CAE USA is to provide support services for U.S. Army helicopter flight training instructors under a contract with a potential value of $450 million.

The support services -- classroom instruction, simulation and live flight training -- will be for the Amy's Aviation Center of Excellence at Fort Rucker, Ala., which runs the Initial Entry Rotary-Wing training program, or IERW program.

"We are honored the U.S. Army selected CAE once again as its training partner to support the instruction required for its new helicopter pilots," said Ray Duquette, president and general manager of CAE USA.

"This contract for rotary-wing training instruction follows a major contract awarded by the U.S. Army to CAE for fixed-wing flight training that will see us open a new training center in Dothan, Ala., in March. "

The cost-plus-fee contract has an initial $50 million award for a base one-year period. There are a eight one-year options, which if all exercised would bring the contract value to more than $450 million.

The Army's IERW program also supports initial helicopter training for the U.S. Air Force.

CAE extends NATO pilot training work
Montreal (UPI) Jan 12, 2017 - CAE reports it will continue training pilots from NATO countries in Canada following a government contract modification.

The modification to the NATO Flying Training in Canada (NFTC) program, which will now continue through 2023 instead of expiring in 2021, has resulted in CAE booking an order valued at more $226.7 million during the company's third quarter of fiscal 2017.

"Since acquiring the NFTC program in October 2015, CAE has worked closely with the Royal Canadian Air Force on a range of initiatives to help improve the quality and efficiency of training," said Joe Armstrong, vice president and general manager, CAE Canada.

"As the training systems integrator on the NFTC program, we will now continue to make enhancements and improvements that will sustain NATO Flying Training in Canada well into the next decade."

CAE said it will add new capabilities and perform a range of upgrades and updates to the overall NFTC training system and aircraft.

Under the NFTC program, CAE operates NFTC base facilities in Canada, delivers ground-school classroom and simulator training, and supports live-flying training with a fleet of Beechcraft T-6 (CT-156 Harvard aircraft) and BAE Systems CT-155 Hawk aircraft.