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Hawk Synthetic Training Facility
Military Air Solutions runs a Hawk synthetic training facility for fast jet training, which reduces the pressure on the RAF's Hawk trainer fleet. Each trainee spends some 64 hours in the facility at RAF Valley in Wales. BAE Systems designed, built, and owns the building and equipment and employs simulator instructors and support staff.
The facility has a number of training devices, including two networked full-dome simulators with multi-channel, high-resolution displays. To increase realism, two target projectors are capable of independently displaying targets and "friendly" aircraft throughout the full field of view. Any training exercises taught on the Hawk can be reproduced and replayed in the facility, ranging from basic disciplines such as stalling, circuit training, and aerobatics, to formation ground attack and air-to-air combat manoeuvring. The facility can be used to simulate missile firing and tracking, while the cost, safety and environmental issues posed by ‘real life’ weapons training and extreme low flying are avoided.
The facility's mapped database includes the UK, with various ground "targets," including a high-definition reproduction of the Pembrey weapons range in South Wales. Most UK airfields are also mapped, with RAF stations Valley, Mona and St Athan, as well as Llanbedr and BAE Systems’ own Warton aerodrome, receiving particularly high-definition treatment.
Since the opening of the facility in February 2000, the £60 million-plus, 18-year programme has enabled a larger proportion of the syllabus to be carried out in cyberspace thus reducing overall training costs. The programme has successfully met, and in many areas exceeded, customer expectations in terms of training volume, delivery and quality.
In June 2001, BAE Systems also took on responsibility for Ground School where new recruits to the fast jet course study theory in the classroom are taught evasion and survival skills in the mountains of North Wales. Sea-survival and dinghy drills are also carried out in the coastal waters off the Isle of Anglesey.
In addition to ‘first-time’ students from the UK and other nations including India, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, the facility is also used for a wide range of other training, including the RAF aerobatic team and refresher training for BAE Systems’ own pilots.
