BAE Systems to deliver advanced training for RAF Lossiemouth Typhoon pilots
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BAE Systems has been awarded contracts worth more than £220 million to deliver advanced synthetic training for pilots to fly Typhoon, including facilities at RAF Lossiemouth.
Under the Typhoon Future Synthetic Training (TFST) contracts, BAE Systems is leading work to deliver 10 high-fidelity, immersive simulators, as well as state-of-the-art training facilities at RAF Lossiemouth and RAF Coningsby, in Lincolnshire.
The new training centres will be linked together to provide an integrated environment for pilots to ensure they are ready for life in a fast-jet cockpit and to carry out complex combined training exercises using real world mission software and tactics.
The investment by Defence Equipment and Support, the MoD’s procurement arm, supports the RAF’s aim to increase its use of synthetic training, which has cost, time and sustainability benefits over live training.
The contract will support around 120 jobs in the delivery of new infrastructure at the two RAF bases, with a further 60 engineering jobs at BAE Systems.
Richard Hamilton, Typhoon programme director, Europe, BAE Systems’ Air Sector, said: "We pride ourselves in delivering world-class training capability as we understand how critical it is to deliver the highest quality skills and capabilities to the front line.
"This contract builds on existing work to deliver synthetic training to the RAF’s Typhoon Force, which will eventually enable pilots from different locations to fly virtual missions together and provide the ability to 'plug into' other assets across air, land and sea.
"The investment will deliver a number of valuable operational benefits for the RAF, alongside the positive impact that the increased use of synthetic training will make to reduce carbon emissions. With 9.6 tonnes of carbon saved by every synthetic flight, it will help reduce the current carbon footprint of live training, supporting the net zero ambitions held by our customers and ourselves."
BAE Systems integrates technologies such as virtual assistants, data analytics, single synthetic environments and artificial intelligence into next-generation training solutions, such as simulators.
