Acknowledging a need to develop expertise in the ASW mission, Norway awarded HeliOperations the contract supporting ASW training in September 2020. Training is being delivered to a mixed course of both aviation and mission support professionals.

The ASW training course is aimed at supporting the RNoAF as they modernise their ASW capability. Their P-3 Orions are due to be replaced by Boeing’s P-8A Poseidon, while the replacement of their Westland Lynx fleet with NH Industries NH-90s is already underway, bringing Norway a helicopter-borne ASW capability.

“Norway’s evolution in their ASW forces will provide a welcome addition to NATO’s operational capability and deliver resilience at a key time and place,” said Dan Howard, business development director at HeliOperations. “The RNoAF approached HeliOperations to provide an ASW training package. Through our extensive network of subject matter experts, we have assembled a team of highly experienced former Royal Navy ASW instructors to deliver this course.”

The bespoke, six-week course is designed to deliver the fundamentals of ASW missions and will include a mix of theoretical and practical instruction and assessment. It is designed to prepare the students to deliver applied training in their operational units.

Colonel Paul-Håvard Sørensen, Commanding Officer, Royal Norwegian Air Force Training Centre, explained how the training was also helping to maintain expertise during type transition. “Operating both old and new aircraft systems at the same time Is challenging, especially when it comes to educating our personnel to operate the old P-3C system,” he said. “HeliOperations deliver high standard courses, giving our future P-3C sonar operators highly valued basic sonar operator training”.

The course will be delivered at the HeliOperations training facility at Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose, which is also home to the UK’s own ASW helicopter squadrons. “HeliOperations are extremely happy to be helping to deliver a new capability to the Royal Norwegian Air Force,” said company CEO, Steve Gladston. “The team delivering this training have decades of experience in ASW, ranging from mission command and coordination through to equipment and employment of a variety of aircraft types in this role.” The first RNoAF ASW course is due to graduate in November