Europe’s Template for MilSim Success

Group Editor Marty Kauchak surveys developments in the European region’s defense S&T market.

The quick-paced, European regional defense S&T market is about more than technology and innovation. Industry companies in the region are delivering relevant, cutting-edge products and services to military services and adjacent high-risk markets across the continent and well beyond. While this industry segment is on the cusp of even more technology breakthroughs, they are also expanding their portfolios – opening new offices in other nations, enlisting new partners for projects and programs, and simply positioning their businesses to remain preferred suppliers well into global defense departments’ budget outyears. MS&T surveyed regional activities through the insights of four selected companies.

On the Ground

UK-based training simulation provider 4GD has a two-prong strategy to prepare land-based operators for increasingly rigorous urban warfare missions. While the company is strengthening the technology foundation of its own systems and products, it is also partnering with companies with competencies in niche missions and tasks, and folding those capabilities into its ground training solutions.

With systems operational in the UK, James Crowley, 4GD’s Business Development Director, told MS&T the most significant is the delivery in January of a Level 2 4GD SmartFacility to 16 Air Assault Brigade based in Colchester, Essex. “Outside of this, we have had interest from end users in Holland, Italy and Germany.”

Crowley added some context to SmartFacility, explaining a Level 2 SmartFacility includes a reconfigurable panel system, SimWall, and a combined VMS [video management system], Special-Effects and Intelligent Facility Management System, 4GAV. Crowley continued, “This system provides the parachute regiment's soldiers an immersive close combat urban training environment that is constantly changing. This allows them to develop their tactics, techniques and procedures, and their training, quickly and easily, to meet emerging threats.”

Like all of 4GD’s deliveries, the SmartFacility at Colchester is able to be upgraded to a full Level 5 Facility. This includes the company’s latest innovations in simulation targetry (4GD’s SimStriker) (Level 3); its tactical performance data collection and analysis system (Ecfectus); and its IntegratedRealities synthetic environment, Acies (Level 5).

And then there’s collaboration, as we’ll see elsewhere. 4GD partners with D3A, which permits 4GD to integrate its teammate’s combined arms simulators into the 4GD SmartFacility. In one case, D3A’s synthetic mortar role trainer allows 4GD to coordinate training between mortar teams and combat teams. The 4GD executive added, “We are also partnered with Parrot, with whom we aim to give end-users the ability to practice, test and develop UAS flying techniques and tactics in a 3D virtual world without risk of damaging a drone. We can also use the SmartFacility to combine these two capabilities. For example, a team commander clearing the physical SmartFacility could use a dismounted situational awareness device with a synthetic Parrot drone feed to identify enemy force positions in depth and coordinate a mortar ‘stomp.’”

A Level 2 4GD SmartFacility delivered to the British Army's 16 Air Assault Brigade includes the Intelligent Facility Management System, 4GAV. Image credit: 4GD.

Visual Sector Snapshot

In an adjacent S&T sector, 3D perception is coming off several years of delivering visual systems to eight military services throughout the European region. Three of the deliveries include: six systems for the Swedish Air Force; one system for the Czech Air Force, and one system for the Royal Air Force. Of added importance, the current and projected demand in this sector encouraged the company to open its UK sales and support office in November 2020.

Andy Cave, 3D’s Business Development Director UK, explained his company’s success in this sector, by bringing to bear a mix of products, services and competencies, and emphasized 3D perception can now, “in addition to the front projection dome systems, also accommodate Level D full-flight simulator visual system upgrades which include projectors, auto alignment, and optical blending for solid state projectors.” And again, there is the collaboration and partnering imperative. The executive added, “With this exciting development we are working with leading providers of visual systems to enhance all types of training.”

At the high-end of the 3D perception portfolio, the Draco 240 offers an integrated solution including screen, projectors, projector support frame, and light closeout, all in a small form factor suitable to be swiftly installed within a standard office space. A deployable version of Draco is also available. Cave further explained, “The Draco range of systems are high-resolution front-projected mini-dome displays, ideal for single eyepoint fast-jet or turboprop aircraft and can be installed in ISO [International Organization for Standardization] containers, standard offices, and classroom spaces.”

The 240 system features six out-the-window and one head-up display projectors, achieving a 240° horizontal by 150° (-30°/+120°) vertical field of view. The system supports night vision goggle training and has the capability to be “light tightened” with attachable closeout paneling. To expedite build time and reduce impact on the facility, Draco 240 is delivered in two pre-assembled modules – the screen subassembly and the projection subassembly. Both the independent subassemblies and the final assembled system feature motorized telescoping legs for adjustment of system height as well as retractable casters for easy relocation.

3D perception is also offering a number of recent, cutting-edge, core technologies including its nBox+ – the company’s “next-generation, real-time display processor that warps and blends raw image generator content and outputs to multiple projectors.” Cave added, “Designed for flexibility, ease of use, and reliability, this solid-state rack-mountable hardware appliance seamlessly processes imagery for high-performance, immersive simulation display applications.”

The 3D perception executive then called attention to several military pilot training community trends the firm is striving to remain ahead of. One effort of note supports the offload of training syllabus content for aircraft fleets into training devices. “Offloading training from aircraft is saving costs, but even offloading training from one expensive simulator to several Dracos will save cost and contribute to getting more pilots trained for the same buck. There is a need to fill the space below the top-level visual display systems, and the Draco is doing just that.” Cave observed, “Often there will be a need to purpose-build the simulator facilities and this adds to the total budget for the simulator. With Draco, our customers can get the displays installed even in a standard office space with minor changes to the building.”

