Tunisian Air Force adds Airbus H125 simulator for mission training
The customized device will support training for helicopter crews operating across surveillance, search and rescue, firefighting, and other military missions
The Tunisian Air Force is to introduce a new Airbus H125 flight simulator designed to support advanced helicopter training, including night vision and operations in challenging environmental conditions.
The service’s helicopter missions include border surveillance, counterterrorism, search and rescue (SAR), and aerial firefighting, placing crews in operating environments where recurrent training for emergencies, low-visibility conditions, and tactical flying can be particularly important.
Spanish simulator manufacturer Entrol said it was supplying an FNPT II device customized to replicate the cockpit configuration of the air force’s AS350B fleet.
The simulator incorporates dual Garmin GDU 1060 avionics and a cylindrical visual projection system, together with a D-BOX vibration system designed to provide physical feedback during simulated flight.
The training system includes navigation data covering Tunisia’s official airports and 15 customized, geo-specific helipads.
Environmental scenarios have also been developed to reproduce conditions crews may encounter during operations in North Africa, including desert sandstorms. Initial night vision imaging system (NVIS) capability is included, alongside options for formation flight training.
The device will be used for procedural training, emergency management, NVIS tactical flying, and formation flight exercises.
Juanjo Lechosa, Business Manager at Entrol, said: “Our goal with this H125 project was not just to deliver a certified device, but to provide a tailored environment where pilots can practice high-risk procedures – such as NVIS operations or flying through sandstorms – with total realism and zero risk.”
The agreement was formalized in July 2025 and represents Entrol’s second simulator project for the Tunisian Air Force.
Elsewhere, Entrol was recently contracted to develop a customized Bell 214ST flight training device for Australian operator McDermott Aviation, marking the company’s first simulator for the heavy-lift helicopter type.