RUAG has successfully completed the Critical Design Review (CDR) of the PC-7 flight simulators for the Swiss Air Force. The simulator design has reached the required maturity to transition to the integration, implementation and verification phase.
The modernization ensures that the aircraft and simulator remain at the same technical standard and enable realistic, future-oriented pilot training.
Seamless collaboration
Since the project was launched in April 2025, interdisciplinary teams from RUAG have been developing the new simulator architecture. Expertise from the areas of avionics, software development, simulation, systems engineering, and integration and testing flow together here. Crucial to the project’s success is also the close collaboration with armasuisse as the client, the Swiss Air Force as the end user and Pilatus as the aircraft manufacturer.
One of the main challenges is that the simulator is being developed at the same time as the development, integration and certification of the modernized prototype aircraft. To minimize technical risks at an early stage, a development platform (rig) was established right at the start of the project. It enables the gradual integration and verification of hardware and software components and reduces integration risks in the upcoming project phases.
With the successful completion of the CDR, the simulator architecture, the interfaces and the technical solutions were approved and now form the foundation for project implementation.
« The successful completion of the Critical Design Review is the result of a strong team effort and close collaboration with our partners. I’d like to thank everyone involved for their great dedication. With this milestone, we are laying the foundation for successfully transitioning the project to the next phase. »
Development work is mainly completed at the RUAG site in Emmen, while the simulators in Locarno continue to ensure the training organization for the Swiss Air Force.
Entering the next phases
The integration and test phase will now begin. In the months to come, the focus will move to the integration of hardware and software, system verification and preparation for commissioning. The integration of the first modernized simulator is scheduled for summer 2027, while the modernization of the second simulator and certification will follow in 2028.
With the modernization of the PC-7 simulators, RUAG is making a major contribution to the value retention of the training infrastructure and ensuring advanced pilot training for the Swiss Air Force over the long-term.