Rheinmetall to Provide Cargo Hold Simulators for European Airbus A400 Aircraft

Airbus has contracted Rheinmetall to supply two additional training simulators for the European A400M.

Earmarked for German air bases in Wunstorf and Altenstadt, the two simulators will be delivered and ready to operate at the end of 2022 or the beginning of 2023. The order is worth a figure in the lower two-digit million-euro range, the company said in a release Friday.

In Wunstorf, Air Transport Squadron 62 will receive an A400M Cargo Hold Part Task Trainer (CPTT). This will augment the A400M training centre’s existing suite of simulation and training systems, which includes the advanced Cargo Hold Trainer Enhanced (CHT-E), used for training cargo hold crews, especially loadmasters and ground personnel.

Specially configured for the mission, a second CPTT will be installed at the Airmobile and Air Transport School in Altenstadt, where it will be used for training airfreight handling personnel and paratroopers. The CPTT will be the base’s first A400M simulator.

The A400M CPTT is an exact full-scale replica of the A400M cargo hold, including the operator interfaces. It permits highly realistic training of cargo hold crews and ground personnel. Highly versatile, the CPTT enables mission-specific configuration of the cargo hold. Trainees can practise the preparation of cargo, loading and unloading, in-flight and ground procedures. The crew also learns to operate as a team. The system lends itself to initial and advanced training as well as refresher courses and mission preparation.

Complex scenarios and emergency situations can be practiced in complete safety, since there is no need to use the original equipment, which therefore remains ready for real-world operations. All of this ensures that personnel are well-prepared and qualified to carry out their tasks. In addition to training operations, the CPTT lets users evaluate, test and qualify procedures and configurations for new types of loads. This is possible thanks to the CPTT’s highly accurate replication of the original equipment.

The CPTT also enables the complete spectrum of cargo training assets to be adapted for other platforms.