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06 Aug 19. Georgia’s Statewide Police Academy Selects Meggitt Training Systems to Upgrade De-escalation Training. The Georgia Public Safety Training Center and its Georgia Police Academy have chosen Meggitt Training Systems’ five-screen, 300-degree FATS® 300LE advanced simulation system and BlueFire® wireless weapons to help law enforcement officers understand complex situations, then be able to de-escalate or make the right use-of-force option. GPSTC’s Police Academy, which trains officers from more than 100 Georgia agencies, believes relevant scenarios and realistic weapons will dramatically improve split-second decision-making.
“The GPSTC strives to provide the best training options to our students that will prepare them for situations they will face while on patrol and answering calls for service across the state,” says Bruce Stanford, division director for the Georgia Police Academy. “For certain, every possibility or situation cannot be predicted; we do however want to place officers into situations that are tense, uncertain and rapidly evolving. These situations require not only good decision-making skills, but also the tactile skills necessary to either diffuse a situation or eliminate a threat.”
“The Meggitt FATS 300LE provides the most realistic weapons platforms, response driven scenarios, and feedback capabilities of any system that we have evaluated,” added Stanford. “Additionally, the technical support and customer service will allow us to operate with little or no downtime in the event of a system malfunction.”
To immerse the trainee, the simulator projects high-definition imagery on all five screens. The trainee then gets exposed to a myriad of challenges encountered on duty. This provides a genuine immersive experience that highlights realistic conflict situations and awareness, while BlueFire weapons match the form, function and feel of equipment officers are likely to use. Each student will use the FATS 300 for approximately 20 hours during most GPSTC courses.
“GPSTC chose Meggitt Training Systems because of our superior product quality, continuously innovative systems, as well as responsive customer service based here in Georgia,” said Matt Cunningham, director of virtual systems sales for Meggitt. “They specifically selected the FATS 300LE and BlueFire weapons to upgrade their systems for the most realistic and immersive training experience.”
The FATS 300LE is one of Meggitt’s newest offerings. Immersion is provided via five borderless 150”x84” flat screens arranged in a hexagonal format, 5.1 audio, plus sounds in any direction added by the operator for increased realism. The system also has ultra-short-throw projectors that allow the trainee unprecedented freedom of movement within the training area, all while maintaining a smaller footprint than rear-projection systems. The system, which utilizes the same high-fidelity ballistic engine validated by the U.S. Army and other military customers, will be installed in the Academy’s new facility scheduled to open in September 2019.
About the Georgia Public Safety Training Center (GPSTC)
GPSTC offers public safety personnel in Georgia the highest quality training programs, taught by the best instructors, at little to no cost to local agencies. Each year, GPSTC’s training divisions host more than 1,500 on- and off-site training courses covering a wide range of public safety topics. With its central location, on-site amenities and premier facilities, GPSTC is the top choice when it comes to public safety training. (Source: BUSINESS WIRE)
16 Aug 19. Atkins, a member of the SNC-Lavalin Group, is collaborating with aircraft designer and manufacturer AERALIS to develop a new family of training jet aircraft using a patent-pending modular design.
Together, the organisations will design two types of modular aircraft – the Basic Trainer and the Advanced Trainer – which will provide training, from cadet to front-line pilot, for the most advanced combat aircraft systems currently in development.
Each aircraft will comprise a common core fuselage that will be fully adaptable using different wings and engines depending on the level of training being undertaken. It is expected that the acquisition and maintenance of the family of training jets will cost 30% less than a conventional flight training system thanks to the modular design affording an 85% commonality in aircraft parts.
Atkins, who have been at the forefront of aerospace design for 30 years, will be advising on the design of the jets, using a digital twin to explore different design concepts for the fuselage and its interchangeable components.
Dave Clark, Aerospace & Defence Market Director at Atkins, said: “Our collaboration with AERALIS provides us with a great opportunity to help shape the development of cutting-edge aircraft design. Thanks to innovative tools such as a digital twin, we will be able to run virtual tests on the training jets before they are built to drive efficiencies and reduce the risks associated with aircraft design and production.”
Tim Davies, AERALIS Strategy Director, added: “The AERALIS team are looking forward to working with Atkins to build modular aircraft using innovative design processes that will motivate a new generation of young people to train in aerospace engineering, manufacturing and STEM subjects as well as follow careers in aviation.”
