India, Australia and Singapore Expand Training Spectrum

Militaries across the Indo-Pacific are embracing innovation and emerging technologies to train military personnel faster, better and more efficiently, reports Atul Chandra.

The prolonged pandemic is resulting in faster adoption of virtual training technologies by armed forces in the Indo-Pacific region. Rising regional tensions have meant that militaries must continue with training no matter the non-defence circumstances. While military training had ground to a halt during the initial days of the pandemic early last year, its resumption necessarily required greater use of virtual training.

“We need to prepare for a future that is contested in a multi-domain environment with a peer or near-peer adversary, and a secure virtual world will be the only way to do so because of time, cost and the prying eyes of adversaries,” Matthew Sibree, Managing Director, Indo-Pacific, CAE, told MS&T.

These requirements are driving greater interest in Live Virtual Constructive (LVC) training which links live platforms with manned simulators in virtual environments that can add constructive forces. Collins Aerospace is seeing strong interest in LVC training environments; many customers are initiating discussions. Des Baxter, Director, Business Development - Asia Pacific, Mission Systems, Collins Aerospace, said, “With fifth-generation aircraft, battlespace complexities, security considerations and evolving operational tactics, effective training in some scenarios is not possible using a wholly live or virtual environment.”

Leonardo, which is offering fully developed and already operational LVC solutions, is continuing to add to the performance and capabilities its offerings. “We are moving ahead in new developments already in line with requirements implied by future-generation combat systems: their characteristics of ‘system of systems’ domain compared to today’s ‘defence aircraft’ domain, with the aircraft interfacing unmanned elements and benefitting of artificial intelligence,” a Leonardo spokesperson explained.

The pandemic is also accelerating trends that defence forces were already moving toward. “Digital immersion technologies like virtual reality; leveraging synthetic environments for not just training, but also planning, analysis and decision support; and looking more holistically at multi-domain operations and the integration of air, land, maritime, space and cyber,” CAE’s Sibree cited.

Many of the new initiatives taken by simulation and training services providers to support their customers during the pandemic, such as offboard instructor operator stations, virtual instructor-led classroom training and remote acceptance testing on training devices are also expected to continue.

CAE Simulator Pilot Instructor Ben Scorey monitors and instructs Pilot Officer Alec Taylor in the Hawk 127 simulator during an eye-tracking technology trial. Image credit: Corporal Brett Sherriff © Commonwealth of Australia 2020.

Training for Reality

The Australian Defence Forces (ADF) are modernising their training curriculum and introducing high-fidelity synthetic training systems with the intent of delivering innovative capability to their personnel as quickly as possible. The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) is progressing eye-tracking technology trials which could potentially enable future applications across the ADF. Eye- and head-tracking sensor technologies within the RAF were first demonstrated as part of the Jericho Dawn Programme in July 2019, when they were installed on Hawk 127 Lead-In-Fighter (LIFT) flight simulators at No. 76 Squadron, RAAF Base Williamtown.

The RAAF’s current simulators are not equipped with eye-tracking technology, and late last year trainee pilots and simulator instructors trialled an eye- and gaze-tracking system over two introductory fighter courses at No. 79 Squadron’s Hawk 127 LIFT simulator at RAAF Base Pearce. The eye-tracking technology developed by Australian firm Seeing Machines uses two infrared lights, a camera and advanced computer vision technology to track eye movements of pilots as they scan cockpit instruments.

“This was the first time Air Force has seen this kind of technology implemented in pilot training,” Executive Officer of No. 78 Wing, Wing Commander Chris Plain said. “Going forward we would like all of our Hawk simulators to be equipped with the eye-tracking technology but would also like to see this technology implemented in the rest of the flying training system.”

The technology is being trialled to ascertain its effectiveness and whether it can positively influence a pilot’s situational awareness, instrument flying, and airmanship. Understanding a pilot’s instrument-scanning behaviour could deliver significant benefits in reducing failure rates during training, cost savings and most importantly, enhanced training and operational outcomes of pilot candidates.

