CAE to supply UAS Mission Trainer to Italian Air Force

The Italian Air Force has selected the CAE UAS Mission Trainer to provide initial and mission training for its Predator UAV pilots and sensor operators.

The UAS Mission Trainer will give the Italian Air Force the ability to train its personnel for a wide range of scenarios while reducing its reliance on live flight training.

It will also allow personnel to conduct networked training exercises via the CAE-developed common database (CDB), an open database architecture that enhances the ability to network and interoperate with other training systems to support training and mission rehearsal requirements.

The system will be operated from Amendola Air Force Base, and will be delivered in early 2015.

General Preziosa, Chief of Staff, Italian Air Force, said: ‘With this new training system, Amendola Air Force Base will further develop its capabilities in the remotely piloted aircraft initial and recurrent training sector and present itself as a relevant centre of excellence in the European region.’

Gene Colabatistto, group president, defence and security, CAE, added: ‘We are pleased to be supporting the Italian Air Force with its Predator training requirements, and this contract reinforces our growing international partnership with General Atomics to provide comprehensive training solutions for the Predator family of remotely piloted aircraft.’

The CAE UAS Mission Trainer can be tailored to simulate any specific UAS platform or sensor payload suite. The integrated system includes a STANAG 4586-compliant ground control station; high-fidelity simulation software for sensors; simulated communication systems; simulation software for generating training scenarios; and an instructor operator and mission brief/de-brief station. The CAE Medallion-6000 image generator creates tactical synthetic environment and computer-generated forces representing maritime, ground and air assets.

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