Simulation & Training: Simulation for success | ADM May 2010

Pilots and maintainers require a training solution that encompasses every aspect of their education.

Katherine Ziesing | Canberra

The F-35 Lightning II Pilot and Maintenance Training systems are designed to blend together a variety of training media to create a total training solution for the F-35 weapon system.

The fully-integrated training centre (ITC) at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida will be home to a full-spectrum of the latest courseware, electronic classrooms, simulators, flight events and event-based maintenance training.

This is where Australian pilots and maintainers will be trained until the Australian ITC capability is stood up.

As to when (and even a final decision on where) this will happen, the program office and industry partners are still investigating options, infrastructure and timelines.

"Work is still in the concept phase," JoAnne Puglisi, Lockheed Martin's director of JSF sustainment infrastructure told ADM.

"Their [Australian project office] concept is to leverage off the systems in the US with an integrated training centre and incorporate both pilot and maintenance trainers at the same base."

The centre aims to provide a balance of skill and knowledge training are woven in to the program with innovative interactive courseware, desktop simulators and high-fidelity training devices.

In all of the simulators, actual F-35 software is used to give students the most realistic experience possible while accelerating the process for software upgrades as the F-35 continues to develop and mature.

The training system also uses many legacy and commercial off-the-shelf software tools to increase the affordability of the total solution.

Flexibility is fundamental to the design and is built-in to every element of the system, providing the ability to accommodate all three aircraft variants, all five US and UK services and eight international partner services.

Training tracking
All of this training is scheduled, managed and tracked using a robust Training Management System (TMS) that assists with long-range planning, near-term scheduling and is integrated with a Learning Management System (LMS) that will launch the SCORM 2004 conformant courseware.

The TMS will also hold the student training jackets that follow the pilot or maintainer through their F-35 career.

Training doesn't stop after schoolhouse graduation; both pilots and maintainers will have the ability to remain in a continuous learning environment with access to all training courseware, TMS/LMS applications and deployable training devices.

Throughout the F-35 Training System enterprise, the Training System Support Centre (TSSC) will be used to manage and distribute training device baselines, update courseware and diagnose both student and system performance.

These TSSC capabilities enable the training system to remain current with the aircraft's technology while incorporating the latest training technologies.

F-35 Pilot Training System solution includes:
• A fully-integrated schoolhouse with the Training Management System that tracks and coordinates every aspect of a student's training from their syllabus to their in-flight training

• Interactive Courseware that engages students both in and out of the classroom

• Classes from highly qualified instructors

• High-fidelity Full Mission Simulators that give the most realistic training experience possible with a 360-degree field of view

• Mission Rehearsal Trainers that use the same software as the high fidelity simulators but are self-contained and deployable onboard ships or at austere basing locations

• Desktop Pilot Training Aids that allow students in the classroom to interface with the F-35 touch panel display and flight representative stick and throttle all while following along with the instructor, merging the virtual environment with the classroom.

"At Eglin, what we're doing for pilot training is what we call a four ship configuration of four full mission sims," Puglisi explains.

"When a pilot comes in for the first time, he sits in a classroom environment with lectures from instructors, he has courseware computer based training and he is issued a pilot training aid which is a laptop that has on it a replication of all the aircraft displays which also has a stick and throttle, just like the aircraft.

"A pilot can then sit in classroom for lessons and take the laptop home, downloading courseware as needed.

"The next progression is into the full mission simulator, which is a 360 degree dome with the cockpit being raised into the centre, surrounded by 25 projectors for a totally immersive training experience.

"Once they finish that, they can start real flights in the aircraft."

Once in the aircraft, there is about a six month period learning the in and outs of the JSF before moving onto various mission roles and tactics.

Again, this training will be split between the simulators and real flights as the syllabus evolves.

With the four sims networked together, various tactical scenarios can be worked through with one on one through to two on two encounters.

This mix between real and simulated sorties aims to provide a complete training approach that covers all necessary elements of operations.

Maintenance training
F-35 maintenance training utilizes the same integrated schoolhouse at Eglin AFB and tailors to the learning needs of tomorrow's F-35 maintainers with interactive courseware and instructor-led classes.

The JSF Maintenance Training System solution also includes:
• The Aircraft System Maintenance Trainer (ASMT) is a scalable, desktop device which hosts computer-based, graphical model simulations of the aircraft providing a practice and test medium for students to perform systems operation maintenance tasks and fault isolation

• Hardware trainers including a Weapons Loading Trainer (WLT) and an Ejection Systems Maintenance Trainer (ESMT)

• Maintenance on-the-job training curriculum that extends into the operational units, accomplishing training tasks within the high-demand squadron environment.

"Maintenance training is very much designed to be for each of the specific service skill sets," Puglisi told ADM.

"They were probably the most challenging because the maintainers skills sets even in the US Air Force, US Navy and Marine Corp or the Australian Air Force are not all exactly the same.

"There are such differences in roles across the services and partner nations.

