In the week from 25^th February to 1^st March 2019 was held in Szolnok (HUN) the 1^st MATC Training Conference this year.
The main aim of the Conference was to evaluate training experience from the previous year and to exchange information about upcoming training events. Additionally, the Workshop for planned CAO SIM TACT Training (Counter Air Operations Simulated Training) was simultaneously held with this conference. This Training for NATINAMDS/QRA pilots and GCIs is coordinated and managed by MATC in TSC (Tactical Simulation Centre) Pardubice, CZE, in term 25-29 March 2019, focused on regional interoperability. 

The second goal of this Conference was familiarization with the brand new THALES Rotary Wing Tactical Simulator and its capability, and additionally with the JTAC Tactical Simulator. The MATC TRG Conference participants took part in practical demonstrations of the simulators, and also they have the opportunity to visit the Mi-24 sqn equipped with the overhauled Mi-24P helicopters. Moreover, the HUN site provided the participants with interesting information about the HDF 86th AFB capacities and capabilities, and about planned transformation of HUN Rotary Wing Aviation.

 Written by JD

The MATC representatives attended the 20^th AAT PTC Conference (Air Advisory Team Pre-deployment Training Course) which was held in Budapest, Hungary from 4^th to 6^th of November 2018. The main purpose of the MATC presence there was an endeavour to find possible ways for mutual international training continuation. All participants have agreed on the importance of such cooperation in the future to keep once established close cooperation and have promised to make an effort to enhance desired interoperability.

The first Mutual Bilateral Airworthiness Recognition (MBAR) conference after MATC activation as NATO Military Body took place in the DAP hotel in Prague from 4^th to 5^th December 2018. The event was attended by the Military Aviation Authorities (MAA) directors representing the Czech Republic, Croatia, Hungary, and the Slovak Republic as well as by the MATC Director. The participants signed the joint bilateral documents in order to prolong MBAR certificates of procedures, rules in training the aircrews and maintenance personnel in the scope of MATC elements to 31st of December 2019.

In addition, this act has simultaneously confirmed successful mutual cooperation among the Czech, Croatian, Hungarian, and Slovakian MAAs not only for the benefit of the MATC but also, in a broad scope, for an exchange of lessons-learned and further harmonization of procedures applied in the air forces of individual participating countries.

Written by PJ

The representatives of Czech Air Force (CZAF) visited the helicopter Airbase in Prešov, Faculty of Aeronautics and Slovak Training Academy in Košice. These meetings were held from 20^th to 21^st September 2018. The representatives of CZAF and Slovakian Air Force discussed experience concerning operating of helicopters and their service support. The representatives of Faculty of Aeronautics and Slovak Training Academy presented faculty and academy capabilities and possibilities for education and training of military students.

Written by PJ

MATC successfully organized Site Survey at the Italian Army Aviation regiment in Bolzano and the Slovenian Air Force detachment in Ljubljana-Brnik from 6^th to 8^th of November 2018.
These Site Surveys were based on the Request of the 22^nd Helicopter Base of the CZ AF and were aimed to find new training facilities that could be used for providing the Mountainous Flight training in the Alps region in the future. Surveys were focused on gaining information related to training areas and possible support that facilities could provide during the training. A possible cooperation was negotiated on the bilateral and multinational level as an important key activity leading to interoperability.

^{Written by PS}

The 6^th MATC Steering Committee Meeting was held on 25^th September 2018 in Prešov, Slovak Republic. SC Meeting in Prešov was the second one held out of the Lead Nation territory and was extraordinary because of the recent MATC activation as a NATO Military Body. 

The main meeting subjects were new SC Chairman election, the Plan of Work (POW), MATC Multinational Budget (MMB) and Recognition Process Agreement (RPA) approval, as well as the MATC activation status report and the MATC training activities summary. As a new SC Chairman was chosen by SC members BG Petr Hromek, CZ AF Commander. The next regular SC meeting in autumn 2019 is going to be held in the Czech Republic.

Written by RH

On the 11^th September 2018, the Multinational Aviation Training Centre (MATC) was activated as a NATO Military Body (NMB) by the highest authority of NATO, North Atlantic Council (NAC). The activation process, which started in October 2017 by signing of the „Formal Request for the MATC Activation“, had been completed after HQ SACT and MC/IMS procedure termination.

Becoming an NMB, MATC is an international military organization with an international status granted in accordance with Article 14 of the Paris Protocol (Protocol on the status of International Military Headquarters set up pursuant to the North Atlantic Treaty). This status ensures legal personality, which includes the right to conclude contracts and to acquire and handle property related to the MATC operation and maintenance.

