TIM RIPLEY
A distributed simulation of air-to-air-combat has been brought to Le Bourget by the UK's Defence Evaluation and Research Agency (DERA). Called SyCOE (Synthetic COMAO Experiment), it has passed its second trial with flying colours. The system (pictured left) uses large-scale synthetic environments linked across several DERA sites to support collective military aircrew training. "This project is part of the continuing research into the use of distributed simulation technologies to provide high-value team and collective training to front-line aircrew" says DERA spokeswoman Joanna Sale. "This will help develop and maintain operational readiness, especially for involvement in coalition operations."
This research programme unites DERA's Real Time All Vehicle Simulator (RTAVS) suite, based at Bedford, north of London, with its JOUST air combat simulation research facility, in Farnborough, UK, forming a complex synthetic environment.
DERA business manager Cliff Kimpton says: "The main advantage of SyCOE is its ability to provide collective and coalition training opportunities which are typically too expensive and too dangerous to carry out in the real world as often as desired, even though it is increasingly important to modern warfare capability."
The trial covered both a ground-attack immersive environment and configured two-seater mission station simulators for air defence crew, for an improved representation of split roles as found in Panavia Tornado F3.
In addition, a large number of friendly and threat elements were provided by computer generated forces, controlled through voice commands, to provide a rich combat environment.
Source: Flight Daily News
