The HTC is a 3-week course, consists of classroom lessons and simulator sorties and takes place at Sintra Air Base Nº1, Portugal.
The HTC has been designed to cover whole crew helicopter operations training in a non-permissive synthetic environment, and for maximum training benefit, participating nations should send whole crews. Realistic scenarios will be flown as two ship sorties to reinforce the ground school teaching.
“The aim of the Helicopter Tactics Course is to deliver realistic and relevant helicopter tactics training in a synthetic environment to rotary wing crews from MHTC Participating Member States.”
a) Course Content
i) The course includes:
(1) Operational English language training.
(2) Whole crew training.
(3) Scenarios based on realistic events that will include traditional Asymmetric Warfare Tactics during the early simulator sorties, before moving into a Symmetric Warfare/Linear Airspace scenario.
(4) A threat based non-permissive environment.
(5) A synthetic environment adapted to support post Afghanistan contingencies.
(6) Core syllabus based on EDA Helicopter Exercise Programme SOPs.
ii) The Course is split into 2 phases:
(1) Academic Phase. The first half of the course will consist of intensive classroom-based lectures delivered by experienced Tactics Instructors mixed with 3 Simulator sorties that are aimed at bringing all students to a level of knowledge to maximise the opportunities presented during the advanced simulator phase.
(2) Battlefield Operations Phase. The Battlefield Operations Phase involves students planning and executing 5 simulator missions and builds on the theoretical and practical knowledge delivered during the academic phase. During the Battlefield Operations phase, students will be expected to spend half of each day planning a sortie and the second half executing their plan. All of the Battlefield Operations sorties will be flown as a two-ship formation in a variety of scenarios. These scenarios develop in complexity and tempo as the course progresses. During this phase you will also be expected to prepare and deliver a threat brief on a weapon system; the topic for your brief will be allocated on arrival and you will be provided with an electronic template for your brief.
b) There will be a Check of Understanding (CoU) examination on the last Thursday of the course.
