Year-Long Military Training Deal Secured

Engineering & Computer Simulations, Inc. (ECS) has won a year-long Bell 412 maintenance training contract in EL Salvador that will run from 28 August 2024 through 27 August 2025. This is the 12th contract for ECS under the Enterprise Training Services Contract (ETSC) program, awarded by Army Contracting Command-Orlando on behalf of Program Executive Office for Simulation, Training and Instrumentation.

ECS will provide training and training assistance in military-related fields to improve the Salvadoran 1st Air Brigade’s technical capabilities and mission readiness to bolster U.S. foreign relations and national security objectives. The Bell 412 is a utility helicopter that civilian and military users in several countries have commonly employed since its introduction in 1979. Richard Madrid Jr., ECS’ vice president of Global Services, will lead the project, which is a collaborative effort with JIRACOR, an aerospace company based in Orlando, Florida.

The training will take place at Ilopango Air Base, El Salvador, where Salvadoran military personnel will learn maintenance procedures for Bell 412 and MD-500 aircraft that will add to their previous training, improve their technical competency, and support their national defense. The MD-500, initially produced by Hughes Helicopters, is another model of utility helicopter that has seen worldwide use since 1967.

“El Salvador has been an important partner for the U.S. in the region for several years,” Madrid said. “We’re looking forward to developing this relationship and helping the Salvadoran military with the tools and the know-how they need to maintain security and stability.”

ECS will provide qualified Bell 412 maintenance instructors, who will school trainees (and future instructors) on intermediate-to-advanced mechanical/electrical/automated flight control systems, as well as avionics, engine and maintenance instructor training on the Bell 412 aircraft. ECS will also deliver low-fidelity Bell 412/UH-1H and MD-500 desktop flight simulator trainers for better maintenance training. The consolidated work requirement includes ECS’ contractor support personnel through its Global Services division.