Defence
28 October 2025 Andy Fawkes Drone warfare is rapidly transforming conflict; Ukraine’s experience shows simulation, training, and scaled operator programs are essential for combat readiness.
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More than one thousand Royal Marines, the largest numbers for many years, have deployed to the frozen Arctic for the annual cold weather workouts. Arbroath-based 45 Commando are in the north of Norway learning to be winter warriors. They have already completed the first phase of their Arctic survival... 20 January 2020
U.S. Air Force Secretary Barbara Barrett has been confirmed as a speaker for the 31st Annual Women in Aviation International (WAI) Conference. Secretary Barrett joins Stephanie Chung, JetSuite president; Col. Eileen Collins, NASA astronaut; Maj. Gen. Jeannie Leavitt, U.S. Air Force; and Joan Robinson-Berry, Boeing Global Services vice president... 16 January 2020
The UK’s first dedicated, purpose designed wargaming centre has been unveiled by the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl). The Defence Wargaming Centre (DWC) on Dstl’s Portsdown West site near Portsmouth, UK, will host wargames for all three services, with the Royal Air Force (RAF) having conducted the first... 16 January 2020
Boeing has submitted its response to the STH invitation to tender for Germany’s New Heavy Lift Helicopter program, also known as Schwerer Transporthubschrauber (STH). The STH invitation to tender was issued in June 2019 by the German procurement authority, specifically, the Federal Office of Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service... 16 January 2020
From life-size virtual helicopters to a haptic suit that lets soldiers feel faux gunshot wounds, I/ITSEC 2019 demonstrated the rapid evolution of high-tech XR training aides. Rona Gindin reports. 15 January 2020
The Center for Surface Combat Systems (CSCS) launched its first training event inside the Navy’s newest combat simulator, the On Demand Trainer (ODT), onboard Naval Base San Diego and Naval Station Norfolk. Lt. Aaron Van Driessche, a warfare tactics instructor at the Center for Surface Combat Systems (CSCS), Detachment... 13 January 2020
The DiSTI Corporation has expanded its Software VAR contract portfolio to include Bohemia Interactive Simulations (BISim). VBS4 provides a comprehensive virtual desktop training environment with whole-earth rendering for tactical training, experimentation, and mission rehearsal. The software performs as a simulation host for image generators and offers a step-change in... 13 January 2020
Hill Air Force Base civilians and military airmen in need of ground transportation training now have an option other than real-world driving due to a new simulator purchased by the 75th Logistics Readiness Squadron. 10 January 2020
DiSTI finished off 2019 with the capstone release of VE Studio 2019.4. This latest release incorporates features initially developed for the U.S. Army’s Family of Maintenance Trainers and are making their way into VE Studio as commercially available features. Specifically, making it easier for commercial customers to create and... 9 January 2020
Novatech has won a contract to deploy 15 x 3 degrees of freedom (DoF) and 5 x 2-DoF Rigid Hulled Inflatable Boat (RHIB) simulators to all Royal Naval Reserves establishments across the UK and Northern Ireland. The Royal Navy use Pac 24 RHIBs for search and rescue, transferring stores... 9 January 2020
Charles River Analytics Inc. has received funding from DARPA under the OFFensive Swarm-Enabled Tactics (OFFSET) program to develop our Ecological User Interfaces for Rapid Operational Teaming with Autonomous Swarms (EUROPA) interface. EUROPA aims to help operators better control swarms in urban operations by providing novel, multimodal user interfaces tailored... 8 January 2020
Charles River Analytics Inc. has received funding from DARPA under the OFFensive Swarm-Enabled Tactics (OFFSET) program to develop Meta-Reinforcement Learning Innovation for Robust Swarm Tactics (MERLIN-RST). MERLIN applies a meta-reinforcement learning approach to discover and learn novel swarm tactics. Image credit: Charles River Analytics Through biology-inspired algorithms and deep... 8 January 2020
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has ordered a Head-Up Display (HUD) Virtual-Reality (VR) training device from Collins Aerospace Systems, a unit of United Technologies Corp., to be used in scientific research in areas such as pilot-HUD interface, pilot performance and crew workload. Image credit: Collins Aerospace The HUD VR... 8 January 2020
Leonardo has signed a collaboration agreement with the University of Naples "Federico II" to launch the Aerotech Academy, an advanced training course on leading engineering issues. The course takes place from March to December 2020 on the Leonardo site in Pomigliano d'Arco at the Aerotech Campus. It will provide... 8 January 2020
Defence and contingent workforce company, TBW Global, has secured two large contracts with NATO. Commencing in January 2020, the company will support NATO Mission Iraq (NMI), providing simultaneous interpreters during workshops and conferences held in Baghdad. NMI is a non-combat mission, providing training on a variety of disciplines. The... 8 January 2020
Image credit: Pinnacle Solutions Pinnacle Solutions, Inc. was awarded the Fort Huachuca Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Maintenance Services Task Order 2 with the US Army. This is a combined cost-plus-fixed-fee and firm-fixed-price task order that supports the UAS Instruction and Mission Support (IMS) contract awarded to Pinnacle Solutions in... 6 January 2020
Bluedrop Training & Simulation Inc., a subsidiary of Bluedrop Performance Learning Inc., renewed its contract with Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin Company, to provide instructors and training courseware for pilots and maintainers for Canada’s CH-148 Cyclone maritime helicopters. The agreement extends the services that Bluedrop is providing to the program... 6 January 2020
Canada’s Air Task Force (ATF)-Romania has completed its four-month NATO enhanced Air Policing mission in Romania. ATF-Romania is the air component of Operation REASSURANCE, Canada’s contribution to NATO assurance and deterrence measures in Central and Eastern Europe. Since 2014, Operation Reassurance has been key to demonstrating Canada’s commitment to its... 6 January 2020
Before vIITSEC takes place virtually this year, we are taking a look back at last year's conference. From life-size virtual helicopters to a haptic suit that lets soldiers feel faux gunshot wounds, I/ITSEC 2019 demonstrated the rapid evolution of high-tech training aides. Rick Adams, Andy Fawkes, Rona Gindin, Dim Jones, and Marty Kauchak report. 6 January 2020
U.S. Marines, sailors, soldiers and airmen have concluded their temporary joint bilateral Humanitarian Mine Action program in Kenitra, Morocco. U.S. instructors plan to return for advanced training sessions in spring 2020. The intent of the spring period of instruction is to supervise and pin the EOD badge on new... 2 January 2020