Pilots of the Philippine Air Force (PAF) recently started their S-70i Black Hawk flight simulator training in Brunei to acquire key practices in handling the country's new helicopters.
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Monday, Dec. 6, that the training was launched on Dec. 3 at the Canadian Aviation Electronics (CAE) Brunei Multi-Purpose Training Centre (BMPTC).
During the launching ceremony, Chargé d’Affaires (CDA) of the Philippine Embassy in Brunei Minister Pete Raymond V. Delfin expressed appreciation to the Brunei Government for its active engagement and valuable support to the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).
“This is a milestone in our bilateral defense relations with Brunei. Notwithstanding the strong and dynamic defense cooperation between our countries, the program represents a practical option for S-70i Black Hawk training as PAF pilots need not proceed outside the ASEAN region," Delfin said.
"It opens up more opportunities for PAF pilots and allows greater interaction and exchanges between our Armed Forces,” Delfin added.
An agreement was inked earlier this year between the PAF and the Royal Brunei Air Force (RBAirF) as part of the continuing implementation of a bilateral memorandum of understanding on Defense Cooperation signed in 2001.
According to Delfin, the instructor pilots for the PAF trainees were provided by their counterpart to share the “best practices” in the utilization and maintenance of the S-70i Black Hawk aircrafts.
The flight simulator training will be conducted in six batches starting Nov. 16 and will conclude on Dec. 27. The first batch of PAF personnel arrived in Brunei on Nov. 8.
Delfin also stressed that the training of the PAF pilots in Brunei is "not only cost effective due to the proximity of the sultanate, but also demonstrates good regional partnership with a fellow ASEAN member state."
Under a multi-year contract, subsequent batches of PAF pilots will participate in the program in the next few years.
The Black Hawk training facility in Brunei was established as a joint venture of Canadian Aviation Electronics Ltd. of Canada and the Ministry of Finance and Economy of Brunei Darussalam.
The CAE 3000 Series S-70i simulator located at CAE-BMPTC provides an immersive experience for the full range of pilot training requirements for the S-70i Black Hawk.