Orlando engineering firm Applied Visual Technology Inc. (AVT Simulation) has secured a $28.3 million contract with the U.S. Army for the development of Apache tactical trainer simulators for the Boeing-made Apache attack helicopter, according to the Department of Defense.
The simulators will be assembled and operated by AVT in Orlando and Kooiweg, Netherlands, and leased to General Dynamics in Reston, Virginia.
AVT’s new project is connected to a larger military contract secured by General Dynamics for $1.7 billion to deliver simulation platforms to be used at the U.S. Army Aviation Center of Excellence in Fort Novosel, Alabama.
This activity follows a commitment by the Army in 2023 to improving its Apache fleet, awarding Boeing $1.9 billion for 115 remanufactured Apaches among other deliverables.
AVT was founded by Chief Strategy Officer Robert Abascal in 1998. Before founding AVT, he worked with aerospace clients — including General Dynamics — plus Bell Helicopter and Lockheed Martin.
AVT has a long history of developing similar training products for the military. The firm, which employs about 150 people, to date has won defense contracts valued at $324 million, according to GovTribe. AVT Simulation won Orlando Business Journal Golden 100 accolades for being one of the region's largest privately held companies based on 2022 revenue. The company also was one of Orlando Inno's 2022 Fire Awards recipients.
To kick the latest project off, AVT sought and was approved for a $25 million line of credit from FVCBank in Fairfax, Virginia, to fund development operations. The company looks to complete the project by September 2026.
Meanwhile, if AVT needs to staff up to handle the workload, it's in the right place. The Orlando Economic Partnership, the region's economic and community development group, reports metro Orlando has 60,000 workers with simulation expertise, one of the data points making Orlando a simulation mecca.
These simulators are essential for training personnel in tactical operations, including scenario-based training, networking multiple simulators and practicing cooperative force engagements. AVT also will build a tactical control center, which will provide the overarching architecture for controlling training exercises.
AVT Simulation executives could not be reached for comment prior to publication.
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