CAE Supports RAAF Distributed Virtual Training Exercise

CAE recently supported the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) participation in the Diamond Thunder distributed mission training exercise, which saw the RAAF network various simulation assets across the country as part of its inaugural Air Warfare Instructor Course.

The Diamond Thunder Exercise involved the networking of F/A-18 simulators at both RAAF Base Williamtown and Tindal with the E-7A Wedgetail simulator at Williamtown and C-130J simulator at RAAF Base Richmond. The Air Warfare Centre's Joint Air Warfare Battle Laboratory at Williamtown served as the exercise command centre to manage and coordinate the overall virtual training environment.

CAE engineering staff at Richmond supported the integration and testing of the C-130J full flight mission simulator (FFMS) onto the Australian Defence Training and Experimentation Network (DTEN). CAE also provided an exercise planner to assist with creating and executing the virtual training and mission rehearsal scenarios, and had staff within the Australian Defence Simulation and Training Centre to assist with the provision of the networking infrastructure to support this distributed virtual training exercise.

During the exercise, each of the high-fidelity simulation devices was networked and flew simultaneously in the same virtual environment. As a joint and integrated force, the F/A-18 fighters, E-7A Wedgetail airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) platform, and C-130J tactical transports had to address threats such as air defence systems, ground radars and surface-to-air missiles.