CAE USA racks up two Navy deals

CAE USA Inc. won a contract worth potentially $75 million to develop two tactical operational flight trainers and two weapons tactics trainers for the Navy's Knighthawk helicopters, the company said today.

Naval Air Systems Command in Orlando, Fla., awarded the contract, which has options for two additional tactical operational flight trainers and two weapons tactics trainers and support services. The award is part of an omnibus-contracting vehicle called the Navy Training Systems Contract.

CAE was selected in 2003 as one of the prime contractors eligible to bid for various Navy training programs during the next eight years.

The Knighthawk helicopter's tactical operational flight trainers will be fixed simulators to train pilots and copilots. They will be integrated with the weapons tactics trainers, which will replicate the tail-end of the helicopter and be used to train sensor operators. The integrated solution will give the Navy a complete helicopter operator training system for flight and tactical skills.

The Navy uses MH-60S Knighthawks for airborne mine countermeasures, combat search and rescue, anti-surface warfare and carrier plane guard. The Navy plans to buy more than 250 MH-60S and the new MH-60R helicopters through 2009, and has a total requirement for more than 500 helicopters.

A subsidiary of Canadian company CAE Inc., CAE USA of Tampa, Fla., makes flight simulators and trainers for military and civilian planes.