The Philippine Air Force is set to strengthen its Black Hawk helicopter training capabilities with new flight simulators and virtual maintenance systems that use digital-twin technology to replicate aircraft operations and keep training aligned with fleet upgrades.
The Department of National Defense signed a direct commercial sale contract with Lockheed Martin for a full-motion flight simulator, a virtual maintenance trainer and associated courseware for the S-70 Black Hawk fleet, the US defense technology company said in a statement.
The contract also covers sustainment and spare parts support through August 2028, as the air force establishes its own training capabilities for pilots and maintenance personnel.
The full-motion simulator replicates the sights and sensations of flying a Black Hawk, while the virtual maintenance trainer provides interactive simulations of aircraft systems, including hydraulics and avionics, allowing maintenance personnel to practice procedures in a virtual environment.
Lockheed Martin Rotary Training Architect Reggie Price said the company’s training devices range from desktop trainers to fully immersive virtual environments, all designed to keep pace with changes to the aircraft.
“As the OEM of the Black Hawk, we combine our extensive knowledge of the aircraft with domain expertise in modeling and simulation to provide pilots, operators, and maintainers with the most realistic training experiences available,” Mr. Price said in a statement.
He said keeping the training devices aligned with the aircraft’s configuration and updates was important to ensuring the systems remained relevant to operational requirements.
Chris Flaws, Lockheed Martin Rotary Training Engineering Project Manager said digital-twin technology allows the company to create accurate virtual representations of the aircraft’s systems, components and configurations to improve training effectiveness.
“Using a digital twin or virtual replica of the Black Hawk, we can build the most accurate and up-to-date representation of the aircraft’s systems, components, and configurations to enhance training effectiveness,” Mr. Flaws said.
He added that the digital thread of the Black Hawk’s operational flight program allows the company to develop high-fidelity simulations in days rather than years, helping training systems keep pace with aircraft modernization.
The contract marks the first order for Lockheed Martin’s S-70 Black Hawk training devices and supports the Philippine Air Force’s efforts to improve training as its helicopter fleet expands.
The Philippines operates European-made Sikorsky Black Hawk helicopters for missions including search and rescue, humanitarian assistance, firefighting and troop transport across the archipelago.
While the country establishes its own training capability, Philippine Air Force pilots will continue training at the US-based Sikorsky Training Academy.
Lockheed Martin also provides training systems for other aircraft, including the CH-53K, F-35, F-16 and C-130J. — Kaizzer Angela Marie V. Manuba