DIU selects Vertex Solutions for mixed reality tactical jet training
Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), a US Department of Defense (DoD) organization, has selected Vertex Solutions, a developer of high-fidelity learning technology, including virtual and mixed reality (VR and MR)…
Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), a US Department of Defense (DoD) organization, has selected Vertex Solutions, a developer of high-fidelity learning technology, including virtual and mixed reality (VR and MR) pilot training, for its third consecutive advanced pilot training program.
Mixed reality training
The Virtual TRaining for Air Dominance (VTRAD) MR simulator will support the US Air Force’s new Fighter/Bomber Fundamentals (FBF) tactical jet training course, training the next generation of fast-jet pilots.
This project will transform the common immersive training devices (cITDs) Vertex delivered under the Pilot Training Transformation program into a MR simulator with integrated hardware avionics and a new advanced T-38C aircraft model. Vertex will produce an upgrade kit to modify existing cITDs into the VTRAD configuration, providing higher fidelity training at lower cost.
“The introduction of 5th Generation aircraft fundamentally changed the nature of air warfare and the training required for US military pilots,” DIU said. “Specifically, this evolution revealed major limitations in the legacy pilot training ecosystem, which relies heavily on monolithic simulator systems and live-flights and suffers from limited network interoperability and content-delivery capabilities.”
Next generation
Dennis Wikoff, President and COO, Vertex Solutions, commented, “VTRAD marks the next generation of training technology for fighter jet aircraft and a glimpse into the future for Vertex Solutions. MR provides a genuine pathway for a lightweight advanced fighter flight simulator. Vertex is proud to be at the forefront of this cutting-edge technology. It’s exciting to build on our past successes by offering cost-effective, modular, and immersive flight simulators to the USAF in support of their future training requirements.”
The initial contract requirement is to deliver a T-38C tactical trainer aircraft simulator for 19AF’s new FBF course under AETC. The unique modularity of Vertex Solutions’ design, however, allows DIU and Vertex Solutions to develop a capability that can be rapidly extended to multiple other tactical jet trainer aircraft, like the F-16, and soon, the T-7A.
