AgustaWestland, AgustaWestland and Saab Training Systems have jointly developed an airborne Cabin/Door Gun Training System that utilises existing helicopter weapon installations. It takes skill and lots of practice to hit targets with a machine gun from a fast moving helicopter so the new Cabin/Door Gun Training System, which enables any flight to be utilised as a training mission, allows gunners to build up highly realistic experience without the need for live firing or dedicated gunner training flights.
The system provides low cost, high fidelity training for air gunnery and aircrew co-operation, which can only improve aircraft and aircraft crew survivability in combat situations. The system utilises the new BT 46 Mk II simulator, providing maximum degree of realism in combination with a integrated mission recorder. The mission recorder gives immediate feedback as well as comprehensive After Action Reviews and valuable analyse of training performance.
Utilising this system, airborne gunnery training can be carried out at any location; home, afloat or deployed, free from any firing range access issues and ammunition availability. Weapon handling will be the same as for any other type of training (dry or live firing).
As a Collective Training Solution, when using instrumented personnel, vehicle, water craft or building targets, the Door Gun Trainer allows helicopter assets to actively participate with Tactical Engagement Simulation (TES) ground or sea borne forces. This can be further enhanced with the use of aircraft and personnel vulnerability sensors for full force-on-force training.
The fitting and alignment of the system to existing host weapon installations is quick, non-invasive and only requires a 28Vdc power feed from the aircraft utility supply. To aid installation the majority of the electronics are mounted in a ‘dummy’ ammunition box.
The system utilises the BT46 Class 1 eye safe laser from Saab Training Systems, which provides high precision, high fidelity simulation throughout the effective range of any particular aircraft mounted weapon.
When an instrumented target is fired on, it accurately calculates the vulnerability and can in gunnery mode also provide feed back for point of impact. The high fidelity of the system provides the true ballistic trajectory of each individual round within a burst. Rounds can be fired in bursts of any length and at a firing rate configured to the particular type of gun in use.
The fired simulated rounds are accurately presented to the gunner as a simulated tracer burst on either an optional LCD display or, on a Tracer-and-Burst optical Simulator (TBOS). The gunner can then correct the aim as required, emulating real live firing.
Instructors are supported by the use of a second slaved display from the gunners display/sight, providing the capability to give objective and timely feedback at individual and collective levels. By including the real time feature, a number of gunners can be monitored and instructed on each training flight.
All event data, including video of the display/sight picture at the time, is stored and time tagged for After Action Review (AAR) and evaluation purposes.
AgustaWestland, a Finmeccanica company, is one of the largest helicopter companies in the world. The company offers an unrivalled range of helicopters, training and support solutions to satisfy the requirements of civil and military customers. AgustaWestland has its primary operations in Italy, the United Kingdom and the United States of America.
Saab Training Systems develops, manufactures, and markets advanced military training equipment, such as laser simulator systems, instrumented training systems, target equipment, and provides service and maintenance for delivered systems.
