ROME, ITALY--(Marketwired - May 20, 2013) - (NYSE:CAE)(TSX:CAE) - On the eve of the International Training and Education Conference (ITEC), Europe's leading showcase for military simulation and training, CAE announced that the Portuguese Navy recently completed 20,000 incident-free flight hours for its fleet of Lynx Mk95 helicopters.
The Portuguese Navy has been training its Lynx helicopter pilots for the past 19 years at the Joint Lynx Simulator Training Establishment (JLSTE), which was originally located at Naval Air Station de Kooy in Den Helder, Netherlands and is now based at Naval Air Station Nordholz in Germany. The JLSTE includes a CAE-built Lynx full-mission flight trainer (FMFT) that has been in-service since 1988 and provided nearly 100,000 hours of training to Lynx aircrews from Germany, Denmark, Norway, Netherlands, and Portugal.
"Achieving 20,000 flight hours with no airframe damage or loss of life for the Portuguese Navy's small fleet of Lynx Mk95 helicopters is a significant milestone and one that would not have been possible without the simulator training we have received," said Paulo Jorge da Conceição Lopes, Navy Helicopter Commanding Officer and Helicopter Training Centre Director, Portuguese Navy. "The knowledge we have gained from training with Lynx aircrews from other nations, and the world-class simulation technology and support provided by CAE, has played a vital role in the training and safety of our aircrews."
The CAE-built Lynx FMFT entered service in late 1988 and this year will celebrate 25 years of service to the German Navy, Royal Danish Navy, Royal Norwegian Air Force, Royal Netherlands Navy and Portuguese Navy. CAE has performed numerous upgrades to the simulator since it entered service, and maintenance and support of the Lynx FMFT has been handled by technicians from CAE Germany for the past 25 years.
"We congratulate the Portuguese Navy on achieving 20,000 flight hours with no accidents or incidents," said Ian Bell, CAE's Vice President and Business Leader - Europe. "Simulation-based training continues to prove its relevance and importance as a cost-effective means for improving safety, operational efficiency and mission readiness."
CAE is a global leader in modelling, simulation and training for civil aviation and defence. The company employs approximately 8,000 people at more than 100 sites and training locations in approximately 30 countries. CAE offers civil aviation, military and helicopter training services in more than 45 locations worldwide and trains approximately 100,000 crew members yearly. In addition, the CAE Oxford Aviation Academy offers training to aspiring pilot cadets in 11 CAE-operated flight schools. CAE's business is diversified, ranging from the sale of simulation products to providing comprehensive services such as training and aviation services, integrated enterprise solutions, in-service support and crew sourcing. The company applies simulation expertise and operational experience to help customers enhance safety, improve efficiency, maintain readiness and solve challenging problems. CAE is leveraging its simulation capabilities in new markets such as healthcare and mining.
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A high resolution photo of the CAE-built Lynx full-mission flight trainer (FMFT) that has been provided nearly 100,000 hours of training to Lynx aircrews is available here and at www.cae.com/photos
