Virtalis to Provide Simulators for UK Military Flying Training System

Virtalis has been awarded the contract to provide two Virtual Reality (VR) simulators to Lockheed Martin in support of the Ascent Joint Venture charged with delivering the UK Military Flying Training System (UKMFTS).

The Ascent commercial partnership comprising Lockheed Martin and Babcock, won the UKMFTS contract from the UK’s Ministry of Defence in 2008. Ascent operates within a unique partnering arrangement with Royal Air Force No 22 (Training) Group and the UKMFTS Project Team from Defence Equipment & Support.

Josh McCall, Lockheed Martin's Rotary Wing Subcontract Manager explained: "The high fidelity of Virtalis' VR device will contribute to Ascent's objective to eradicate the training capability gap between training and operational aircraft. We asked Vertalis to reflect the new H135 helicopters being delivered to Ascent by Airbus Helicopters in its virtual trainers, which will be based on Virtalis' VR Helicopter Crew REality System (HCR). The two new simulators will be installed at RAF Shawbury where a significant amount of UKFTS rotary wing training will be delivered. The new VR systems will be operational in the first quarter of 2018."