The training simulation that will be installed onto the training jets is currently being developed by AERALIS in partnership with THALES. Previously Atkins has also worked alongside THALES to deliver systems and safety assurance for the training centrifuge at the state-of-the-art fast jet pilot training facility at the Royal Air Force College in Cranwell.
15 Aug 19. Cubic to Deliver CBRND Collective Training Simulation System for Australian Army. Cubic Global Defense to prepare soldiers for chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear defense missions. Cubic Corporation (NYSE: CUB) today announced Cubic Defence New Zealand, which operates within its Cubic Global Defense business division, was selected to deliver a new simulation-enabled collective training capability, to better prepare soldiers for chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear defense (CBRND) missions. The capability will be delivered jointly by Cubic Defence Australia and New Zealand, expanding the offering for the Australian Army Combat Training Centre based in Townsville, North Queensland. The Cubic-developed CBRND training sub-system employs simulated CBRN threats projected within a synthetic environment to live instrumented soldiers in the exercise environment.
“Cubic’s capability includes simulation of detection, casualty status, treatment and weather impacts,” said Miles Macdonald, general manager of Cubic Defence Australia and New Zealand. “The system is capable of projecting synthetic CBRN effects over large numbers of soldiers exercising on Australia’s training areas, enabling highly realistic scenarios to be exercised under simulated battlefield conditions.”
“This training capability allows commanders and their units to experience the tactical and logistical impacts of operations in a CBRN threat environment,” added Macdonald. “It’s about enabling soldiers to realistically undertake threat identification, to test their mitigation and decontamination procedures and to understand the consequence of a threat and their own actions within the safety of a training environment.”
The capability will be incorporated to the training activities available through the Combat Training Centre. Cubic is the market leader in providing live instrumented training capability to armed forces globally. Its training systems replicate the combat environment, allowing performance assessment and development of units and their commanders. (Source: BUSINESS WIRE)
15 Aug 19. Top Aces Inc. announced today that it has broken its own record of 75,000 hours of operational air combat training, reaching an industry leading 80,000 flight hours with the most enviable safety record in the industry. No other adversary air provider in the world has delivered this number of flight hours carrying out live air training missions. The milestone came on July 30th, 2019, during 2-ship Red Air Support for German Air Force (GAF) Eurofighters from the Tactical Luftwaffen Wing 71 “Richthofen” in Wittmund, Germany. The pilots, Elmar “Elmo” Besold and Raimund “Lendi” Lendermann, are among Top Aces’
most experienced. A proud provider of advanced and innovative adversary air services to the world’s leading air forces in Canada, Australia, Germany, and soon the United States, Top Aces has earned a
reputation for its commitment to professionalism, safety, and efficiency.
“Our dedication to serving our customers as well as our motivation to always do better have allowed us to reach a record-breaking and unblemished 80,000 flight hours,” said Paul Bouchard, President and CEO of Top Aces. “We are very pleased with this milestone and are
committed to continue to deliver the next generation of highly representative adversary air to all our customers worldwide.”
With a current fleet mix of Dornier Alpha Jets, Douglas A-4 Skyhawks, Learjet 35As, Westwinds and a future fleet of F-16s, Top Aces has a flexible offering ready to meet growing client needs. The company has plans for expansion as early as this year. At the prominent Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT) in the United Kingdom last month, Top Aces had the opportunity to meet with senior leadership from the world’s leading air forces to explore growth opportunities.
“We are extremely proud to announce this exciting accomplishment for our company,” said
Top Aces Chief Commercial Officer, Russ Quinn. “Our vision remains to be the most trusted provider of advanced air combat training solutions by delivering industry-leading standards of safety, airworthiness and operational excellence.”
Top Aces provides advanced and innovative airborne training to the world’s leading air forces. Founded in 2000 by a group of highly accomplished former fighter pilots, Top Aces has the
largest worldwide footprint of privately-held operational fighter aircraft that provide advanced adversary, air-defence and Joint Terminal Attack Controller (JTAC) training services around the globe. The mission-critical training offered by Top Aces enhances the operational
readiness of combat forces by providing realistic real-world experience while prolonging its customers’ fleet life.
The company is changing the face of air combat training with its unparalleled safety record, outstanding team and an industry-leading 80,000 + hours of operational training flown in support of its customers worldwide. Top Aces has experience that matters.