^{Written by PV}

New technology has now arrived at HTP Ostrava! The dual full-crew simulator facility is the show piece of the company’s newly introduced tactical centre for helicopter crews. The helicopter tactical simulation platforms have been installed to cover the varied and diverse tactical training requirements of multinational helicopter forces.

“HTP Ostrava is now in an even better position to support helicopter units with a state-of-the-art simulator. This facility will enable units to fully prepare for deployments for current and future operations,” stated HTP manager for tactical training, Miloš Pecha.

He also added:
“But the simulator itself would be nothing without the experienced instructors to train and mentor the crews – therefore, we offer the unique combination of a modern training facility together with Qualified Helicopter Tactics Instructors (QHTI) from the UK to provide training in accordance with current standards.”
The QHTIs have a broad operational experience across many recent areas of operation. Standardization of tactics procedures across helicopter units is their key motto, as they recently came from delivering Helicopter Tactics Courses (HTC) and European Helicopter Tactics Instructor Courses (HTIC) run by the European Defence Agency (EDA).
The recent affiliation with the EDA Helicopter training programme continues to encourage interoperability and standardizes the multinational training across Europe and beyond. Facilitating this under the umbrella of the Multinational Aviation Training Centre (MATC), a potential new NATO body in the near future, HTP Ostrava is ready to provide this training to NATO countries.
HTP has already begun delivering training on the new simulator with pre-deployment training of the combined Czech, Hungarian and Croatian Air Advisory Team (AAT), running alongside the Operational English Language Course. Later in the year, the focus will be given to tactical refresher courses for the Czech Air Force crews, in order to keep their capabilities refreshed and standardized. In the very near future HTP expect more countries to join the tactical courses, or request bespoke courses which can be tailor-made in terms of length and scenario types depending on their operational deployments or training requirements.

The HTP tactical simulator allows realistic and immersive flying in both urban and rural environments in any weather, day/night and environmental (limited visibility dust/snow) conditions and is ideal for basic and advanced tactical training for full helicopter crews. Each aircraft has excellent graphics and a flight model complete with a cabin containing 2 door-gunner stations with machine guns utilizing virtual reality (VR) visual systems and weapon system ballistics which correspond to real characteristics. A wide range of threats can be simulated to push the crews to their limits. The tactical training will consist of three main parts: mission planning using adequate planning cells and tools, mission execution with actual missions flown in the simulator and finally, mission de-briefing using a dedicated communications playback capability.

The HTP Ostrava team is striving to further improve the capabilities of helicopter forces!

Written by JD

From 6^th to 8^th June 2018, the Head of the Chief Instructor Team of the European Defence Agency (EDA), conducted a fact-finding mission to Helicopter Training Point (HTP) Ostrava in the Czech Republic; one of the training capacities of the Multinational Aviation Training Centre (MATC).
One of the tasks of the EDA Chief Instructor Team is to ensure standardization, cooperation, and interoperability across disparate rotary tactical training units.

EDA Chief Instructor conducted a detailed assessment of the tactical training potential in HTP Ostrava. He focused on the tactical simulator performance, the training documentation, the HTP facility and the instructor’s qualification.

The courses currently being delivered in HTP Ostrava include the Operational English Language Course, which although currently focussed on rear-crew, has great application for full-crew training. Additionally, HTP offers basic and refresher tactical training delivered by experienced UK Qualified Helicopter Tactics Instructors (QHTI).

The HTP tactical simulator performance allows realistic and immersive flight in both the urban and rural environment in any weather/daylight/weather conditions and was found ideal for basic and advanced tactical training for full helicopter crews. A door gunner cabin with a PKM machine gun utilizes a virtual reality (VR) visual system, and the door gunnery ballistics correspond to the real system’s characteristics.

Based on his findings, the EDA CI recommended that the EDA Helicopter Training Programme establishes a formal affiliation with HTP Ostrava. This will include an annual visit carried out by the CI Team to assure standardization and cooperation in the future.

The affiliation is the direct response to the requirement to increase both standardization and interoperability across rotary tactical training units throughout Europe. Having both sophisticated tactical simulator and well-experienced QHTIs, HTP Ostrava will become one of the training facilities providing a high-level tactical training based on the latest operational experiences from current helicopter deployments.

Written by MP

The final Mutual Bilateral Airworthiness Recognition (MBAR) conference, attended by the National Military Authorities (NMA) directors representing the Czech Republic, Croatia, Hungary, and Slovakia as well as the MATC Director, took place in the hall of DAP Prague on December 6, 2017. The participants signed joint bilateral documents to certify mutual recognition of procedures in training the flying and technical support personnel at the Multinational Aviation Training Centre (MATC).