Immersive Training for Full Range of Heavy-Lift Operations
Lockheed Martin is to furnish an additional Containerized Flight Training Device (CFTD) for the CH-53K to the US Navy for the US Marine Corps, with options for three more, under the terms of a recent contract award. The first training device was delivered to the Corps in 2020.
“Marine pilots have smoothly transitioned from the training device to the actual CH-53K’s fly-by-wire cockpit and completed missions in the fleet environment – such as air-to-air refueling” said Flash Kinloch, Lockheed Martin VP of Training and Simulation Solutions. “Training in this highly immersive virtual environment permits flight crews to train the full scope of tasks that can be performed on the aircraft in a safe, cost effective and realistic manner.”
Flight crews will train on the full scope of heavy lift missions, including external lift operations, using the full-mission flight simulator that also replicates the various environmental conditions in which the aircraft is likely to fly. Through this new effort, Lockheed Martin is helping the Marine Corps further expand proven and critical CH-53K training capability.
The training devices include a full cockpit for the aircraft operated by a pilot and co-pilot, an instructor operating station, and a brief/debrief room. The newest training devices will include upgrades that improve system performance, increase cost savings, and more closely align to the CH-53K aircraft for increased training realism.
CH-53K Flight Crews Complete Milestones
The USMC declared initial operational capability for the CH-53K in April, following a test period that resulted in over 3,000 mishap free hours flown in challenging environments and terrain. The CH-53K CFTD provided the capability to train mission scenarios which were then completed during the Initial Operational Test & Evaluation process, including:
- Day and night air-to-air refueling
- Air-to-air refueling with 27,000lb external load
- Sea trials with over 350 landings
- Operations in degraded visual environments
