On Sep. 26, India's Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and CAE of Canada signed an agreement to set up a joint venture for a helicopter simulator training center in the southern Indian city of Bangalore, the Hindu newspaper reported on Sep. 28.

The new company, Helicopter Academy to Train by Simulation of Flying (HATSOFF), will be owned equally by HAL and CAE, it said.

The facility is expected to begin operation next year by providing both civil and military helicopter pilot and maintenance training services.

As part of the pact, CAE will design and manufacture one full-mission simulator featuring its revolutionary roll-on, roll-off cockpit design.

Also, the two companies are planning to provide HATSOFF with cockpits for the three variants of the HAL-built advanced light helicopter Dhruv as well as cockpits for the Bell 412 and Eurocopter Dauphin helicopters. Other military and civil helicopter platforms will be added as the market develops, the report said.

"Our objective is to serve the fast-growing civil and military aerospace industry in India and become a globally competitive aerospace company," the newspaper quoted Ashok K Baweja, HAL chairman, as saying.

HATSOFF plans to offer flight and maintenance training, and provide customers initial, conversion, recurrent, and mission training.