Turkey's Havelsan and Emirati company Calidus have agreed to a deal for the development of aircraft simulation technology.

In a significant development for the aviation industry, Turkish defense firm Havelsan and Emirati aerospace firm Calidus have joined forces to create a comprehensive training ecosystem for the Calidus B-250 light attack and training aircraft.

The agreement, signed on August 29, 2023, at the International Defense Industry Fair (IDEF) 2025 in Istanbul, marks the beginning of a long-term strategic partnership between the two companies.

Havelsan will provide an end-to-end integrated training solution for pilots of the Calidus B-250 aircraft. The systems, powered by a digital training infrastructure, will include a flight training simulator, partial mission simulators, a briefing and debriefing station, and a cockpit entry and exit training device.

The flight training simulator, developed by Havelsan, will recreate real mission scenarios with advanced flight dynamics, allowing pilots to master the entire operational range of the B-250 before stepping into the cockpit. The partial mission simulators, also developed by Havelsan, will focus on mission-critical maneuvers and subsystems.

The briefing and debriefing station will serve as an interaction platform for planning missions, conducting analyses, and evaluating performance. The cockpit entry and exit training device, part of the training ecosystem, will provide safety-focused training for emergency evacuation procedures.

Mehmet Akif Nacar, general manager of Havelsan, expressed that the project with Calidus aligns with Havelsan's vision to develop advanced systems. He stated, "This project with Calidus shows Havelsan's commitment to developing 'human-centered, integrated, and reliable systems'."

Khalifa Murad Al Balooshi, CEO of Calidus, chose Havelsan due to its expertise in the field of training. He highlighted Havelsan's ability to provide B-250 users with cutting-edge technology through its training simulations. He stated, "Havelsan's simulations offer modern, advanced technology, and future-proof capabilities."

The systems will be installed at Calidus facilities in the United Arab Emirates. This collaboration between Havelsan and Calidus signifies a step towards advanced, integrated training solutions for the aviation industry.