The link division of Hughes Training is to stage a last-ditch attempt to win Lockheed's F-16A/B mid-life update simulator contract, despite the informal selection of Thomson Training & Simulation for the work.
While Thomson declines, to confirm that it has won, saying that the deal - for the Belgian, Danish, Dutch and Norwegian air forces - is not yet finalised, sources close to the programme say the French company has been selected against an earlier bid from Link, made when the company still belonged to CAE. Hughes took over Link early this year.
"The contract is certainly something we are interested in," says Hughes. Although Link has not yet made a formal approach on a fresh bid, Hughes says that the combination of the parent company's own experience in F-16 training systems with that of its newly-acquired affiliate puts it in a much stronger position.
Hughes already produces a range of F-16 training systems including a unit-level trainer, weapons systems trainer and maintenance training devices.
Thomson was the first company after the former CAE-Link to win an order for F-16 simulators with its $22.7 million contract in Thailand. The Netherlands' Fokker Space and Systems says, it is now negotiating with the French company over offset work on the contract.
Lockheed invited bids in December for a range of training devices from full-mission simulators to squadron-level trainers.
Hughes Training has signed a $70 million contract this month to supply eight F-16 unit training devices (UTDs) to Taiwan. The UTD is a low-cost, squadron-level trainer, which can be used in a standard office environment and is easily transportable.
Source: Flight International