Jet fighter pilot training soon could include computer-generation virtual projections of aerial adversaries

Oct. 2, 2020
America's air forces must innovate quickly to counter growing international threats, so augmented reality may help provide air supremacy in a conflict.

SANTA MONICA, Calif. – Retired jet fighter pilot Dan Robinson and his team at Red 6 are working to revolutionize the way military pilots train for air combat, and possibly much more, by harnessing advances in augmented reality (AR). The Drive reports. Continue reading original article

The Military & Aerospace Electronics take:

2 Oct. 2020 -- They are working to replace adversary aircraft that have to physically fly against fighter pilots -- at a cost of tens of thousands of dollars an hour -- with computer-generated virtual projections displayed in front of the trainee's eyes as they fly their aircraft.

If Red 6 in Santa Monica, Calif., is successful, the technology could bleed into many other areas of air combat pilot training and move to other domains, as well, such as to the warfighter on land and at sea. In doing so, it would disrupt entire marketplaces and many traditional, long-held training techniques and procedures.

The potential savings and flexibility that the Red 6 concept brings to the fight are so massive that the Air Force is already working with the small company to move the idea forward. Still, major cultural hurdles are likely to supersede technological ones.

Related: L-3 to upgrade flight simulators for Navy and Marine Corps jets with high-definition imagery

Related: High-fidelity COTS technology drives flight simulation

Related: Navy asks Lockheed Martin to provide third-generation advanced helmet-mounted displays for F-35 combat jet

John Keller, chief editor
Military & Aerospace Electronics

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