The Thales Watchkeeper is an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and is the latest, and most capable and sophisticated, unmanned aerial system (UAS) in the British Army. MS&T’s Dim Jones visited the UK’s Watchkeeper Force and 47th Regiment, Royal Artillery.
FlightSafety International’s FlightSmart, the company’s new integrated pilot performance evaluation and training tool, has successfully completed acceptance testing at the Columbus Air Force Base (AFB). FlightSafety developed FlightSmart in conjunction with IBM. Image credit: FlightSafety International FlightSafety received a contract in November 2019 for FlightSmart from the United States...
FlightSafety International has been awarded a new contract to provide multi-country KC-46 aircrew and maintenance training. The training will be delivered to International Military Students (IMSs) to support the United States government and Air Force Security Assistance Training international partners' mission objectives. Image credit: FlightSafety International FlightSafety will be...
Boeing has selected Calytrix Technologies’ Calytrix Comms Net Radio (CNR) family of products as the underpinning communications framework for its Defence Operational Training Capability (Air) (DOTC(A)) Core System and Services (DCS&S) contract. Image credit: Calytrix Working to the UK Ministry of Defence’s requirements, CNR will provide advanced simulated radio...
Leonardo has been awarded a contract by Pilatus Aircraft Ltd. to provide airborne communications systems, cockpit control panels and associated electronics for installation on-board PC-21 single-engine turboprop trainers being supplied to the Spanish Air Force (Ejército del Aire). The aircraft were ordered by the Spanish Ministry of Defense through...
Micro Nav recently provided BAE Systems, Warton, UK with an upgrade to their existing ATC radar simulator. The ATC function at BAE Systems, Warton services a unique mix of civil, military and test flying. The upgrade consisted of a complete hardware refresh and an upgrade to the latest version...
The US Air Force is working to develop its Operational Training Structure (OTI) through the incorporation of LVC. Chuck Weirauch takes a look at the latest efforts to integrate the Live element into the LVC environment.
While US and joint training demonstrations have validated the concept of blended live-virtual-constructive (LVC)-based air combat training, the primary remaining challenge is the integration of virtual and constructive entities with front line aircraft Operational Flight Programs (OTFs) according to Michael Aldinger, Northrop Grumman manager of LVC Mission Integration.
Just how to “spoof” blue aircraft sensor systems into “believing” that the projected virtual and constructive entities they “see” on the training range are real adversary aircraft, missiles and ground elements and then showing them to the pilot of the aircraft on its screens and displays is the key to adding the “live” component to air combat LVC training. The means to accomplishing this goal is to modify the aircraft’s OTF so that it recognizes those projected false adversary virtual and constructive entities as what they were made up to be, rather than what they actually are. Multiple sources sending virtual and constructive false electronic entities into the range environment as adversaries can be added to increase the complexity and realism of the training exercise.
After three years of resounding support from Commanders, Senior Instructor Pilots, and Master Gunners, the Apache Gunnery Trainer (AGT) is heading to the flight line at U.S. Army Ft Rucker, Alabama. Developed from previous AH-64 collective trainers sold internationally, refined to support the Air Cav Leader’s course and prototyped...
RUAG MRO Switzerland has recently modified the EC 635 helicopter model for COVID-19 patients. For this time sensitive project, RUAG MRO Switzerland, armasuisse and the Air Force are working together on suitable solutions for protecting both pilots and patients to the greatest possible extent. Two helicopters have already been...
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) has installed a CAE-built Predator Mission Trainer at its Flight Test and Training Center (FTTC) located at the Grand Sky Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Business Park near Grand Forks, North Dakota. GA-ASI’s Flight Test and Training Center in North Dakota is now home...