EUCLID CEPA 11 Defence Modelling and Simulation Technologies Research and Technology Project RTP 11.12 'In-Flight Demonstration of Embedded Simulation for Training Purposes On-Board Fighter Aircraft'

摘要

In the context of EUropean Collaboration for Long-term In Defence (EUCLID) MoU, within the Common European Priority Area (CEPA) 11 "Defence Modelling and Simulation Technologies" the Research and Technology Project (RTP) 11.12 "In-Flight Demonstration of Embedded Simulation for Training Purposes On-Board Fighter Aircraft" had been carried out. The research and demonstration program was co-funded by the Ministries of Defence of five European countries under the framework of the EUCLID MoU to include Germany, Italy, The Netherlands, Portugal and Turkey with considerable financial contribution from the industrial entities. EADS Military Aircraft Munich has led a team of seven industries and research centres, including AerMacchi of Italy, DutchSpace and NLR of The Netherlands, OGMA and INETI of Portugal and Marmara Research Center of Turkey. The purpose of the project was the design, realisation and demonstration of a real time embedded simulation system allowing the combat training of operational aircrew in a virtual air defence scenario and threat environment against computer generated forces in the air and on the ground while flying on a real aircraft. The simulated scenario is focused on air-to-air beyond visual range engagements of fighter aircraft. The simulation is self contained and will allow the trainee to fly a number of different scenarios during the same flight. The work was concentrated on the technology demonstration of an onboard real time embedded training system for fighter aircraft. This system is called Weapon system Simulation in Flight (WaSiF). The RTP 11.12 WaSiF system consists of the WaSiF airborne system (ABS) and is supported by the WaSiF ground-based sub-system (GBS). The WaSiF airborne system (ABS) represents one of the first demonstrations of an advanced embedded real time training system onboard a fighter/training aircraft. The system is integrated onboard the MB339CD aircraft. Its modern fully digital avionics based on a MIL1553 bus and complete design responsibility of AerMacchi make it a perfect platform for this program. The three-phased work established in phase 1 the requirement baselines and design fundamentals on which the work of phases 2 and 3 could progress. Phase 2 consisted of Software Development, Hardware Development & Procurement and the Ground Based Simulation Demonstration (GBSD) with Flight Hardware In The Loop (FHILS) for validation, verification and acceptance. Phase 3 saw the integration, test and certification to allow the flight test of the WaSiF supported by a Ground Station for mission preparation, rehearsal and debriefing. The overall flight test activity covered a wide variety of test conditions for a total of 21 test flights, the operational airborne time of the WaSiF amounted to nearly 18 hours. The demonstration and evaluation were quite positive, the five nation aircrew was very fond of their first encounter with the virtual world in the military flight training. The Management Group and the WEAO are of high praise of the successful demonstration of the embedded simulation concept in a tactical flying environment. As a secondary outcome, the selected approach of using Commercial Off The Shelf (COTS) computing equipment proved to be a very cost-effective technical solution.