HMAS Albatross will become the home of a new helicopter training system for navy and army personnel.
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The $700 million HATS (Helicopter Aircrew Training System) program was announced by Defence Minister David Johnston at the Nowra naval base on Thursday morning. The minister described it as “a very big day for Shoalhaven, Nowra and helicopters in Australia”.
He said contracts were about to be signed for the $700 million system which would deliver about 380 jobs to Nowra, 80 of those permanent in the long-term life of the program.
“The training scheme will equip us with world class, qualified helicopter pilots for our new MH60 Romeo helicopters, which bring a huge anti-submarine and fighting capability to our frigates on the water, 47 MRH-90 helicopters, 22 Tigers and seven Chinooks,” he said.
“This is nothing but positive for the region or quality of helicopter pilots that we’ll put in the air for the Australian Defence Force.”
In a very hotly contested tender process, Senator Johnston said the preferred partner for HATS, Boeing Defence Australia, would provide three full-motion Thales EC 135 flight simulators, a flight deck for the navy’s new seagoing training vessel, 15 EC-135 twin-engine glass cockpit training European helicopters, which are very reliable and cost effective and would replace the Squirrels and Kiowas.
“It is a huge saving in bringing all the training together across the four platforms. Our output is across the four helicopters we use. Having them all training and doing what they do together, gives us some interoperability, commonality and more cost effectiveness,” he said.
The program also includes around $200 million in new and refurbished facilities at HMAS Albatross.
Initial operating capability for HATS is due by late 2018 but the systems will begin to receive students before then, with a capacity of up to 130 students a year covering pilots, aviation warfare officers, aircrewmen, sensor operators and qualified aircrew returning for instructor training.
Gilmore MP Ann Sudmalis was thrilled with the announcement, saying Nowra was a navy town and was here to stay.
“It’s taken a long time and at one stage we did think it possibly might not come here, but I’m over the moon with this news,” she said.
“It brings 380 jobs, 80 professional jobs such as engineers, technicians.
“The announcement says Shoalhaven, Nowra, Gilmore, here we are, we are on the map, we are here to stay and we are the navy town and always will be. It’s just fabulous.”
Chief of Navy, and a proud born and bred Nowra boy and former commanding officer of HMAS Albatross, Vice-Admiral Tim Barrett said the announcement was great for the area.
“I’m delighted with the announcement, it will be great for the area but this is a training system for all ADF,” he said.
“While Nowra might be a navy town, this system will be for pilots and other aircrew for navy and army and I’m delighted with that.
“We are moving more into the future with more joint operations across the services and this is our contribution towards a joint training centre.”