Indra works on development of new sims for A400M

Indra has been awarded contracts to develop two new A400M military transport aircraft simulators, which will be used to train pilots of the German Air Force at Wunstorf airbase and of the French Air Force at the Orleans-Bricy airbase.

The simulators will double the training capacity at both centers, which already have a system in operation each. Both were also developed by Indra, Thales and Airbus as part of the Flight Simulation Program that was launched in 2010.

The simulator is mounted on an exact replica of the cab of the A400M, which is lifted on the arms of an electrical system that provides motion. On board, the pilot finds the same flight instrumentation as that used in real aircraft and trains pilots on the most complex and high-risk operations.

Indra's engineers model tactical environments, reproducing the exercises that must be completed, such as the launch of materials at low altitude, landing on improvised strips, critical takeoffs in a distance of a few meters, aerial refueling under poor weather conditions, evasion maneuvers in the presence of enemy aircraft or the launch of flares and use of countermeasures to circumvent attacks, among many other situations.

Beyond this new contract, Indra is working in the development, production, and deployment of the A400M simulators used by the four member Nations of the A400M Consortium; France, UK, Germany and Spain. This year a simulator will be installed at Zaragoza airbase as part of this project, which will be used to train pilots from the Spanish Air Force.