ORLANDO, Fla., 3 Dec. 2009. Engineers at L-3 Link Simulation and Training in Arlington, Texas, used ground and flight simulation technology to demonstrate how collective manned and unmanned training can enhance preparation for combined arms missions at the Interservice/Industry Training, Simulation and Education Conference (I/ITSEC) this week in Orlando, Fla.

The training demonstration consists of a UH-60 helicopter tactics trainer networked to a generic unmanned aircraft system (UAS) trainer with streaming video to a Rover 5. The L-3 Link trainers use Blue Box HD as their enabling graphics and image technology.

The L-3 concept will enable warfighters to get this type of team training much earlier than in the past, better preparing them for when they deploy, says Michael Rapavi, Operations SME at L-3 Link Simulation and Training.

"Lessons learned from today's combat operations have shown that successful reconnaissance, surveillance, targeting, and acquisition [RSTA] operations are a combined effort and require precise communications between manned and unmanned ground and air assets," says Bob Birmingham, president of L-3 Link. "By leveraging L-e Link's experience in networked training we have developed a manned and manned training capability that provides units and commanders with a powerful collective training tool that exercises all combat elements in a highly realistic simulation environment."

L-3 Link's manned and unmanned training solution can support training on any services' collective rotary wing simulators, individual ground control station trainers and related support systems.