CAE USA has been awarded a subcontract from Lockheed Martin to support the design, development and manufacture of three C-130J full-mission simulators for the United States Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC). Two of the simulators will be specifically for the MC-130J variant which is a multi-mission transport and special operations tanker operated by AFSOC. The other simulator will be reconfigurable between the MC-130J and EC-130J, a variant used for information operations by AFSOC.
“The longstanding relationship between Lockheed Martin and CAE on the design and development of training systems for the C-130J Super Hercules and its variants has proven to be a great partnership for more than two decades now,” said Ray Duquette, President and General Manager, CAE USA. “The high-fidelity simulation capabilities of these MC-130J and EC-130J full-mission simulators will enable Air Force Special Operations Command to continue increasing the use of synthetic training across the overall training curriculum, which contributes to the safe and cost-effective readiness of the aircrews.”
The MC/EC-130J full-mission simulators will be full-motion and accurately simulate the aircraft and its various missions. The full-mission simulators recreate the sounds, motion, virtual environment and all other aircraft systems required to provide a high-fidelity, realistic flight training environment. These three MC/EC-130J simulators will be delivered to various air bases in 2023. Lockheed Martin and CAE have designed and developed a range of C-130J training systems for all branches of the United States Air Force, including Air Mobility Command, Air Combat Command, Air National Guard and AFSOC.
CAE Inc. (formerly Canadian Aviation Electronics) is a Canadian manufacturer of simulation technologies, modelling technologies and training services to airlines, aircraft manufacturers, healthcare specialists, and defence customers. CAE was founded in 1947, and has manufacturing operations and training facilities in 35 countries. In 2017, the company’s annual revenue was CAD $2.705 billion.CAE sells flight simulators and training devices to airlines, aircraft manufacturers and training centres. It licenses its simulation software to various market segments and has a professional services division.
