Data Packets
Vega Group PLC and Selex Sistemi Integrati Ltd. joined to create Selex Systems Integration Ltd. (Selex SI), which is now a subsidiary of Finmeccanica Co. Selex Sistemi Integrati SpA.
In February 2008, Vega became a wholly owned subsidiary of Finmeccanica SpA. The creation of Selex SI completed a 12-month strategic road map between the two companies.
Under the new Selex SI organization, the knowledge and expertise of Vega’s learning experts, and the capability to develop and implement complex training solutions has been preserved and enhanced with the formation of a dedicated training solutions team.
The new Selex SI Training Solutions team is led by Tony Miklinski, who joined Vega in 2007. Within the next six months, the new entity “will be continuing to develop bespoke technology-based training solutions that meet the complex individual and collective training requirements of our military clients,” Miklinski told MT2. He added, “In addition, as organizations look to implement major training transformation programs that deliver better, shorter, cheaper training, Selex SI will work alongside our strategic partners to ensure we are able to best satisfy their specific requirements.”
Mark Gunning, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Fidelity Expands to Orlando
Fidelity Technologies Corp. (Fidelity), Pa., announced it has opened a satellite office in Orlando. The office, comprising engineering and business development personnel, will focus on the company’s simulation and training activities.
Two major Fidelity clients—the Army’s Program Executive Office for Simulation, Training and Instrumentation (PEO STRI) and the Navy’s Naval Air Training Systems Division (NAVAIR TSD)—are located in Orlando.
“Allen McQuate, general manager, Simulation and Training, will head the office,” Jonathan Jaffee, company spokesperson, told MT2.
The new Fidelity office is located at Research Park, 13501 Ingenuity Drive in Orlando, just minutes from PEO STRI and NAVAIR TSD.
Sam Bass, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Apache Training Systems Plan Outlined
Boeing announced that its Integrated Defense Systems Training Systems and Services organization has completed a six-year Army contract to retrofit and upgrade 22 Apache Longbow crew trainers, 22 Maintenance training devices and a Longbow collective training system. The suite of Boeing-produced training devices provides comprehensive, high-fidelity training for Longbow aircrews and maintenance personnel.
Under the contract, hundreds of individual upgrades were performed on the trainers to ensure concurrency with the Apache Longbow helicopter. Boeing delivered and supported Longbow training devices around the world, including Army posts throughout the United States and in South Korea, Germany, Iraq and Afghanistan.
Next on the Apache training device schedule is the Extended Block 2 (EB 2) bridge contract, which will resume the cycle of retrofitting the existing trainers to match future Longbow helicopter upgrades. “The Extended Block 2 contract includes production of four additional Longbow crew trainers (LCTs) (numbers 25, 26, 27 and 28). LCTs 25, 26 and 27 will be delivered in aircraft software version 11 configuration,” Kathy Bailey, Multi-Year II Apache Training Program project manager, Boeing, told MT2. LCT will be delivered with version 13 software configuration. She added, “Other than the integration of the new aircraft capabilities resulting from version 11 and 13 upgrades, the most significant changes to the LCT design is the rehosting of the mission display processor software to reduce aircraft hardware dependencies. The 11 Block 2 LCTs in the field (LCTs 7, 9 and 16–24) will receive upgrades to version 13 software, as well as computational system upgrades.
The Block 3 redesign of the Apache Longbow is expected to be fielded starting in 2011 and will bring significant modifications to the aircraft as well as to the training devices. Apache Block 3 introduces significant modifications to the aircraft, including replacement of the three operational flight processors with a single mission processor, new engines, new avionics and communication systems, and integration and control of unmanned air vehicles. “Just like the aircraft, the 12 Block 1 LCTs in the field (LCTs 1–6, 8, 11–15) will be upgraded to match the Block 3 aircraft configuration, function and performance,” Bailey concluded.
Stacey Ritter Holloway, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
DoD Award Recognizes Training Innovation
Three individuals and five teams have won awards from the Defense Standardization Program Office (DSPO) for outstanding contributions to the Department of Defense in fiscal year 2008. One award caught our attention.