15 Aug 19. British and Indian Navies Join Forces in Channel. Destroyer HMS Defender joined forces with the Indian Navy as she knuckled down to her Asia-Pacific deployment… in the English Channel. The Portsmouth-based Type 45 destroyer met up with INS Tarkash in unseasonally bleak August weather off the South Coast for the two navies’ annual workout: Exercise Konkan. Konkan is a long-running exercise designed to test the ability of the two Commonwealth navies to operate side-by-side if it comes to the crunch. It typically takes place off the namesake stretch of coastline in India – running for 450 miles along the Western Seaboard and encompassing Mumbai and Goa – as the Royal Navy maintains a regular presence in the Indian Ocean. But when Delhi dispatches its ships on deployments to western Europe, Britain hosts the exercises on its home turf.
And so on the eve of the 72nd anniversary of Indian independence, Defender – which only left Portsmouth on Monday at the beginning of a mission to the Pacific Rim – linked up with ‘stealth frigate’ INS Tarkash in conditions more British, than Indian summer.
The pair conducted various combined training manoeuvres and serials including involving anti-submarine warfare demonstrations and boarding operations.
The two ships’ helicopters – a Wildcat from Defender, a Helix from the Tarkash – traded places on the respective flight decks, while Indian and British personnel were also encouraged to step into each other’s shoes, with a select few spending several hours experiencing life in a different navy.
“It was interesting to see how culturally different the ship was, but also lots of similarities to our own ship,” said communications specialist Engineering Technician Angus Lawrence.
Both vessels are regarded as ‘stealth’ ships – designed to make the minimum impact on a foe’s radar display – with Defender specifically designed to shield a task group from air attack, while the Russian-built Tarkash is a general-purpose frigate bristling with anti-ship/anti-land/anti-air missiles.
“It is these regular engagements and opportunities to train with other navies that prove our capability to deliver on operations alongside our allies,” said Defender’s Commanding Officer Commander Richard Hewitt. (Source: Royal Navy)
14 Aug 19. Model of Taiwan’s new jet aircraft spotted at Taipei exhibition. A photograph of what appears to be a small-scale model of Taiwan’s newest jet aircraft was released online a day before the opening of the Taipei Aerospace and Defense Technology Exhibition (TADTE), which is taking place this week from Aug. 14 to Aug. 17 at the Nangang Exhibition Center.
The aircraft designated the AIDC XAT-5 Blue Magpie is being produced by Taiwan’s Aerospace Industrial Development Corporation (AIDC). The model surfaced just weeks ahead of the expected unveiling of the first complete Blue Magpie prototype, which is scheduled for September.
The Blue Magpie program was launched in February 2017 with an NT$68.6bn (US$2.2bn) investment to provide the Taiwan Air Force with a fleet of supersonic trainer aircraft. The AIDC is expected to begin flight tests of the aircraft sometime in 2020 and has been contracted to produce 66 of the jets.
If the model on display at the TADTE is an accurate representation of the XAT-5, then the jets will not serve a front-line combat role, as the model’s wings do not have any missile launch rails equipped. However, there is still the possibility that some models may be equipped with combat upgrades during the production phase.
According to previous statements from the Ministry of National Defense (MND), regular production of the trainer jets will not begin until 2021, with 66 to be completed over a six-year period. The Blue Magpie was designed in cooperation with several U.S. firms, including General Dynamics Corp., Hughes Corp., and the Westinghouse Company, reports the National Interest.
The new plane’s designation is a reference to a bird species endemic to Taiwan. However, in November 2018, the MND announced that it would be holding a public competition to rename the new aircraft.
The MND has been accepting public entries for the competition since December 2018. No new name or contest winner have been officially announced yet. (Source: News Now/https://www.taiwannews.com.tw)
13 Aug 19. NORAD announces air defense exercise in National Capital Region. The North American Aerospace Defense Command, or NORAD, has announced air defense exercise Falcon Virgo that will be held in the National Capital Region on Aug. 13.
“F-16 fighters, an MH-65 D Dolphin helicopter, and two Civil Air Patrol Cessna 182T aircraft will participate in exercise Falcon Virgo,” NORAD announced Monday. “Some portions of the exercise may involve flights at approximately 2,500 feet and may be visible from the ground. If weather prevents regularly scheduled flights, the exercise will commence the next day.”
NORAD routinely conducts exercises with a variety of scenarios, including airspace restriction violations and responses to unknown aircraft.
