Lockheed Martin, the Joint Program Office and the U.S. Air Force successfully connected the F-35, F-22, F-16, and E3 Sentry in a “highly contested simulated environment” during a Distributed Mission Training (DMT) final acceptance test at Nellis AFB, Nevada. Additional platforms, like the F-15, can also connect to the shared virtual environment.
The Distributed Mission Training system was developed by Lockheed Martin in partnership with the F-35 Joint Program Office and the USAF.
“This base capability lays the foundation for pilots to truly train as they fight by enabling advanced tactics training through multi-domain operations in a simulated environment,” said Chauncey McIntosh, Lockheed Martin’s F-35 training and logistics vice president.
The Distributed Mission Training system is to be used for continuous pilot training and simulated large force exercises of pilots at dispersed locations. In particular, the system is for training pilots on “advanced tactics” needed in multi-domain operations, says Lockheed Martin. That is, the simulator is a cheaper and more easily repeatable way of teaching USAF pilots how to coordinate complex missions with virtual compatriots in the US Space Force, US Navy (USN) and US Army.
Previously used F-35 simulators allowed up to four pilots at a facility to fly together in simulated combat.
The advanced DMT capability links pilots at Nellis AFB to pilots at other bases through an existing distribution network to conduct training events with existing fourth and fifth-generation platforms.
Following this fielded DMT solutions for the F-35 training enterprise, the DMT capability will be integrated with other USAF bases across the world
Further, the navy is scheduled to receive the DMT capability through an accelerated delivery at NAS Lemoore this year.
Lockheed Martin F-35 Training and Logistics vice-president Chauncey McIntosh said: “This base capability lays the foundation for pilots to truly train like they fight by enabling advanced tactics training through multi-domain operations in a simulated environment.”
In May this year, Lockheed Martin undertook measures to mitigate Covid-19 impacts on F-35 production and rapidly recover from the pandemic, by adjusting work schedules, maintaining employee skillsets and accelerating payments to suppliers.
The move was in response to previously reported F-35 supplier delays due to the outbreak.
The best training is in the air with all types of aircraft not on simulators get the pilots in the air for as long as they can stand and flying all different models and what they learn in the air can’t be hacked or looked at by any one else only that squadron will know simulators only create risk of other nations knowing your tactics. American and British pilots best in the world.