the future it is hoped that all training will be performed at the RAF base, with C-17 training becoming “B” Flight of No. 24 Squadron. “A” Flight will then undertake all aspects of C-130J training, which will be primarily aimed at raising crew capabilities from Tier 4 (combat-ready strategic airlift), to Tier 3 (tactical air transport), and ultimately Tier 2+ (special forces). As the A400M fleet builds up, the C-130J fleet will increasingly be tasked with tactical missions.

While the RAF may be running down its C-130J operations, the aircraft is still being sold around the world, and there remains an active market for simulators and training systems. As the only provider of simulators for the C-130J, CAE has supplied nearly 30 systems to date.

The bulk are in the U.S., where Air Mobility Command has nine, Air Combat/Special Operations Command has seven and the Marine Corps has four. Others have been supplied to Canada and the UK (two each), with single simulators sold to Australia, India, Italy and Kuwait. Qatar is expected to be a customer in the near future.