Naval Air Systems Command’s team developed a virtual tactical bridge integrating live and virtual radio devices using different standards into a seamless communications architecture. This effort bridges the gap between live and virtual communications. The bridge which is now being used for training for all services provides a more realistic training environment for warfighter by enabling interoperability among various training systems. Members include Robert Reif, John Allen, Lance Legan, Christopher Sprague and Peter McCarth.
OLIVE Earns Award
The National Training and Simulation Association presented Forterra Systems with the Modeling and Simulation Cross-Function award at its annual leadership summit in Norfolk. Forterra, along with its partners IDSI and Rustici Software, won special recognition for being the first virtual world company to integrate SCORM (Shareable Content Object Reference Model) content into its OLIVE (On-Line Interactive Virtual Environment) software.
The SCORM standard allows Web-based training content to be reused and portable for distance learning purposes. There are several OLIVE enhancements that will be released during 2009. “They include an API for integrating third-party AI middleware vendors and richer NPC support; automating the process to create personalized avatars from digital photos so customers can produce these within 15 minutes; telephony integration so users who can’t join an OLIVE meeting with a computer can call into the meeting to join the audio portion of the meeting; and a scenario editor that will organize scenes, products and avatar templates for various training use cases like emergency response, and increased scaling support,” Chris Badger, company spokesperson, told MT2.
David “Bart” Bartlett, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
TRADOC Commander Outlines Training Strategy Shift
As U.S. military operations shift from Iraq to Afghanistan, Army leaders are looking at how to shift the focus of training to deal with the renewed emphasis of fighting in one of the world’s poorest countries. “There will be adaptations,” the Army’s top trainer said.
The commander of the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command, General Martin Dempsey, said there will not necessarily be changes in the conduct of counterinsurgency operations—the tactics, techniques and procedures—but rather changes in the training on how to work with the local population and operating in a different physical environment.
There will also be cultural differences between Afghanistan and Iraq. Soldiers will have to adapt. Dempsey noted that while the same counterinsurgency challenge exists, the enemy living among the people has a greater influence on the local populations.
Eisenhower/Bataan Fleet Synthetic Training Event
Commander, U.S. Second Fleet, completed a Strike Force Fleet Synthetic Training (FST-F) event, for the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) Carrier Strike Group and USS Bataan (LHD 5) Expeditionary Strike Group.
The event marked the first time France, with a carrier strike group staff operating from Toulon, participated as a member of the training audience.
“We are constantly expanding the Navy fleet synthetic training program to include more of our joint and coalition partners,” Captain C.J. Deni, head of joint and sustainment training, U.S. Fleet Forces (USFF) Command, told MT2 in a statement. He added, “We have plans to include new partners in future events and build upon the participation of those who are currently involved.”
The Joint and Sustainment Training Branch at Fleet Forces Command manages Joint Force and coalition integration with the Navy’s synthetic training program. Joint partners participating in the training included the U.S. Missile Defense Integrated Operations Center, Army air defense artillery units and the Air Force. More than 1,300 Navy, joint and coalition participants were trained during the event.
This FST-F was the initial event in the major combat operations certification process for the Ike and Bataan strike groups. In addition to French naval participation, the event marked the first time the training was distributed to the Field Missile System Demonstrator of the 108th Air Defense Artillery Brigade at Fort Bragg.
Captain C.J. Deni, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Bohemia Interactive Simulations (BISim) Relocation
The core of the VBS2 development team has moved to the Czech Republic. The team has two separate offices dedicated to VBS; Bohemia Interactive Australia (BIA), located in Anna Bay, Australia, and Bohemia Interactive Simulations (BISim), located in Prague. The team also shares an office with Calytrix in Dayton, Ohio. “The point of sale remains Australia, but BISim serves as a new VBS distribution point with much faster Internet access, which will greatly reduce the upload time for new builds. We have also signed with a new hosting service that will increase speed and reliability when you are downloading new versions,” read a statement provided to MT2.
The management team of BISim mirrors BIA—the CEO is Peter Morrison, the CTO is Dr. Mark Dzulko, and Gordon Bradbury remains the sales manager.
Peter Morrison, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it