Effective training for aviation combat missions requires a system that offers practice and feedback in all phases of employment: planning, rehearsal, execution and debriefing. It should build knowledge of all mission elements. It should be available when needed at the home bases and temporary airfields where aviators most need to rehearse critical missions. Current training rarely meets these requirements. Our objective is to create a software application that does. This project will prototype the integration of current preflight planning software tools with a PC based flight simulation. This is a first step towards a complete air combat mission preparation tool that will integrate flight planning information into 3D flight simulation for mission rehearsal and mission review. This project will also define measures of essential competencies in mission planning, highlight critical deficiencies that demand training or tool support, and define concepts for planning tools that can be built into the simulation system in Phase II.
Benefits: The proposed system will provide a training application capable of fulfilling multiple verticals within the training continuum of aircrew performance. By making next generation planning tools a reality, execution of complex missions will be more efficient and time/cost saving. This will provide the military aviation community the ability to plan, rehearse, and debrief future combat missions on one training continuum that improves mission success by educating all participating aircrew. In addition, this effort will provide AFRL with a deployable training system with which to research mission planning practices and their impact on mission execution and debriefing.
Keywords: Simulation based training Mission preparation Mission Rehearsal Continuum Strike Planning Element Cohesion Deployable training system PFPS Flight simulation Automated and observational measures
