The new NH90 helicopter simulator from Indra is already being used to train pilots from the Spanish Air Force and Space Corps
Indra has installed the most advanced version of its NH90 simulator at the Spanish Air Force and Space base at Cuatro Vientos. The system offers an exceptional level of realism and an enormous capacity to interoperate with other simulators, facilitating joint training and the preparation of highly complex missions.
This is the third simulator (FMS, Full Mission Simulator) of this kind that Indra is developing for the Spanish Armed Forces. It is based on the same configuration as the two simulators previously delivered by Indra to the Spanish Army and which are currently operational at the Helicopter Simulation Centre (CESIHEL) of the Army Aviation Academy (ACAVIET) at the Agoncillo base in La Rioja, although updated with the latest technological advances.
This new simulator once again uses the aircraft's own avionics equipment to faithfully replicate the cockpit and ensure that the pilot becomes familiar with the navigation equipment and the real mission; in particular, it allows the crew to train with the mission helmet and its night vision equipment, providing a high degree of realism. This is a feature that distinguishes Indra's systems and facilitates the evolution of the simulator in parallel with any improvements that may be incorporated into the aircraft in the future.
The simulator also has an improved visual system, which reproduces the scenarios in which the pilots fly with even greater fidelity. Its database also incorporates new scenarios so that Air Force and Space Force pilots can train in maritime rescue operations, natural disaster response and landings and take-offs at the bases and areas in which they usually operate, as well as in areas of operation in international missions.
This third NH90 simulator developed by Indra will be evaluated according to the regulations of the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) to demonstrate that it offers performance equivalent to a Level D FFS simulator, the highest possible level of accuracy and realism according to the European CS-FSTD(H) standard, which the two previous NH90 simulators already have.
José María Tapia, head of Simulation Programmes at Indra, explains that ‘the simulator offers an excellent capacity for interoperability with other simulators, being able to connect using the HLA architecture standard, to facilitate joint training with other bases and, in particular, with the two NH90 simulators in Agoncillo. This is equivalent to having a genuine ‘virtual training ground’, in which the most complex operations can be prepared and repeated as many times as necessary until the desired degree of coordination and precision is achieved’.
Practising risky manoeuvres, responding to emergency situations such as engine failure or tail rotor failure, and preparing to fly in conflict zones are just some of the advantages of these systems. Simulators have therefore become an essential tool for any modern army. The fidelity offered by Indra's systems also reduces by up to 40% the flight hours needed in the real aircraft to train the pilot, which significantly speeds up their preparation.
World leader in simulator development
Indra has delivered more than 200 simulators in 23 countries to more than fifty customers. It is also the world leader in helicopter simulation, due to the number of different platforms for which it has developed training systems. With this new delivery, it further strengthens its position as a manufacturer of NH90 simulators, a highly complex platform due to its advanced systems and which is already in use by a dozen armies.
As well as eliminating risks for pilots and aircraft, Indra's Full Mission Simulator avoids huge operating costs, reduces maintenance work by more than 33% and avoids unnecessary CO2 emissions into the atmosphere.