On Friday, a flight simulator training class for Black Hawk helicopters was opened at the National Armed Forces base in Lielvarde, with the creation costing 19 million U.S. dollars (16.2 million euros), the Ministry of Defense reported to the LETA agency.
The opening ceremony of the simulator class was attended by Minister of Defense Andris Sprūds, Commander of the Air Force Colonel Viesturs Masulis, representatives of the U.S. Embassy, and other invited guests.
The main goal of the new simulator is to maintain the professional qualifications of pilots and to prepare crews for actions in unforeseen and emergency situations. The simulator allows training in various weather conditions and military scenarios that cannot be safely replicated in real flights. It is also used to practice emergency procedures in the event of technical failures of the helicopters.
The Black Hawk simulator is made using real helicopter parts, which ensures that the training process closely matches real flight conditions. Its use for maintaining pilot qualifications allows for effective training of responses in crisis situations while significantly reducing costs compared to actual flight hours.
The total cost of the project is 19 million U.S. dollars, which is fully covered by the American support program. The contract includes not only the delivery and installation of the simulator but also the procurement of spare parts and consumables, as well as personnel training and initial technical support at the base in Lielvarde.