Future RAAF Advanced/LIFT trainer requirements are being watched with interest by Leonardo, which is proposing the M-346 to satisfy training requirements resulting from the entry into service of the F-35 and, in the longer term, the ADF’s Combat Support requirement.

“Being LVC capability operational since years in support of Italian Air Force training syllabus, we are also the only contender that can prospect to RAAF – immediately - a full testing of the whole system, with evident benefits in terms of reliability of their analysis,” a Leonardo spokesperson said. Hawk 127s currently undertake advanced and LIFT training in addition to the ADF’s combat support role.

The RAAF’s No. 32 Squadron and Air Mission Training School (AMTS), which operates KA350 King Airs at RAAF Base East Sale for training of Air Force mission aircrew and Navy aviation warfare officers, received a new console-based Mission Airborne Training System (MATS) in April.

“With its instantaneous feedback, realistic emulations and potential for detailed post-mission analysis, this network-based platform opens exciting possibilities for training both the routine and complex skills that are integral to the effective delivery of air and space power to the joint force in the modern operating environment,” CO of AMTS Wing Commander Arran Moore said.

The immersive next-generation training system will provide the RAAF with a cost-effective way to run complex virtual scenarios rather than using physical assets. With MATS, the RAAF will be able to inject training scenarios directly into the on-board console, allowing trainees to fly realistic missions on a high-fidelity system while taking into account all the aircraft’s technical requirements.

Jet Aviation developed the new MATS hardware in collaboration with Sydney-based software company Cirrus and Defence’s Capability Acquisition and Sustainment Group. Specialist design and technical inputs were also taken from the Institute of Aviation Medicine.

The ADF is inducting new training devices, amongst which is a new Protected Mobility Tactical Training System (PMTTS) for new protected mobility crews and an updated VR procedural trainer for snipers which has now been rolled out to all three combat brigade locations. In February, the Army’s Battle Simulation Centre at the Army’s Gallipoli Barracks in Enoggera completed acceptance testing of five PMTTS with a new VR platform. The PMTTS continues with large computer screens for the driver and co-driver; however, the vehicle gunner now wears a VR headset for training on a simulated MAG 58 machine gun.

Australian firm Applied Virtual Simulation, which supplied the previous version installed six years ago, is providing the upgraded PMTTS, whose latest version incorporates more realistic weapon feedback as demanded by soldiers with the incorporation of a recoil.

Signaller Jon Taylor, front, and Joel Sansom-Sherwill in the ADF’s new Protected Mobility Tactical Training System (PMTTS). Image credit: Private Jacob Hilton © Commonwealth of Australia 2020.

Training for Readiness

The Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) continues to upgrade its capabilities and has pioneered introduction of state-of-the-art training systems in SE Asia. Singapore was the first international customer for Leonardo’s M-346 integrated training system. Italy, Israel and Poland are also operating the training system centered on the M-346 to train future pilots destined for the F-35. The M-346 Integrated Training System includes a complete Ground Based Training System (GBTS): simulators, academics, mission planning system and computer-based training management system. The progressive “virtualisation of training through technology” by the RSAF has allowed it to better optimise training of pilots who can better exploit the aircraft during real flight hours flown. The integration of in-flight aircraft, full mission simulator (FMS) on ground and computer-generated forces on the onboard simulation allow cadet pilots to interact in real time with a virtual tactical scenario matching live (aircraft in flight), virtual (simulators) and constructive (embedded tactical training simulation).

The RSAF’s F-15SG Air Mission Trainers (AMT) are also now fully operational. Training courses on the high-fidelity AMTs started in mid-2019. The RSAF has eight networked flight simulators, allowing up to eight F-15SG pilots and WSOs to train concurrently. The AMTs have generated substantial savings in terms of costs, time and airframe life with the RSAF stating that the cost per simulation flying hour is 14% of the F-15SG’s cost per actual flying hour.

