Bluedrop to develop special mission ramp trainer for Boeing

Bluedrop Performance Learning Inc. and its subsidiary,Bluedrop Training & Simulation Inc. (Bluedrop), secured an investment fromBoeing to develop a next-generation Special Mission Aviator Ramp Trainer(SMART) for the V-22 Osprey. The program was funded under the Innovation,Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED), Investment FrameworkTransaction program by Boeing. The program includes funding to Bluedrop,engineering support from Boeing and a three-year commitment to support the developmentand ongoing sales of the new product within the Boeing global supply chain.This is the second Boeing investment in Bluedrop — the first successful projectwas to develop a next-generation Special Mission Aviator Ramp Trainer (SMART)for the CH-47 Chinook.

The development phase is expected to take between 12 and 18months to build a full-sized virtual reality ramp trainer with a high fidelityimmersive environment, and enhanced specific mission capabilities includingramp operation, hoisting systems, gunnery systems and various mission criticalprocedural training capabilities. The new SMART is expected to interface to theBoeing’s cockpit training devices to allow full interactive crew training andmission scenario training.

Bluedrop will develop the associated hardware and softwarefrom its recently opened Training and Simulation production center located inHalifax, Nova Scotia. The team of software and hardware engineers will beheaded by Jean-Claude Siew, Bluedrop’s vice president of Technology andSimulation.

“Boeing has consistently supported the Canadian aerospaceindustry throughout its 100-year long partnership, contributing more than CAD$4-billionof economic benefit to Canada each year working with a strong team of partnersand suppliers,” said Roger Schallom, senior manager, International StrategicPartnerships, Boeing Defense, Space & Security. “To date, Boeing hascompleted more than CAD$11-billion in IRB and ITB commitments, providingopportunities for innovation and technology collaboration and export assistancefor Canadian industry.”

This project was approved by ISED as an Investment FrameworkTransaction as part of the Industrial Technological Benefits (ITB) Policy. Theprogram provides incentives for prime contractors to invest in research anddevelopment as well as commercialization with an emphasis on exportopportunities. “This project is a great example of how our government’s policyis motivating the development and growth of Canadian small and mediumbusinesses to spur innovation, boost economic growth and create good jobs,” saidthe Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and EconomicDevelopment Canada.

The project was officially announced jointly with Boeing atthe Bluedrop booth at CANSEC, Ottawa.