Indra

ORLANDO (Apr. 11, 2011) – Indra Systems announced today the delivery of the latest AV-8B Harrier flight simulator to Cherry Point, N.C., home to the U.S. 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU). The 26th MEU’s Harriers are part of the international efforts in Libya.

Indra delivered its original AV-8B trainers to Cherry Point in 1997. The upgraded flight simulator provides Marine Harrier pilots with the most technologically advanced training available and full aircraft concurrency.

This most recent delivery is the fourth of five intended upgrades to be delivered by Indra under the AV-8B Block Upgrade program. Indra is replacing or upgrading the entire U.S. Marine Corps’ fleet of Harrier trainers. Indra is recognized as the world leader for AV-8B simulators, providing more than 40 devices in total, located in Italy, Spain and the United States.

“Harrier pilots are deployed, operationally, in critical areas of responsibility throughout the world and therefore require the highest quality training we can provide them,” said AV-8B Training System Program Manager for the Navy, Brian Trago in Orlando.

The AV-8B trainers also are being used at Marine Corps Air Station in Yuma, Ariz. MCAS Yuma took delivery of their devices in 2010, with the most recent occurring in December 2010.

USMC Maj. David Jansen said of the new trainer, “We now have a full-mission training capability, not just a simulator.”

Harrier pilots have been impressed with the new capabilities of the upgraded trainers, which give the pilots realistic, high-fidelity training in night and day operations. That gives pilots full-mission capability equal to the actual aircraft. It also provides an accurate representation of flight characteristics, critical for training pilots in the safe, efficient operation of vertical and/or short take-off and landing aircraft, such as the Harrier.

Arizona State Sen. John Nelson said during a visit to MCAS Yuma, “This is a very impressive and efficient use of taxpayer dollars.”

The newer trainers will use cost-efficient, highly capable COTS – commercial, off-the-shelf – solutions. The increased fidelity of the new training systems means fewer flight hours are required in actual aircraft for training, which mean a net cost savings to the Department of Defense.

The AV-8B training systems from Indra are networkable, allowing the execution of realistic mission scenarios involving more than one aircraft. The advanced design paves the way for future exercises integrating all five USMC AV-8B trainers along with other Marine Corps and Navy training devices to simulate a full-combat mission.

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