Rear Crew and Engineering Instructors and Console Operators

CAE UK has received a contract from Boeing to provide POSEIDON MRA1 training support services to the Royal Air Force (RAF), the company announced on 13 July.

The initial five-year contract calls for CAE UK to provide a range of instructors and console operators to support the delivery of training at the Poseidon Strategic Facility, located at RAF Lossiemouth in Scotland.  The Boeing P-8A, designated the POSEIDON MRA1 by the RAF, is a multi-role maritime patrol aircraft designed for both anti-submarine and anti-surface unit warfare, as well as surveillance and search and rescue missions.

“The POSEIDON will play a key role in the intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance capabilities for the UK, and it requires highly-trained aircrew to fully maximise these capabilities,” commented CAE UK Managing Director, Andrew Naismith.

Under terms of the contract, CAE UK will provide a range of rear crew and engineering instructors, the former delivering training on acoustics, EW and other sensor and mission systems, while the engineering instructors will focus on avionics and other systems required for the maintenance and operation of the aircraft.  In addition, CAE will provide console operators and controllers, who will perform role-playing and support functions during training and mission rehearsal exercises.

Boeing will provide the flight instructors for POSEIDON pilot training, a significant portion of which will take place in the two Operational Flight Trainers (OFTs) jointly developed by CAE and Boeing.  CAE designs and manufactures the POSEIDON OFT hardware to Level D standards, the highest qualification for flight simulators.