Virtually flawless

Could you provide an overview of SYNERCO's simulation products and services?

Eduard Cristea: SYNERCO is a partnership between the Slovakia-based company Virtual Reality Media (VRM) and US-based Aeronautical Systems Engineering (ASE), which was founded in 2012 and is headquartered in Switzerland. With offices and production located in Europe and North America, we are delivering flexible, innovative and best-value simulators to a wider customer audience.

Our air and land simulators for the civil and defence sectors include desktop trainers all the way up to full flight/full mission simulators. Recently, a consortium comprising VRM, ASE and FTC developed and delivered a suite of simulators to the Afghan National Air Force under a contract from the US Army Simulator Procurement Office. These simulators include the Mi-17 flight training device (FTD), the G222 flight training device, the G222 fuselage load trainer (FLT) and a G222 basic aviation training device (BATD).

What factors do you take into consideration when developing these types of solutions for the defence sector?

The defence sector has changed substantially in the past decade. The global financial crisis continues to negatively impact investment in US and Europe military budgets. Paradoxically, this may have a positive impact on the simulation industry. In light of budget constraints and increased demand for high-level staff, the ability to train ground and air personnel at tactical and mission level in a virtual battlefield environment is a plus for the simulation industry.

SYNERCO takes all these factors into account when developing simulation solutions for the defence sector. We always see the 'man behind the user' and endeavour to provide solutions that are easy to operate, user friendly, reliable throughout the simulator's lifetime and, importantly, are associated with low maintenance and consumption costs.

What value-added services does SYNERCO provide?

We provide our customers with turnkey solutions and comprehensive support during the lifecycle of the delivered simulators. SYNERCO is committed to understanding the needs of each customer, and our aim is to provide the maximum 'synergy effect' in every solution that we provide. This may encompass design and complete documentation for building a training centre facility, a full financial package (buyer's credit line) to cover the building costs and procurement of simulators, or 24/7 on-site technical assistance for 12 months.

Do you supply additional training?

Before delivering our product the customer is more than welcome to stay with us and literally put their hands on the product. Complete training for instructors and maintenance personnel is carried out during a factory acceptance test (FAT) and another such programme is delivered after installation. Specifically tailored courses are provided for our customers on demand. For example, training for terrain database modelling provides clients with the flexibility to create specific areas of interest while maintaining a high level of fidelity and consistency.

How does the group go about collaborating with its customers?

SYNERCO Group incorporates VRM, ASE and VRM Services. VRM and ASE remain manufacturing sites and with a comprehensive net of local suppliers we can provide the best value for delivered solutions. VRM Services is a newly established company, dedicated to providing maintenance, modernisation and upgrade service support for SYNERCO products and third-party simulators.

We are sending a vital signal to customers that they can expect complex solutions to all their training needs. We can provide them with a high-fidelity, cost-effective product but we can also take care of the simulators they have already procured by modernising them or linking them together into one theatre. In this way, SYNERCO Group is helping its customers in the most effective way.

Looking ahead, how will SYNERCO continue to expand its services and customer support?

Being small does not mean that we necessarily want to become a big multinational company. The typical corporate hierarchy structure does not exist in our group; instead, we have adopted a team-oriented structure that ensures greater internal flexibility. We cannot be present everywhere, but we can remain close to our customers through our local partners, creating consortiums where the know-how of each member helps to design, manufacture and deliver the best-value solutions to our customers.