The RSAF’s new Airbus A330 Multi-Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) fleet was declared fully operational in April, 2.5 years after the new type was unveiled at the RSAF50 parade in September 2018. The new aerial tankers operated by 112 Squadron have replaced KC-135Rs acquired from the United States Air Force in 1997. The RSAF, in partnership with the Defence Science and Technology Agency (DSTA), has successfully reduced the operating crew size from three personnel (pilot, co-pilot and an air refuelling operator - ARO) from four. This could pave the way for other A330 MRTT operators to adopt a three-crew pattern as standard operating procedure with attendant benefits of reduced training and personnel costs. The AAR simulator allows highly realistic training on use of the MRTT’s Aerial Refuelling Boom System (ARBS), which also features a 3D video system. AROs are trained on a simulator which is a replica of the operator’s console with flight management and aerial refuelling system panels also incorporated for added realism.

The RSAF introduced its upgraded CH-47 Chinook helicopter full-mission simulator into service in February 2020, and CAE is now delivering the final phase of the upgrade. The RSAF’s new CH-47F helicopters are expected from this year as well. CAE incorporated new features available in later variants of the CH-47 as part of the upgrades. The upgraded FMS makes use of new or refurbished six-degree-of-freedom motion systems, and a Digital Automatic Flight Control System has been implemented as well. Options for the upgrades included addition of a new avionics suite, CAE’s Medallion-6000 image generator with Open Geospatial Consortium Common Database (OGC CDB) architecture and enhanced synthetic and tactical environment simulation software.

Entering the Arena

India’s Light Combat Aircraft (LCA), Tejas, is now in service with two operational squadrons in its Mk-1 variant. No. 45 Squadron ‘Flying Daggers’ was the first to operate the type in July 2016, followed by No. 18 Squadron ‘Flying Bullets’ in May 2020. In February, a formal order for 73 improved Tejas Mk-1A single-seat fighters and 10 Tejas Mk-1 twin-seat trainers worth Rs457 billion was awarded to state-owned airframer Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).

Tejas Mk-1A aircraft will feature an Israeli Elta Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar, indigenously developed ASTRA BVRAAMs, MBDA’s ASRAAM - known as the New Generation Close Combat Missile (NGCCM) in India, air-to-air refuelling, improved electronic warfare (EW) systems and other sensors.

The Indian Air Force (IAF) has retained the same training philosophy on Tejas as on any other fighter aircraft in its fleet. Initially, pilots posted to Tejas squadrons undergo theoretical classes on Technical Type Training for the aircraft, in which the emphasis is on the aircraft’s technical aspects, operating procedures, emergency procedures and so on. Once pilots are deemed to be thorough with the aircraft’s design philosophy and associated systems, they are cleared for flying training.

“Irrespective of the experience, the first thing that one realises is that Tejas is designed around the pilot and it is a delight to fly. The cockpit comfort is extremely good and the ergonomics are suited to meet our Concept of Operations and the aircraft has a very intuitive man-machine interface,” Group Captain Samrath Dhankhar, a former CO of No. 45 Squadron, told MS&T.

Dhankhar has extensive flying experience on the MiG-21 Bison and the SU-30 MKI. “The overall performance of the aircraft is a combination of aerodynamics as well as thrust that the engine provides. From this point of view, Tejas is a very balanced combination. It is highly manoeuvrable and controlled by an excellent FBW system, which makes it agile across its entire envelope and the FADEC-controlled engine provides an almost instantaneous response to pilot demands,” Capt. Dhankhar noted.

Flying training depends on the experience of the pilot, with mandatory training on a high-fidelity FMS developed by Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA). Pilots typically are provided 8-10 hours on the FMS, depending on pilot experience, before proceeding for a pre-solo check with the Squadron CO or Flight Commander, following which they are cleared for their first sorties.

ADA, which is the design agency for Tejas, is already working on VR-based training devices, which are expected to be ready along with Tejas Mk-1A deliveries.

Two squadrons of the Tejas Mk-1 (pictured here at HAL's hangar in Bangalore) are operational with the IAF. The type is said to be easy to convert onto, with pilots spending 8-10 hours in the simulator before going solo. Image credit: Atul Chandra.