(Photo/M1 Services)
By Troy Turner
The home of U.S. Army aviation is in Alabama, where approximately 1,250 new aviators are trained at Fort Rucker each year to fly helicopters. Thursday, the Army announced a $10 billion contract in a program calling on commercial trainers to teach its future pilots over a span covering almost three decades.
The U.S. Army Aviation Center of Excellence has used commercial trainers in the past, but the announced Flight School Next program takes the outside service to a new consolidated level, expecting it to provide initial entry rotary-wing training for 800 to 1,500 Army pilots annually “using a contractor-owned, contractor-operated solution with commercially available services and equipment at Fort Rucker.”
“It is designed to modernize the Army’s aviation training enterprise, producing highly proficient initial entry aviators at a significantly lower cost to the Army,” the Army announcement said.
M1 Support Services L.P., Denton, Texas, was awarded the contract from among 11 bids received. It carries a ceiling value of $10 billion for training through Aug. 12, 2052.
Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, is the contracting agency.
“Flight School Next delivers a critical improvement in our Initial Entry Rotary Wing Training model. Simply put, it delivers new military helicopter pilots with far better foundational skills,” said Maj. Gen. Clair A. Gill, commanding general of the Aviation Center. “The fact that it delivers this increased capability at a significant long-term savings to our Army is a great added benefit.”
Flight School Next consolidates aviation training functions into a single enterprise framework, replacing multiple contracts with an integrated solution focused on producing proficient aviators more efficiently and effectively, the Army said.
(Photo/U.S. Army)
The program is designed to ensure students demonstrate foundational aviation skills, safe aircraft operation under visual and instrument flight conditions, terrain flight proficiency, navigation skills and tactical mission planning capabilities.
“The modernized training construct also incorporates industry best practices and advanced technologies to enhance training effectiveness while maintaining the Army’s rigorous aviation standards,” the Army said.
The program will remain under Army oversight.
M1’s team includes industry leaders across training, simulation, manufacturing, civil aviation and academia, the company said in a press statement.
The team consists of M1 Support Services, Robinson Helicopter Company, Quantum Helicopters, General Dynamics Information Technology, and the University of North Dakota Aerospace Foundation; “each contributing best-in-class capabilities to strengthen the Army’s FSN mission,” M1 said.
“We are honored to be entrusted with this vital mission,” said George Krivo, M1’s chairman and CEO. “M1 will deliver a fully integrated, innovation-rich training solution designed to develop more proficient Army aviators on time and on budget.”
M1’s flight training utilizes artificial intelligence tools, advanced simulation platforms, virtual training, and uses R66 helicopters.
Troy Turner is the editor and senior consultant for AlaDefense.com. He can be reached at [email protected]. His bio can be found here.
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