The US Navy (USN) on 14 April took delivery of its first of three training devices for the US Marine Corps (USMC) Sikorsky CH-5K King Stallion heavy lift helicopter, according to a service statement.
The Containerized Flight Training Device (CFTD), built by Lockheed Martin in partnership with Veraxx, provides realistic cockpit or system displays such as visual resolution, tactile, spatial, audio, and functionality. It can simulate weather and other tactical environments while also connecting with other simulators for enhanced attitude control and other aircraft training scenarios.
USMC pilot Lieutenant Colonel Lucas Frank takes the new CH-53K Containerized Flight Training Device (CFTD) simulator for a test drive. The marines took delivery of the CFTD on 14 April 2020. (US Navy)
The CFTD is the first in a series of new training devices being developed for the CH-53K. Delivery of the other two training devices, the Helicopter Emulation Maintenance Trainer (HEMT) and the Composite Maintenance Trainer (CMT), is also expected in 2020. USN spokesperson Megan Wasel said on 5 May that the HEMT provides the computer-based lab training platform for the development of maintenance skills that support first-level maintenance training. This device provides a three-dimensional representative environment instead of two-dimensional computer screens, she said.
The CMT is a medium-to-high-fidelity maintenance trainer based on the fourth CH-53K engineering demonstration model (EDM) aircraft to provide a training platform for the development of maintenance skills. Wasel said it will be used to train system familarisation, function, as well as component identification, removal, installation, and adjustment.
Lockheed Martin, the parent company of Sikorsky, is responsible for the delivery of the trainers for the programme as it is the prime integrator. Wasel said that Lockheed Martin built the CFTD by contributing many original manufactured parts, such as inceptors, digital computers, and collectives.
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