EDA launches RPAS simulator project

The European Defense Agency (EDA) has launched a project to provide networked procedural trainers to the European Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) Remotely Piloted Air System (RPAS) Community, it announced on 13 February.

The Training Technology Demonstrator project will provide 'up to nine' trainers to the community, which includes France, Germany, Greece, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands and Poland. The community looks to share operational experience and, where possible, to pool and share maintenance of similar assets, logistics, training, doctrine, concepts and procedures.

Early work on the project looked to harmonise training syllabi between the European RPAS schools and to complete joint studies on vulnerability and countering UAS swarms. In early 2016, it was decided to further enhance training cooperation and EDA was tasked to develop a proposal to improve communication and to facilitate joint exercises.

In close cooperation with the European Air Group and the European Union Military Staff, the project will deliver hardware simulators, improved harmonisation and interoperability, and realistic operational scenarios for MALE RPAS to underpin the community's work.

The EDA has signed a contract with DCI and DIGINEXT of France to design and build the systems over 2017-18.