Australian helicopter simulator manufacturer Ryan Aerospace has won a contract to supply 31 Helimod III simulators to the US Army.
The virtual reality (VR) simulators will be used at Fort Rucker in Alabama as part of the Aviator Training Next (ATN) program, which is an experimental, innovative system of training pilots in the primary phase using commercially-available VR technology.
Ryan Aerospace will work on the project with the US Army, Sacramento-based Precision Flight Controls and defence contractor SAIC. The US Military Academy at West Point will evaluate the program and report on its viability as a training system.
Managing Director of Ryan Aerospace, Chris Ryan said he was “delighted to partner with the US Army and prime contractor SAIC to work on this ground-breaking project."
All 31 Helimods have already been installed and the experiment will run until mid 2020.
Ryan Aerospace recently won a Queensland Premier's Export award in the Small Business Category.