Also noted that NORAD’s exercises are carefully planned and closely controlled. Falcon Virgo is a recurring exercise in support of Operation NOBLE EAGLE, which places emphasis on the surveillance and control of airspace over Canada and the United States. The defense of North America is NORAD’s top priority and we are on alert around the clock, every day.
For more than 60 years, NORAD aircraft have identified and intercepted potential air threats to
North America in the execution of its aerospace warning and aerospace control missions, and maintain a watchful eye over Canadian and U.S. internal waterways and maritime approaches under its maritime warning mission. (Source: Google/https://defence-blog.com/)
12 Aug 19. Meggitt Training Systems to Highlight Three Key Shooting Range Products at New NSSF Event. From target carriers to bullet traps, Meggitt Training Systems will display and conduct demonstrations of its industry-leading live-fire solutions at the National Shooting Sports Foundation’s Range-Retailer Business Expo. The inaugural event, designed to connect range owners, operators and related retailers with industry providers of products, services and training, will be held on August 29-31 in Denver.
“Shooting range operators and associated retailers are encouraged to see how investment in Meggitt’s range equipment can increase their business and enhance safety,” said Jon Read, Meggitt’s live-fire systems director. “With more than nine decades of experience outfitting more than 13,600 ranges, no one understands that industry better than we do, and our continual investment to innovate demonstrates our enduring commitment.”
At the day-one range day, attendees can see the following two Meggitt products in use:
- The XWT ProImage® projected target system revolutionizes image and video targets for indoor shooting ranges. An industry first, the system is a compact video projector and camera system that attaches to Meggitt’s XWT target carrier and can move downrange to any distance on the track. Wirelessly connected to a 10” lane control unit mounted to the shooting stall, the system projects interactive games, digital videos and images that a shooter can upload onto white paper or cardboard targets. The onboard camera provides a streaming, close-up view of the target for instantaneous feedback, including bullet hole tracking displayed on a tablet. The XWT ProImage is a simple addition to any XWT GEN3 or GEN4 carrier, uses lithium batteries, and with the XWT, it docks and charges while in operation.
- The XWT GEN4 wireless target carrier builds on the industry’s first wireless, 360º turning system. The XWT GEN4 uses a lithium ion battery with a positive locking connection and ergonomic placement. This technology provides a 50% increase in battery watt hours. The new docking system improves contact design for faster, more reliable charging; that means more time using the XWT GEN4 and less time charging it. Programmable distraction lighting now integrates red, blue and white LEDs with four times the brightness of previous models. The chassis features a new side cover design for wheel overhead protection and prevention of brass drivetrain damage. Anti-static wheels eliminate grounding tinsel and reduce electrostatic discharge.
Meggitt products to be highlighted on the show floor during days two and three include an XWT GEN4, plus:
- The GranTrap™ granulated rubber bullet trap utilizes soft media to stop incoming rounds and capture them predominantly intact. This minimizes airborne lead dust, averts back-splatter and ricochet, and minimizes impact noise. The result is a cleaner and safer environment for shooting ranges, maximizing bullet recovery and recycling processes. A model of this product will be on display. (Source: BUSINESS WIRE)
09 Aug 19. Slovak Air Force seeks training aircraft. The Slovak Air Force (SAF) is drawing up its requirements for a new modern trainer as it prepares for the arrival of 14 F-16 Block 70 aircraft. The USD1.6bn F-16 contract is the biggest in SAF history, with the first jets arriving in Slovakia during the second quarter of 2023. Under the deal, 22 SAF pilots will begin flying training on F-16 Block 52 aircraft at Tucson Air National Guard Base, Arizona, in 2022. They will be drawn mainly from the small fleet of Aero L-39CM/L-39ZAMs currently used as lead-in fighter trainers at Sliač Air Base. SAF commander Brigadier General Lubomir Svoboda told Jane’s on 2 August, “The L-39s can last for a maximum of six years but we have started pulling together our needs for a next-generation (NG) trainer as well as a budget. (Source: IHS Jane’s)
08 Aug 19. US Air Force expects increased modelling, simulation with NGAD. Key Points:
- A US Air Force official expects more modelling and simulation work with its Next Generation Air Dominance effort.
- This would enable the service to rapidly experiment with new concepts or technologies and to spend less time and money building and testing physical models.
