The main issue Robinson sees advancing in terms of air-to-air combat training is the inability to increase the actual ability of red air to support scenarios that accurately represent high-end conflicts. He described a current reality in which there is a “chronic supply” of adversarial capability, but also a “mass demand signal” that military air weapons such as the U.S. Air Force cannot reasonably expect to fill a mix of their own organic and manned equipment. unmanned aircraft complemented by aircraft operated by contractors. He noted that this would be especially true in the future, as the need to give pilots the opportunity to tackle advanced and stealthy fifth-generation threats continues to grow. This is something The war zone
has played separately in the past.
While Robinson acknowledged that ground simulators would continue to be an important part of the overall air-to-air combat training landscape, he said those systems cannot completely recreate the “cognitive load” and other stresses a pilot experiences when plane climbs. This, in turn, intrinsically limits the realism of the training they offer.
In addition, the founder and CEO of Red 6 noted that the company would provide a way for services such as the Air Force to make the most of what could be the limited non-combat flight hours for individual pilots. An AR-enabled system could allow even the most routine training outings to include a large number of simulated aircraft, providing opportunities for more regular strength exercises without the costs and complexities required to achieve a large number of aircraft. real in the air.
At the same time, there have been some suggestions that an AR-enabled training environment could offer more capacity than is really needed, especially given the expectation that many air-to-air commitments in the future will be fought beyond visual range (BVR)). Other companies are working to expand their skills to synthetically simulate various threats in real-world training, but without the kind of direct visual representation offered by the Red 6 AR system.
Robinson responded by explaining that while future air combat will no doubt involve a significant number of BVR clashes, the overall volume of aircraft in the battlefield, especially in a high-end conflict, means that the approaches to visual range are inevitable. As a result, “we better know what we’re doing within visual range,” he said.
Of course, it remains to be seen whether Red 6 can achieve these ambitious goals. The recent award of the Air Force contract makes it clear that there is now a substantial interest in what the company is developing, which offers the potential for massive cost savings to the service in relation to its current combination of training capabilities. air-air. It could help free fighters, especially fifth-generation outposts, and their pilots from having to spend valuable time acting as aggressors.
Red 6’s AR technology could also have future applications beyond air-to-air training. Earlier this year, several Air Force pilots had the opportunity to experience what the system has to offer, with the service specifically highlighting how it could be useful for B-1 bomber pilots to perform. air refueling workouts without the need for real tankers. which are always in high demand.
There is also the potential for staff in the air, as well as at sea and on land, to interact with simulated assets and among themselves in future exercises using this system.
Right now, Red 6 will begin integrating its training system into one of the Air Force’s T-38 Talon jet trainers as part of its SBIR contract, with future plans to also install it on an aircraft. combat F-16 Viper. The company has conducted its own flight tests using a Berkut aircraft with a modified piston engine.
“We are delighted to continue to grow our presence within the United States Air Force as we harness the power of our unique technology in support of war combat,” Robinson said in a press release about the award of the contract to the United States Air Force. ‘August. “I couldn’t be more excited about our future war fighters, as the adoption of Red 6 technology will dramatically improve the quality of the training they will receive. We must continue to innovate them so that they continue to be the best formats and the best – war warriors. equipped in the world “.
Red 6 has already been able to advance the state of its technology which can change the game relatively quickly in recent years. It will be very interesting to see where the company can take it now with significant collaboration and financial support from the Air Force.
Contact the author: joe@thedrive.com