Focus: Present and Well Beyond

Brunner Elektronik AG’s defense customers in the European region are in Switzerland, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, UK, France, Spain and Finland. The brand is familiar well beyond the region – in the US, UAE and 10 other nations.

At first glance, Brunner’s business model is significant from the perspective of diversity across S&T community lines. Mario Ackermann, Sales & Marketing Manager, told MS&T his Swiss-based company’s “services range from simple control loading system (CLS) deliveries for helicopter, jet or trainer systems (CLS drop-in devices), VR/MR equipment (acting as value added reseller for Varjo, XTAL and Teslasuit in Switzerland, and on the NovaSim VR/MR), 6-DOF motion platforms, and up to complete full-motion VR/MR simulators like the NovaSim MR.”

The company is hitting one market “sweet spot” of sorts, responding to the surging demand for VR and MR systems and devices, in and beyond Europe, and in the military and adjacent civil aviation sector. Ackermann pointed out: “Airbus Defence & Space in Spain has our NovaSim VR in use in its training facilities, Armasuisse (purchaser for the Swiss military) has the NovaSim VR in use as a drive training demonstrator (Stryker/Piranha), FlightSafety International has its own NovaSim MR Demonstrator in the US set up as a T-6 Texan II and UH72 (modular-reconfigurable) trainer.”

The Brunner executive revealed, “The next ones we are preparing are for the civil market: one NovaSim DA42 training system for Lufthansa Aviation Training Switzerland AG, two NovaSim VR in helicopter and fixed-wing configuration for Auburn University [Alabama, US] and a helicopter OEM. The NovaSim VR is acting as a demonstrator of a new helicopter of that customer.”

More intriguing are Brunner’s intentions for expanded growth. Ackermann explained the UAV and eVTOL market is pushing for small, efficient and affordable training devices, “which we’re ready to address with the NovaSim VR/MR. We’re in talks with training providers and OEMs alike to show them our capabilities. Big programs like PTN [Pilot Training Next] and PTT [Pilot Training Transformation] of the US Air Force, and others of the US Navy [www.halldale.com/data-and-training-transformation] are continuing, or are succeeding, with new programs in which we take part, as well as with our control loading units. We’re constantly developing and improving our training solutions. Extending the markets into certified VR/MR training devices is a future goal as well, with EASA and FAA open to that, to increase training quality and efficiency. Finally, projects like the FCAS [Future Combat Air System] and Tempest are huge projects which just started. They will offer opportunities for companies like us to participate in, starting from CLS systems, demonstrators for product development and, finally, to future training systems in higher quantities.”

Ab Initio Reconfiguration

MS&T also gained insights from Jean-Paul Monnin, CEO, Alsim, as his company was fresh off entering the Polish defense market for the supply of a reconfigurable simulator which combines two Diamond aircrafts: DA40 and DA42. Alsim’s products may also be found in service with military training departments in Italy and beyond the region.

In the case of Poland, the community executive noted the Academic Aviation Training Center (AATC) of the Military University of Aviation (MUA) has a fleet of Diamond aircraft. “They were specifically looking for a dedicated simulator for their ab initio training program. While the SEP [single-engine piston] and IR [instrument rating] parts are performed on DA40, they use DA42 for the MEP [multi-engine piston] phase.”

Alsim has entered the Polish defense market with a reconfigurable simulator which combines two Diamond aircrafts: DA40 and DA42. Image credit: Alsim.

Much like Alsim has experienced with civil aviation training enterprises, its convertible AL40/42 simulator turned out to be the perfect match for the training needs. Monnin further explained, “It reproduces the Diamond specific interior cockpits and flight decks. Changing from the DA42 to the DA40 configuration is fast and easy and is performed by swapping only the dashboard and the middle console. The simulator thus fulfilled all their requirements in terms of consistency with their fleet, training flexibility and cost savings.”

The corporate executive emphasized the “cross-fertilization” of technologies and systems between the military and civil aviation sectors – to which the Alsim business model is aligned. “The military training requirements regarding the ab initio program are basically the same as the civil aviation sector – improving the quality of training and increasing flight safety. So, their needs, in terms of training innovation, both go in the same direction.”

And in lockstep with other technology thrusts, he asserted, “Virtual reality, augmented reality and artificial intelligence are undoubtedly the next steps for simulation training. We foresee connected, intelligent, embedded simulators in the ecosystem of flight schools of the future, and the next generation of machines will have greater connectivity, using smart technology to provide greater insights to instructors and better training to pilots. Alsim’s R&D department has been working on these new technologies for years and we are currently developing a new product focusing on autonomy and even more immersion.”

Previewing another imminent technology advancement in this region’s S&T defense market, Monnin noted that, with the help of AR and other new technologies, the simulator will be able to act as a real flight instructor to offer a custom training to students, to be used in total autonomy or with an instructor. He concluded, “This educational tool will provide tutored and scripted training encompassing the CBT philosophy and the schools will also be able to build their own syllabus. Complete debriefing tools with feedback and reports complete this new offering. Our objective is to improve the training quality and efficiency and to produce better pilots for the industry. The technology enables to bring support and assistance to the students while reducing the workload of the instructors.”