The Hawk Lead-In Fighter will continue to train Australia’s frontline fighter pilots through to 2031 following the $1.5 billion commitment by the Australian Government.
Group Editor Marty Kauchak provides a high-level glimpse of rapidly evolving defense S&T trends and programs in Asia.
Asian military services are using learning technologies to strengthen their readiness levels across their mission sets. At one end of the spectrum, new training and education systems are supporting the introduction of the fifth-generation F-35A to the Royal Australian Air Force. At the same time, regional defense forces are using wargame-like solutions to allow their units and staffs to prepare for tasks in and beyond warfighting domains. Further to these trends, the overarching, major development to which simulation and training (S&T) companies, beyond and from the region, are responding is the expanding, insatiable demand for products and services by diverse Asian customers – hardware OEMs, defense departments and other government organizations, and others. This feature article selectively reviews developments in the Asian Pacific S&T defense market space through the regional portfolios of four industry companies.
The Royal Australian Air Force continues to maintain a presence at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona, that has enabled them to continue joint training on the F-35A Lightning II, with the US Air Force.
The Royal Australian Air Force is adapting its training patterns to include remote learning to overcome travel restrictions imposed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.