Military organizations not only train for safe operations, but also for combat readiness. To acquire and maintain combat readiness, continuous training is needed. Live training only provides this partly, as it is restricted by for example budgets and weather, as well as availability of platforms or training ranges. Simulations can provide training without the live constraints but have constraints of their own. In this paper we advocate a competency-based approach to design a training outline that does not take the live or simulation specific constraints into account. Per training sortie, it can be determined whether live or simulation would be the preferred training platform and what kind of requirements those platforms should have to meet the objectives. While the idealized training outline (blueprint) may never be feasible in practice, it can be a reference to inspire development of actual future training syllabi for live or simulation training systems.

The Defence Helicopter Command (DHC) of the Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF) is in the process of a major training system revision, including the conversion towards a fully integrated multi-ship multi type helicopter training simulation capability. The approach towards an ideal reference training has been applied to support the DHC training system revision. This generated optimal training blueprints that functions as a reference design, a benchmark for future decisions on syllabus design and simulator usage. This encourages the implementation of competency-based training and supports identifying simulation capability requirements in a future proof and refreshing new way. The reference blueprints have been defined for DHC AH-64 and CH-47 flight- and aircrew.

The method of designing a competency-based reference training blueprint and defining training media requirements will be discussed in this paper. In addition, main considerations, results of training blueprints, simulation needs and learning points from the DHC training revision project will be discussed.