An increased emphasis on digital design modelling and simulation (M&S) with Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) will enable the US Air Force (USAF) to rapidly prototype and quickly experiment with different capabilities and designs, according to an official.
Major General David Krumm, office of the assistant secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics (AT&L), director of global power programmes, said on 7 August that digital engineering and M&S will enable the service to evaluate items not only in the design phase but also in the production and sustainment phases. M&S, he said, will enable the USAF to design capabilities and systems that are rapidly updatable and modular so that the air force can keep pace with rapidly advancing technologies.
“We have to be able to do this on a quick cycle [which is] why we are so excited about digital engineering and digital acquisition,” Maj Gen Krumm said at an Air Force Association (AFA) event.
NGAD is the USAF’s experimentation with groundbreaking technologies and radical concepts to figure out the capabilities needed to prevail in a future peer-level conflict. The air force is trying to determine what evolutionary developments will be critical in the 2030s and beyond if it wants to dominate heavily guarded airspace defended by nations such as China or Russia.
The USAF’s experimentation with the Advanced Battle Management System (ABMS) will also be important to concepts developed with NGAD. Originally promoted as the replacement for the cancelled Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System (JSTARS), ABMS and NGAD revolve around the ability to seamlessly and ubiquitously share information in a robust and reliable fashion. (Source: IHS Jane’s)
13 Aug 19. US Navy Warfare Center Engineers Revolutionize AEGIS Combat System Training with CIAT. The Combined Integrated Air and Missile Defense (IAMD) and Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) Trainer – known as CIAT – opened its doors for training and hosted an open house for numerous commands and ships, July 12. The new Naval Station Norfolk based CIAT – managed and operated by the Center for Surface Combat Systems (CSCS) – features a technical approach that originated during the early stages of combat system virtualization and technology exploration by Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) divisions in Dahlgren, Va., and Carderock, Md.
“This virtualization effort offered flexibility along with maximum capability by deploying multiple weapons system baselines in a single commercial off-the-shelf equipment configuration,” said Jonathan Higgins, Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division CIAT senior systems engineer. “The CIAT engineering teams of NSWC Dahlgren and NSWC Carderock leveraged and enhanced prior Navy simulation and visualization investments to provide full-scale combat systems operations with significantly improved fidelity to immerse watch standers into a realistic training environment.”
NSWC Dahlgren Division is the lead integrator and the IAMD developer for CIAT. NSWC Carderock Division is the ASW developer and Naval Undersea Warfare Center Newport Division is the ASW components developer. The three divisions delivered CIAT to the Fleet shore based facilities in 2018 as the most capable combat systems trainer ever developed for the Navy surface force.
What makes CIAT revolutionary compared to other shipboard training is its ability to replay decisions made during a scenario in a full screen debrief. Current shipboard training evaluations can feel subjective in nature – sometimes Sailors are left wondering what actually happened or what went wrong.
“The Navy as a whole has benefited from the engineering efforts and advancements, as other programs are now able to leverage and extend the virtualization and simulation improvements pioneered through CIAT,” said Higgins.
“The Navy’s acquisition program offices and warfare centers are developing and delivering phenomenal capabilities to our warships,” added Capt. Dave Stoner, CSCS commanding officer. “This trainer represents the best multi-warfare training anywhere. It is better than the systems we have on the ship. I wish I had this capability while I was in command of a warship.”
CIAT allows training for operators of the Aegis Combat System including AN/SQQ-89A(V)15 using combinations of virtualized tactical code, emulations, and high fidelity simulations to create realistic ship-like conditions at Naval bases from San Diego, Calif., to Norfolk and Dahlgren in Virginia. CIAT includes an in-depth integrated debrief capability for individual and team analysis by recording simulation of scenario ground truth, instructor and watch stander console displays and audio for after-action reporting in support of student and instructor analysis. CSCS officially brought the west coast CIAT facility online at CSCS Detachment San Diego aboard Naval Base San Diego in December 2018. Since then, CSCS trained crewmembers aboard ships to include the USS Rafael Peralta (DDG 115), USS Pinckney (DDG 91), USS Bunker Hill (CG 52), USS John Finn (DDG 113), USS Princeton (CG 59) and USS Shoup (DDG 86).
