The Basic Course for UAV pilot-operators facilitated by the University of Defence Brno, Czech Republic and coordinated by MATC from 1st to19th October 2018 has been successfully finished. The Course attended thirteen recruited UAV pilot-operators from Czech and Slovak armed forces. They were educated in the field of basic aviation issues and airworthiness and airspace management. MATC secured the Subject-Matter Expert from USAF who delivered classes for specified disciplines. Trainees obtained certificates from the University of Defence Brno and the MATC representatives on the last day of the Course. The next course for UAV pilots is planned for the year 2019.
The 6th MATC Steering Committee Meeting was held on 25th 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.
On the 11th 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.
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!
From 6th to 8th 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.
Left to right Danny Moore (QHTI), Miloš Pecha (Manager of Tactical Training), Sqn Ldr Mike Gallagher (EDA Head of CI Team), Danny Hanson (QHTI)
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.
The graduation ceremony for the specialists from Slovakian aeronautical radio navigation service was held on the premises of the Multinational Aviation Training Centre (MATC) on Friday, March 23, 2018.
The director of MATC together with representatives from Military Aviation Authority and Military Academy awarded 10 successful course graduates with certificates and congratulated them on the results achieved.
The Course is specially tailored for SVK Aviation Specialists and held in the Czech language. The Course consisted of not only Academic part but as well as practical one realized at the Airbase in Pardubice focused on testing and special equipment tuning during normal operation under oversight specialist from The Air Force and Air Defence Military Technical Institute (AFADMTI). This practical part was very appreciated by the Slovakian specialists.
Based on the continuing requirements for realizing next courses, both states agreed to continue with courses focused on ILS (Instrument Landing System), DME (Distance Measuring Equipment) and RL-4 (Radiolocator), with the extension to specialists of the power supply systems for radio navigation equipment. The main task is retaining successful cooperation between the Czech Air Force and the Slovakian Air Force.
The course for the specialists from Slovakian aeronautical radio navigation service will start on 5th March to 23rd March 2018. The course is focused on ILS (Instrument Landing System), DME (Distance Measuring Equipment) and (RL- 4) Radio-Locator ground specialists skills improvement. The Course is specially tailored for Slovakian aeronautical radio navigation service and held in the Czech language. The Course consists of not only Academic part but as well as practical one focused on testing and special equipment tuning.
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).
The first year of the operational language course project has been successfully completed during the graduation ceremony of the 4th course. The four-week Operational English Language Course for Door Gunners (OELC-DG) held at the Helicopter Training Point (HTP) Ostrava had two main benefits for the DG community. The instructors were not only native speakers, but also Qualified Helicopter Tactics Instructors from Great Britain. They transformed their wide operational experience directly to the lessons and missions. The other course benefit was the possibility to use the tactical simulator to train tactical scenarios in order to obtain the correct and timely use of key phrases.
In total, 39 door gunners from the Czech Republic, Croatia, and Hungary graduated from four courses performed in 2017. The aim of unifying and instructing English terminology used by airborne gunners within NATO air crews has been fully achieved.
During the theoretical lessons, practical exercises and simulated tactical missions, the DGs were put in various situations where the individual student has to speak English and cannot rely on a stronger speaker. According to observations of the British instructors, all students graduated from the course with a very high level of Operational English, being competent in the use of all commonly used NATO forms used in Coalition operations.
Based on the continuous requirement for DG training, MATC member states agreed to continue with OELC in 2018, with the extension to the Flight Engineers (FE), who can attend the course together with the DGs. The course syllabi will be slightly expanded to absorb FE operational language training requirements. Four courses OELC-DG/FE are planned in 2018, three of those will be basic ones and fourth is intended to be an advanced course. OELC-DG/FE is open for both MATC member states and NATO/PfP countries. The first OELC-DG/FE starts in April 2018.
The second DCA/QRA (Defensive Counter Air/Quick Reaction Alert) Synthetic Training for tactical pilots and GCI (Ground Radar Controller of Interceptors) has been accomplished in the term 20 – 24 November 2017 at Tactical Simulation Center (TSC), Pardubice, Czech Republic (LOM PRAHA s.p./CLV Pardubice). The training week as the TRG Module with code FTS 06, published in MATC TRG Catalogue, was focused on QRA/AP (Air Policing) procedures training and DCA – BvR (Behind Visual Range) training.
In this unique training participated pilots and GCI from MATC countries – Czech Republic, Croatia, Slovakia and Hungary, being supported by JAPCC SME. One of the main objectives was to train the “Regional Interoperability“ following the NATO standards. The pilots and GCI had the opportunity to train in mixed crews (pilot-GCI). The follow-up training for pilots and GCIs will continue also in 2018. The Air-to-Ground tactical training is in consideration as well.
