Executive Summary 

Existing U.S. Air Force (USAF) simulation systems require high-fidelity modeling capabilities and significant military construction funding and time. When establishing its Virtual Test and Training Center (VTTC), the USAF leveraged Aechelon’s multi-spectral operational mixed reality training devices to reduce its training footprint.

Expanded Summary 

Aechelon develops agile, efficient, and high-fidelity aviation flight and mission training systems with a smaller footprint than other systems. Aechelon’s solutions not only reduce costs but also ensure the concurrency of simulators with real aircraft, addressing the limitations of traditional simulators.

Multi-Spectral Operational Mixed Reality Training Devices: Aechelon has delivered multi-spectral operational Mixed Reality (MR) training devices for various military branches, including the U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) AH-1/UH-1, U.S. Navy (USN) TH-73, and U.S. Air Force (USAF) F-35/F-22. These devices provide a realistic and immersive training experience for pilots and aircrew.

USAF Virtual Test and Training Center: Aechelon is helping establish the Virtual Test and Training Center (VTTC), a large-scale MR program supporting the National Defense Strategy Readiness. Initial plans for the VTTC include F-35 and F-22 simulators, eventually expanding to all USAF platforms. These “simulators in a box” are deployable to ships and forward-deployed bases. Compared to traditional dome display systems, the VTTC offers a more efficient and cost-effective solution. Its generalized agile architecture accommodates MR, machine learning, and advanced sensor simulation, ensuring high-fidelity correlation for visual, EO/IR, NVG, and radar systems.

USMC H-1 Deployable Mission Rehearsal Trainers: These trainers feature a real (partial) cockpit with full avionics, making them suitable for any platform. They incorporate all required aircraft sensors, such as NVG and EO/IR, and use the same USMC worldwide multi-spectral database as multi-million dollar trainers.

USN CNATRA TH-73: Aechelon has developed 14 MR full cockpit systems for the USN’s training helicopter configuration. These systems use Aechelon MR stations and databases and include Aechelon’s aero turbulence and brownout (ATBOS), computational fluid dynamics-based 4D brownout, and airflow visualization capabilities—enhancing the realism of training scenarios.

By developing and delivering these advanced training systems, Aechelon is addressing the challenges posed by other simulation systems, which often lack high-fidelity modeling capabilities and require significant military construction funding and time. Aechelon’s solutions enable more efficient, cost-effective, and realistic training experiences for military personnel.

Problem/Challenge

• Need for an agile, efficient, small-footprint, high-fidelity generalized aviation flight and mission training system.
• Existing display systems are not only costly but also require significant military construction funding and time for large building footprints to house current and legacy training systems.
• Existing simulation systems often lack the high-fidelity modeling capability to ensure the concurrency of simulators with the real aircraft—in many instances, lagging by years. This limits the usefulness of simulators for both training and mission rehearsal.

Solution/Impact

• Aechelon has delivered and is delivering in volume multi-spectral operational MR training devices for USMC AH-1/UH-1, USN TH-73, and USAF F-35/F-22.
• Aechelon is helping stand up the USAF’s VTTC, a large-scale MR program in direct support of National Defense Strategy Readiness. The VTTC will:
  • Initially include F-35 and F-22 and expand to all USAF T/M/S
  • Allow F-35, F-22, and other T/M/S “simulators in a box,” deployable to ships and forward-deployed bases.
  • Be an extremely efficient and effective solution compared with dome display systems and head-mounted cueing systems, which require multi-year lead times to develop and millions of dollars of development costs.
  • Provide a standard of generalized agile architecture accommodating MR, machine learning, and advanced sensor simulation.
  • Assure high-fidelity correlation for visual, EO/IR, NVG, and radar systems.
• USMC H-1 Deployable Mission Rehearsal Trainers
  • Have real (partial) cockpit with full avionics
  • Are deployable mission rehearsal training devices suitable for any platform
  • Incorporate all required aircraft sensors—e.g., NVG and EO/IR
  • Use the same USMC worldwide multi-spectral database as multi-million dollar trainers
• USN CNATRA TH-73
  • 14 MR full cockpit systems
  • Tandem seat USN training helicopter configuration using Aechelon MR stations and databases
  • Incorporate Aechelon’s ATBOS, computational fluid dynamics-based 4D brownout, and airflow visualization capabilities