Airbus Defence and Space has awarded Thales a multi-million pound contract to supply the Royal Air Force with a second full-flight simulator for the Airbus A400M military transport aircraft.

The Full-Flight Simulator employs state-of-the-art visual and motion technology developed and produced by Thales that represents the current production cockpit configuration of the Airbus A400M aircraft and simulates the ground and flight operations of the aircraft in various natural and tactical environments.

It includes an enhanced field-of-view visual system that can support training in all aircraft man oeuvres, including air-to-air refueling and low-level tactical operations. The motion system offers six degrees of freedom. Also provided are on-board and off-board instructor stations and a record and replay system to aid crew briefing and debriefing.

Both Full Flight Simulators will help train aircrews at the RAF Brize Norton training school in Oxfordshire. A400M Training Services Ltd (ATSL), a joint venture company formed by Thales and Airbus Defence and Space, manages the support services and maintenance.

Through ATSL, Thales also successfully delivered the training school building at the end of March.

“This order follows on previous orders for A400M Full Flight Simulators from Spain, France, Germany and the UK. It confirms Thales as a leading military training service provider for the UK Ministry of Defence,” said Peter Hitchcock, Thales’s Vice President, UK avionics business.

Thales is the main supplier of the Airbus A400M’s avionics system, covering cockpit displays systems, Head-up displays, Flight management systems, Integrated Modular avionics, Enhanced Vision System.