CAE To Provide Training To Predator, Reaper Aircrew

CAE today announced that CAE USA has been awarded a USAF contract to provide comprehensive Predator and Reaper remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) aircrew training services.

Under terms of the contract, which was awarded as a one-year base contract for approximately US$20 million with four one-year options, CAE USA will provide classroom, simulator, and live flying instruction as well as courseware development in support of the MQ-1 Predator and MQ-9 Reaper training programs, according to an official statement.

Training will be delivered at four USAF bases where approximately 1,500 MQ-1/MQ-9 pilots and sensor operators train annually. The contract was awarded in CAE's second quarter of fiscal 2014. 

"The use of unmanned and remotely piloted aircraft is playing a much more prominent role in military operations, and this requires highly trained and mission-ready aircrews," said Ray Duquette, President and General Manager, CAE USA. "We are pleased the U.S. Air Force has recognized CAE USA's aircrew training services expertise and capabilities, and we look forward to supporting the combat readiness for the USAF's Air Combat Command Predator and Reaper aircrews."

The MQ-1 Predator and the MQ-9 Reaper are armed, multi-mission, medium-altitude, long-endurance remotely piloted aircraft that are employed primarily as an intelligence-collection asset and secondarily against dynamic execution targets. Given their significant loiter time, wide-range of sensors, multi-mode communications suite, and precision weapons, these unmanned aerial vehicles provide a unique capability to perform coordination, reconnaissance and strike missions against high-value, fleeting, and time-sensitive targets.