Executive Summary

The U.S. government needed a way to stimulate sensor fusion systems and mission systems while training pilots and commanders to handle current and future high-end threat scenarios at full-scale theater of war density. In response, Aechelon developed a joint interoperable simulation environment to meet the demand for joint multi-service and multi-domain high-fidelity simulation. Equipped with a worldwide multi-spectral high-resolution earth digital twin, the U.S. government was able to drive more realistic and comprehensive training scenarios.

Expanded Summary

Aechelon has developed a joint interoperable simulation environment to meet the demand for joint multi-service and multi-domain high-fidelity simulation. This environment is crucial for stimulating sensor fusion systems and mission systems, and training pilots and commanders to handle current and future high-end threat scenarios at full-scale theater of war density.

Our simulation environment features a worldwide multi-spectral high-resolution Earth digital twin, which replicates the Earth’s terrain and includes varying threat densities, different mixes of aircraft, and diverse ground threats. This digital twin encompasses both existing and projected future threats, enabling more realistic and comprehensive training scenarios.

Aechelon’s solution correlates all domains, from the visible spectrum to electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) and advanced radar, ensuring a comprehensive and accurate training experience. To support this environment, Aechelon has provided hundreds of image and data generators for current joint simulation environment (JSE) participant aircraft trainers, such as the F-35 and F-22, at various operating sites including the Naval Air Warfare Center Patuxent River, Nellis AFB, and Edwards AFB.

Additionally, Aechelon has supplied its Nexus product, which provides a secure unified storage and administration system, generating hundreds of multi-spectral 3D terrain streams for correlating threats and friendly entities. This system integrates the U.S. Government’s next generation threat system (NGTS), featuring intelligence-validated models in all domains in real-time.

Aechelon’s solution supports numerous high-end display domes and compact next-generation Mixed Reality (MR) training systems. The MR systems provide the same fidelity full sensor suite simulations as the dome systems, increasing the number of training exercise participants while reducing the physical footprint needs at each JSE site. This innovation leads to more efficient, effective, and immersive training for pilots and commanders—better preparing them for real-world scenarios.

Problem/Challenge

• Need for a joint multi-service and multi-domain high-fidelity simulation environment to stimulate sensor fusion systems and mission systems. This environment will ultimately train pilots and commanders flying today’s existing and emerging aircraft against current and future high-end threat scenarios at full-scale theater of war density.
• The U.S. Government and its allies could not securely perform these activities in existing testing ranges due to potential adversaries being able to see the tests and exercises in the real world through new ISR capabilities.
• The U.S. Government needed to integrate intelligence-validated models to ensure authentic peer-to-peer confrontations.

Solution/Impact

• Create a joint, interoperable simulation environment that includes a worldwide multi-spectral high-resolution earth digital twin, with varying threat densities, different mixes of aircraft, and a variety of ground threats—including threats that are projected to be faced in the future.
• Correlate all domains, ranging from the visible spectrum to EO/IR and advanced radar.
• Aechelon has provided hundreds of image and data generators for all current JSE participant aircraft (e.g., F-35, F-22) at various participating operating sites, including the Naval Air Warfare Center Patuxent River, Nellis Air Force Base, and Edwards Air Force Base.
• Aechelon also provided its Nexus product, a secure unified storage and administration system that generates hundreds of multi-spectral 3D terrain streams for correlation of threats and friendly entities.
• Aechelon integrated the U.S. government’s NGTS, including intelligence-validated models in all domains in real-time.
• Aechelon supports dozens of high-end display domes and compact next-generation MR training systems. MR systems provide the same fidelity full sensor suite simulations as the dome systems provide—thereby increasing the number of training exercise participants and reducing physical footprint needs at each JSE Site.