“Opening a new CIAT facility in Norfolk expands the Navy’s ability to train the surface fleet on complex air, surface, undersea, and ballistic missile threats we could face anywhere in the world today,” said Capt. Sam Pennington, PMS 339 program manager. “This state-of-the-art, high fidelity, trainer provides the ability for combat systems watch teams to build proficiency and validate combat effectiveness. CIAT provides an immersive experience that provides each watch team the same visual and audio indications they would expect to experience if operating their own systems aboard their ship in a deployed environment.”
Moreover, Warfare Tactics Instructors from the Naval Surface and Mine Warfighting Development Center have been utilizing the facility to test and refine new tactics.
“In the CIAT, we can tie together all console and headset communications against the scenario ground truth to show each team the cause and effect of every decision,” explained Mike Kroner, CSCS technical support deputy. “It is unlike anything we have seen in surface navy training.”
Currently, PCU Delbert Black (DDG 119) Sailors are in training as the first ship and crew to train at the new CIAT.
“The CIAT will revolutionize how we train our ships and Sailors,” said Lt. Cmdr. Brian Blankenship, CSCS Detachment Norfolk officer in charge. “With its combined set of high-fidelity simulation tools, integrated debrief capability, and realistic training environment, this trainer will have a profound effect on combat readiness by providing better trained, better qualified Sailors to the fight against the evolving threats.”
As the CSCS resource sponsor, Surface Warfare Directorate (OPNAV N96) provided the funding for CIAT. The team executing delivery included the Surface Training Systems Program Office (PMS 339), NSWC Dahlgren Division, NSWC Carderock Division, Naval Undersea Warfare Center, and industry partners.
12 Aug 19. Bataan Amphibious Ready Group Completes SWATT. The USS Bataan (LHD 5) Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) completed its first Surface Warfare Advanced Tactical Training (SWATT) exercise Aug. 5. For the Bataan ARG, SWATT provided an important transition from single ship operations to multi-ship, aircraft, and landing craft operations in scenarios that spanned multiple warfare areas. SWATTs are a relatively new construct in the Surface Fleet that deliver advanced tactical training to increase surface force lethality and tactical proficiency by providing warfare commander and unit level training beyond the basic phase. As a result, ARGs and other warfare commander teams are more ready to receive operational tasking or deploy following a SWATT.
“SWATTs prepare individuals, watch teams, ships and staffs to be more capable, ready and lethal to ‘Own the Fight,’” said Capt. Lance Lesher, commodore of Amphibious Squadron 8. “It’s crucial that ships’ crews are prepared to work together, communicate and face all varieties of challenges at sea. That need is amplified when you have multiple ships conducting coordinated operations as a group.”
SWATT exercises are conducted in two phases. The first phase of the Bataan ARG SWATT — like similar SWATTs — was an in-port academic session where Warfare Tactics Instructors (WTI) from Naval Surface and Mine Warfighting Development Center (SMWDC) provided training to shipboard teams that directly led into the development of warfighting capacity during the second phase of training. After the in-port phase, underway training commenced when all the ships, aircraft and landing craft that make up the Bataan ARG — including USS Bataan (LHD 5), USS New York (LPD 21), USS Oak Hill (LSD 51), and embarked Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 28 (HSC 28) and Naval Beach Group 2 assets — completed training events to sharpen their warfighting skills. These events included conducting integrated air and missile defense (IAMD), anti-submarine / surface warfare (ASW/SUW), amphibious warfare (AMW), information warfare (IW), mine warfare (MIW), ship maneuvering, and live-fire events designed to tactically prepare surface forces for maritime warfare missions.
SMWDC led the SWATT exercise with 18 WTIs, senior mentors, and subject matter experts embarked aboard each ship. These onboard trainers provided over-the-shoulder mentoring for watchstanders and commanding officer and warfare commander level guidance from senior mentors. Subject matter experts and onboard technical community personnel delivered rapid replay capability from scheduled training exercises that provided immediate feedback for watchstanders to help them rapidly learn from challenges they experienced during training. The SWATT culminated in a Live Fire With a Purpose (LFWAP) exercise with rolling airframe missiles.
Lt. Bobby Chamberlain, an ASW/SUW WTI, explained that SWATT allows each ship and the ARG as a whole an opportunity to train in realistic underway scenarios to focus the development of warfare capability and less on receipt of a certification – a luxury for warfighters that SWATT and LFWAP provide.
“We are solely here for the purpose of providing training,” said Chamberlain. “That gives a lot of flexibility in how we execute and how we deliver training. SWATT enables the ship to focus on their operations rather than worrying about a grade. We provide the goods and feedback on how they can improve going forward through the Amphibious Ready Group Marine Expeditionary Unit exercise, composite training unit exercise and deployment and how to sustain combat operations.”