"In order to keep the program affordable, we developed the syllabus and the training materials/courseware that follows the same route as the pilots in terms of classroom environment and laptop training.

"Then there is the hands-on part of the course.

"For example, if you are a weapons loader, you would actually spend time on a full scale mock-up of the JSF doing weapons loading.

"This is across the board for canopies and ejection seats which both have detailed training mock-ups available.

"They can also access information through ALIS (Autonomic Logistics Information System), where the joint tech data and the maintenance manuals are stored.

"Everything else is done through desktop trainers (ASMT).

"The ASMT teaches them the different systems on the JSF and they use a PMA (portable maintenance aid) to access ALIS and the manuals and then they all leave the academic environment and go out to a squadron for formal on the job training."

In terms of Australian industry involvement in the program, there are some players already in the space.

Already in country, KBR is responsible for courseware development and Thales has done some design work on the ITC but there are still opportunities available to Australian companies as the local ITC concept takes shape.

"When the Australian Defence Department decides to stand up their ITC in-country, our plan is that work in Australian will all be done by Australian industry," Puglisi confirmed to ADM.

"This includes instructors, maintenance of the devices, the training systems support centre for modification work - there will be a very very thin layer of Lockheed Martin in place.

"Most of the work will be awarded to Australian industry for the life of the program."

Training tie ins
While the program looks to be progressing smoothly, there is some speculation about how the JSF training program will tie in with other training programs that are taking shape such as AIR5428.

As the JSF training materials for all partner nations began to take shape, Lockheed Martin undertook a gap analysis in each country to look at the current level of training provided for fast jet pilots and maintainers.

"A lot of the things that we've done, such as the gap analysis, will play very well into those new programs," Puglisi said.

"If you look at the fifth generation technology on the JSF and what some of the nations have on their lead in under graduate aircraft, you're talking about an aircraft that has no head up display and has a single engine.

"How are you going to bridge the gap between where you are now and where you need to be for the F-35?

"And some the analysis done here has gone back to various partner nations and helped shape some of the training programs seen in the US, UK and Singapore.

"I wouldn't say it whole the sole reason, but I think that some of the analysis done when jumping to a fifth generation fighter has been taken into account with the massive leap of technology to keep in mind."

What to wear in a JSF

US pilots have received measurements for the first F-35 Lightning II joint strike fighter equipment.

The new pilot equipment includes everything from underwear to cold-weather outer gear to anti-G garments.

RFD Beaufort, the Lockheed Martin sub-contractor making the new equipment, took controlled measurements down to the millimeter to ensure comfort, safety and the pilot's capability to complete the mission in any scenario.

Some of the equipment used by the first F-35 pilots will be based on legacy gear found on previous fighter aircraft.

"The wing continues to work toward establishing the first (Department of Defense) training center for the F-35 joint strike fighter," Marine Col. Arthur Tomassetti, the 33rd Fighter Wing deputy commander said.

"While measuring an individual for flight equipment might seem like a small step, every step brings us closer to being able to commence training at Eglin.

"The level of sophistication and technology on the new equipment is indicative of the advancement this new weapons system provides our Marines, sailors and Airmen."

"A lot of the engineering has improved since the legacy equipment," Maj. Eric Smith, the 58th Fighter Squadron assistant director of operations said.

"It is a great step forward with the next generation of aircraft."

Major Smith, who has flown A-10 Thunderbolt IIs and F-16 Fighting Falcons, said receiving measurements for the F-35 was much more detailed than previous experiences.

"This seems a lot more science based as they are taking a lot more measurements," the 15-year Air Force veteran said.

"With legacy equipment, all they do is ask for height and weight."

A normal F-35 pilot will wear flame retardant underwear, socks, a cooling garment, flight suit, anti-exposure suit trimmed to the individual pilot and waistcoats with pouches of drinking water, according to a RFD Beaufort representative.

The complete gear with weapons will be about 30 pounds (13.5 kilograms).

The extra efforts ensure a proper fit in case of an ejection by the pilot.

Snagging pieces of clothing at top speeds during ejections could be detrimental to a pilot's life.

Another safety measure is making every article of clothing flame resistant.

The clothing is tested at 1,000 degrees Celsius for four seconds.

Upgraded legacy flight suits now feature new arm restraints to prevent the pilot's arms from flaying in the event of an ejection, said Graham Robertson, a joint strike fighter trials and integrated logistics manager for RFD Beaufort.

"If this equipment had been around in the past, we would have had a lot of pilots saved," he added.

"The technology is a great leap," Navy Capt. Mike Saunders, the 33rd FW Operations Group deputy commander said.

"I think the biggest thing is the helmet.

"I actually tried it on for the first time today.

"It looks big and gargantuan, but it is really well-balanced."

Fitting the helmet is an entirely different process where laser scanners will map the pilots' head, said a VSI representative.

VSI is the Lockheed Martin sub-contractor working on the F-35 helmet.

The helmet, made of carbon fibre and Kevlar, features cameras equipped with night vision and a display system capable of projecting information such as airspeed onto the pilot's visor.