Data Packets
Boeing and Creative Technologies Inc. (CTI) announced a teaming agreement to explore new training solutions for military and law enforcement training audiences. The agreement will build upon Boeing’s experience in aviation training systems and CTI’s expertise in game-based simulations for ground forces training.
The agreement formalizes an ongoing relationship—CTI is a contributor to the Boeing Future Combat Systems program, and Boeing and CTI are partners in the U.S. Army’s Fires Center of Excellence integration effort at Fort Sill, Okla.
“The customer split the Fires Center of Excellence work into two phases, each with their own contract award. Phase I is complete, and we are in the middle of Phase II. Phase II is scheduled to complete on February 27, 2009,” Stacey Ritter Holloway, Boeing spokesperson, told MT2.
Stacey Ritter Holloway,
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Aechelon Milestones Achieved
Aechelon Technology, in its 11th year of serving its customers, announced delivery of its 100th trainer visual system, with number 120 already on order.
The supported programs include “P-8A and T45 UMFO trainers with Boeing, a large visual upgrade for the Air Force Research Lab with L-3 Communications, five Army CH-47F trainers with WestWind Technologies, next-generation units of MH-60S and MH-60R with CAE USA, the Marines' UH-1N/CH-46E/CH-53E trainer with Aero Simulation, the CH-53E WST trainer with J.F. Taylor, and several other undisclosed programs and primes including the U.S. government,” read a company statement.
In addition, several Navy portable source initiative compliant databases have been delivered during this year, and additional ones are in production with hundreds of terabytes being processed. Among them are West Pacific (Japan and Korea), East and West Coast U.S., Southwest Asia (Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Straits of Hormuz), Southeast Asia and the Horn of Africa.
Javier Castellar,
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Air Force Launches New Predator UAS Training Program
Air Force officials selected 10 Air Force officers to begin the first-ever unmanned aircraft systems beta test program to produce operators of the MQ-1 Predator. The 10 selectees began training in January at Pueblo, Colo. Air Force Personnel Center representatives screened 40 applicants for the first training class. From that pool, Air Force officials selected the first 10 students and five alternates.
“The initial class contains a crosssection of officers from various career fields: developmental engineers, air battle managers, combat systems officers, security forces officers, a space/ missile operator, a civil engineer and a contracting officer,” read an Air Force statement.
These 10 officers will be the first of two groups to go through the eightmonth training program.
To build upon the successful response for the initial class, Air Force officials are looking for officers to apply for the June 2009 class and future training classes.
The training will include introductory flight training at Pueblo, Colo.; a UAS fundamentals course at Randolph AFB, Texas; the Joint Air-to- Ground Operations School at Nellis AFB, Nev.; and then UAS training at Creech AFB, Nev.
Digimation to Relocate to Orlando Area
In a strategic move to enhance the company’s presence in the training and simulation sector, Digimation has announced plans to relocate its business to the Orlando area.
“After careful consideration, Orlando was the obvious choice for us,” David Avgikos, president, Digimation, told MT2. “Not only is it the center of the military simulation community; it also offers an extensive talent pool from which to draw, which is of critical importance as we grow our business.”
The company expects the move to be completed in first quarter 2009, at which time the new address will be 250 International Parkway, Suite 320, Lake Mary, Fla. 32746. The company’s toll free phone number remains the same: 800-854-4496.
Digimation produces cutting-edge 3-D content used in leading simulations, virtual trainers and animation.
David Avgikos,
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Army Shadow Training Program Takes Flight
MT2 had an opportunity during 2008 I/ITSEC to speak with PEO STRI product manager, air and combat tactical trainers representatives regarding developments in the Army’s Shadow crew trainer (SCT) program. PEO STRI has contracted for the delivery of 25 SCTs and 20 hours of interactive intermediate instruction. The system’s part-task trainers (PTTs) are optioned priced on the contract, and those contracted line item numbers have yet to be exercised. AAI manufactures the Shadow unmanned air system and the SCT. A key industry partner for the SCT is MetaVR. While not under contract, the availability of PTTs for the Shadow program is another indication of the UAS community’s increasing reliance on these devices. The purpose of the air vehicle part-task trainer (AV PTT) and the launcher PTT is to train critical operation and unit level maintenance tasks. AV PTT: The AV PTT will be the actual size, weight and balance of the Shadow (approximately 310 pounds when fueled with a 14-foot wingspan and 12-foot length). Each of the aircraft subassemblies (left, right and center wings; left and right booms; left and right empennages; and mission module) will be removable for training assembly and disassembly tasks. The compartments will be accessible as on the real aircraft, except for the FTS. On Shadow, the FTS parachute cover can be completely removed. On the PTT, it contains electronics for controlling the sensor and actuator components; however, it will be able to be opened. Launcher PTT: The launcher PTT will be a full-size mock-up of the launcher used for launcher training maintenance and operation tasks and AV mounting, and preflight and launch procedures. The launcher instrumentation will detect proper alignment of the AV. All launcher structures will be physically present, but some will have different functionality to reduce production costs and enhance safety. The launcher beams, trailer, hydraulic structural components, shuttle, sheaves, cables, straps and ratchet will be present and provide the same physical fidelity as the real launcher. The ratchet will place only a limited amount of tension on the arresting strap. The shuttle will move on the rails, but the sheaves and launch cable are nonfunctioning. The launch piston rod will move by hand, but cannot be placed under pressure. The trailer will be based on the actual trailer design, and the various equipments stored in the trailer (e.g., a nonfunctioning 2-Kilowatt generator) provide challenges in lifting and stowage, tasks that can be trained on this device. Kristen Dooley McCullough,
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Antycip Simulation announced its signature of a distribution agreement with Mersive Technologies, a creator for ultra definition displays. Under the terms of the agreement, Antycip simulation will serve as Mersive’s distribution partner in Europe.
Randall Stevens, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
NATO Eyes Training to Fix JCAS Shortfalls
One of the critical operational shortfalls in NATO operations in Afghanistan continues to be the gaps in the joint close air support ( JCAS). The NATO HQ SACT hosted the 2nd Joint Tactical Air Controller/Fratricide Prevention Conference at Soesterberg AB, Netherlands. The conference discussed JCAS developments and the consequences for fratricide prevention, shared the latest operational experience and discussed developments in simulation, CAS-enabling technologies and combat identification. IFAD, a Danish company specializing in simulation-based training solutions for defense, was invited to present IFACTS (IFAD Forward Air Controller Training Solution). “IFACTS is a deployable, laptop-based simulator designed for mission preparation, mission rehearsal and close air support training in accordance with NATO STANAG 3797. It provides a synthetic environment within which FACs and pilots can rehearse a mission in the same terrain while facing the same enemy threat. A common geographical database, the same 3-D entities and a correlated weapon’s effects presentation ensure the same frame of reference for their joint training mission,” Benny Graff Mortensen, CEO and president, IFAD, told MT2.
IFACTS was designed with special focus on night CAS training.
Mortensen concluded, “IFACTS is high-level architecture/distributed interactive simulation interoperable and works with other simulators and systems.” At I/ITSEC 2008 a combined CAS training solution with IFACTS and SAABs Gripen flight simulator was demonstrated.
Benny Graff Mortensen,
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Compiled by KMI Media Group staff