The amphibious warfare (AMW) WTI, Lt. Audrey Collier, the lead AMW WTI for the ARG SWATT, noted that being able to exercise landing craft utility and landing craft air cushion movements and practicing primary and secondary ship control duties for ship-to-shore movements was key to increasing the ARG’s mission readiness.
“Once they come out of the basic phase we want them to be tactically sound and able to conduct warfare doctrinally prior to them going into their integrated phase,” said Collier.
Since 2016, there have been 11 SWATT exercises completed by carrier strike group cruiser-destroyer units and ARGs.
SMWDC is a subordinate command of Commander, U.S. Naval Surface Forces, and is headquartered at Naval Base San Diego with four divisions in Virginia and California focused on IAMD, ASW/SUW, AMW, and Mine Warfare. (Source: ASD Network)
13 Aug 19. MetaVR’s Virtual Reality Scene Generator (VRSG) has been integrated into the U.S. Air Force T-1A Jayhawk twin-engine jet trainer aircraft as part of an embedded training device to provide a simulated mixed reality Electro-Optical/Infra-Red (EO/IR) training capability to the aircraft. The U.S. Air Force’s Combat Systems Officer training station at Naval Air Station (NAS) Pensacola, FL, has purchased 49 MetaVR VRSG licenses which will be installed on 21 T-1A Jayhawk training aircraft at the base. VRSG forms part of the T-1A Combat System Officers Training System (CSOTS) embedded training device for the aircraft, which is used to train students in the operation of EO/IR sensors. VRSG generates the visuals for the system, resulting in a mixed reality training experience for trainees that combines simulated and live environments. In-flight EO/IR training is carried out using a generic simulated sensor model similar to the MX-20. A total of 15 flight paths between North Carolina and Louisiana can be flown during training exercises, with correlated views rendered on MetaVR’s SE CONUS ++ terrain. The system is integrated with a third party computer-generated/semi-automated forces application so that students ‘see’ targets inserted into the simulated view. These targets – buildings, ground vehicles or other aircraft – are models from MetaVR’s model libraries.
“The training environment is truly mixed reality – students looking out the aircraft window see real-world locations that correlate with the simulated sensor views of MetaVR’s geospecific 3D terrain rendered in VRSG software,” Garth Smith, President of MetaVR said. “The major benefit here is that the students obtain maximum training value by flying a real platform and benefitting from having a sensor view that correlates to their actual geographic location.”
The sensor simulation approach helps reduce overall training costs to the US Air Force by providing an alternative to more expensive actual EO/IR sensors. Two VRSG licenses are installed on each of the 21 aircraft. One VRSG display is located in front with co-pilot, the other is situated behind where the student sits. In addition to the aircraft-based training system, VRSG is used on a ground-based trainer to increase student’s familiarization, and to provide the ability to play back training missions in a debrief setting.
“VRSG is used to teach students various techniques and theories related to the use of the EO/IR sensor equipment in a simulated environment, with targets inserted into the simulated view – something that would be cost prohibitive to recreate in the real world,” Smith added.
All US Air Force CSO Training is consolidated at NAS Pensacola under the 479th Flying Training Group Air Education and Training Command unit. The T-1A CSOTS is the first course of a 1.5 year-long CSO training course. After the T-1A course, students go on to EW classroom training on the T25 Simulator for Electronic Combat Training, a classified system which also uses VRSG; followed by training on the T-6A Texan II trainer aircraft.
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Meggitt Training Systems, makers of FATS® and Caswell technologies, a division of Meggitt PLC, is the leading supplier of integrated live-fire and virtual weapons training systems. Meggitt Training Systems continues to grow its capabilities based on the legacy of these two industry leaders.
Over 13,600 Meggitt live-fire ranges and 5,100 virtual systems are fielded internationally, providing judgmental, situational awareness and marksmanship training to the armed forces, law enforcement and security organizations. Meggitt Training Systems employs more than 400 people at its headquarters in Atlanta and at facilities in Orlando, Canada, the United Kingdom, Netherlands, UAE, Australia and Singapore. It can deploy service personnel anywhere in the world for instructor training, system installation and maintenance. Learn more at https://meggitttrainingsystems.com/.
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