F.E. WARREN AIR FORCE BASE, Wyo. -- The simulator the 582nd Helicopter Group uses to train their UH-1N pilots and flight engineers is now an award-winning system. The Kratos Defense & Security Solutions Mixed Reality Mission Rehearsal Trainer (MRT) System won the Outstanding Augmented/Mixed/Virtual/Expanded Reality Application for the medium to large business category in the Halldale Group’s 2022 Military Simulation and Training (MST) Awards. The award was presented in Orlando, Florida November 30, 2022.
According to Halldale Group’s website, for the eight MST award categories, there were 64 nominations from organizations around the globe and over 8,000 online votes. Winners demonstrated a focus on “helping to compress the acquisition timeline to provide their products and services to training audiences more quickly [and]…provide cutting-edge new and emerging technologies to meet customers’ requirements.”
The MRT has fulfilled those characteristics by delivering a fully immersive, virtual environment within the body of a UH-1N with the ability to create endless scenarios. The Mixed Reality technology allows the students to see the other crewmembers and their own hands within the simulation, adding to the realism.
As for the acquisition timeline, the article “From a ‘Napkin Drawing’ to Delivery in Six Months” by Marty Kauchak says the Kratos team delivered the system to F.E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyoming in six months.
Since the system became operational in October 2020, it has substantially cut down on the training timeline and money spent on flight hours and ammunition. The 582 HG also continues to increase their use of the system. Staff Sgt. Eric Jensen from the 582nd Operations Support Squadron shared that they went from 315 training hours and 380,275 ammunition rounds in the simulator in fiscal year 2021 to 445 hours and 621,370 rounds in FY 2022.
The fully immersive customizable training sessions have allowed the UH-1N aircrews to practice in combat scenarios that are not possible in their day-to-day flying or on ranges, better preparing the force by increasing their readiness and lethality in support of nuclear security missions.
Disclaimer: References to non-federal entities do not constitute or imply Department of Defense or Department of the Air Force endorsement of any company or organization.