8 January 2021: US Navy has awarded CAE USA a contract to provide comprehensive T-44C Pegasus aircrew training services at Naval Air Station (NAS) Corpus Christi in Texas. Valued over USD 70 million, the contract is for base one-year with additional one year options through mid-2027. CAE USA provides T-44C aircrew training services to the Chief of Naval Air Training (CNATRA) under a contractor-owned, contractor-operated training program. The T-44C is the Navy’s variant of the King Air aircraft used for intermediate and advanced multi-engine pilot training.
“We started delivering T-44C aircrew training to the Navy in 2013 and are honored the Navy has selected CAE USA to continue providing the essential training services for CNATRA’s multi-engine training pipeline,” said Ray Duquette, President and General Manager, CAE USA.
CAE USA provides qualified instructors who deliver all the required T-44C classroom and simulator training at NAS Corpus Christi. CAE owns, operates and maintains a suite of T-44C training devices that are used extensively as part of the T-44C training syllabus. CAE is also introducing new virtual reality trainers based on the Microsoft HoloLens that will be used for T-44C familiarization and procedural training tasks. This will enable more student throughput by freeing the T-44C training devices and aircraft for more advanced training. In total, more than 400 US Navy, Marine Corps, and international students train annually on the T-44C at NAS Corpus Christi.
“The Navy T-44C aircrew training program is a great example of how CAE partners with our military customers to introduce digital innovations such as virtual reality technologies that help contribute to more efficient and effective training,” said Dan Gelston, Group President, Defense & Security, CAE.
The T-44C aircrew training program falls under the responsibility of CNATRA, which oversees the Naval Air Training Command and the training of all naval aviators and naval flight officers.
