The Boeing Company has been awarded a U.S. Air Force contract to provide a C-17 Aircrew Training System (ATS) to Dover Air Force Base (AFB), Del. The system will provide training to Air Mobility Command and Air Force Reserve Command C-17 crew members. Financial terms are not being disclosed.

Boeing has developed, operates and supports nine continental U.S. C-17 ATS sites and expects to expand to three more within and outside the continental United States by 2010. With a tradition of successful C-17 aircrew training delivery to the U.S. Air Force since 1992, Boeing has also become the C-17 training provider of choice for customers from the United Kingdom, Australia and Canada.

The key elements in the ATS are the Weapons Systems Trainer (WST) -- a highly realistic, full-motion simulator used for pilot training -- and the loadmaster station, which is a training device used by loadmaster students to perform preflight operations, operate aircraft systems and practice emergency procedures

The WST in Dover's ATS will be the 20th to be delivered to the U.S. Air Force. "The WST is a critical component to the ATS, which is a proven training system with a long history of producing highly qualified and effective pilots and loadmasters," said Tracy Mead, C-17 ATS program manager for Boeing.

The contract also includes an option for an additional WST to be delivered to Charleston AFB, S.C. If the option is exercised, it will be the fourth WST Boeing has delivered to the base.

"The Charleston WST will be the first Air Force trainer we deliver that has simulated avionics instead of physical aircraft avionics," said Mead. "We plan to upgrade all of the existing WSTs with this technology, which means that we will be able to return the aircraft avionics to the C-17 aircraft program, allowing it to increase its spares inventory."

The C-17 ATS provides instruction to more than 1,500 new pilot, co-pilot and loadmaster students each year while maintaining continuation training for more than 8,000 active, reserve and Air National Guard aircrew.

A unit of The Boeing Company, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems is one of the world's largest space and defense businesses specializing in innovative and capabilities-driven customer solutions. Headquartered in St. Louis, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems is a $32.1 billion business with 71,000 employees worldwide.