MHTC TA is signed On 28 June, the Technical Arrangement (TA) of the Multinational Helicopter Training Centre (MHTC), which defines the organisation, missions and responsibilities of the Centre was signed by 14 founding countries: Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Serbia, Slovenia, and Sweden. For an initial period of 15 years, the MHTC will take over the management of EDA’s current three helicopter training programmes: - the Helicopter Exercise Programme (HEP), - the Helicopter Tactics Course (HTC) programme - the Helicopter Tactics Instructor Course (HTIC) programme. These programmes have been managed by the Agency since 2009 and are among the most recognised and successful ever managed by the Agency, as well as being highly valued and respected by the rotorcraft community. Since the launch of the MHTC project in August 2019, EDA has played an active role in coordinating the harmonisation of the different agreements which form the legal, operational, and financial basis of the MHTC and its working processes. From now on, and until the MHTC Initial Operational Capability (IOC) is reached by the end of 2023, EDA will progressively transfer this role to Portugal, as the MHTC host nation, which will take over the activities under the supervision of the MHTC Steering Board, and with the support of EDA. Among the main upcoming tasks in the process of setting up the MHTC are the buildup of the infrastructure in Sintra and the establishment of a contract with a service provider for the provision of a training simulator and instructor capacities to support the Centre’s activities.