On 26 March, the EPRC visited the Multinational Helicopter Training Centre (MHTC), located 30 minutes west of Lisbon at Air Base 1, Sintra, POR.
The MHTC is the outcome of an EDA project undertaken in 2009 which has culminated last year in the proper establishment of the centre, as an autonomous entity from the EDA, based on an agreement of 14 member Nations (AUT, BEL, CYP, CZE, DEU, GRC, FIN, HUN, ITA, NLD, PRT, SRB, SWE, SVN). It has the aim of improving the interoperability and capability of European military helicopter Units.
Equipped with cutting-edge simulation and classroom capabilities and, in the near future, new training and accommodation facilities, the MHTC uses its staff’s solid planning experience to increase training opportunities for helicopter crews originated from various Nations in Europe.
The centre is in charge of organising the “Blade” series (Hot Blade, High Blade, Cold Blade, etc.) exercises within the Helicopter Exercise Programme (HEP), and also organises the Helicopter Tactics Course (HTC) and the Helicopter Tactics Instructor Course (HTIC), hence covering all aspects of helicopter crew skills.
As most of the MHTC activities include some Personnel Recovery (PR) aspects, both EPRC and MHTC viewed they could gain in reinforcing their cooperation.
Welcomed by the Deputy Commander (DCOM) of the MHTC, the EPRC DCOM accompanied by another staff member held highly-useful discussions, focussed on the common aspects of the training that each of them provides the Nations with, which allowed to identify syllabus similarities, and opportunities for further exchange between the two organisations in the field of Recovery Forces education and training.
Such interactions undoubtedly contribute to improving the respective entities’ products by exchanging good practices about standardisation, and therefore contribute to improving the overall interoperability of the Nations’ forces.
