Rome 22 May 2013 00:00
Finmeccanica – through its companies AgustaWestland, Alenia Aermacchi, DRS Technologies, OTO Melara, Selex ES and Telespazio – takes part in ITEC, the International Forum for the Military, Training, Education and Simulation sectors, showcasing the latest advanced technologies in the field of Simulation and Training.
The event is designed to foster relationships between participants and allow them to share experience and knowledge in the simulation, education and training fields. Offering a complete overview of the latest innovations in the industrial field, this event offers visitors an interesting platform to discuss the developments of a continuously evolving market, and the opportunity to exchange of views on the future requirements of simulation and formation in the military and civil fields.
In particular, Finmeccanica presents the Finmeccanica Simulation Network (SimLabs) project which connects seven Group Companies’ Simulation Labs, Selex ES (three labs) AleniaAermacchi, Telespazio, OTO Melara, MBDA. SimLabs was created by the working group of the same name belonging to the SET2 (Simulation for Experimentation & Test, Evaluation and Training) community of Finmeccanica MindSh@re, whose mission includes the exploration and the development of innovative technologies and solutions for the Group and the creation of that technological network connected with customers and institutional and academic partners, an indispensible instrument to create projects of the sort. The innovative value of SimLabs is representing one of the few examples of a federation of laboratories that do not belong to a single company and, at business level, it will give Finmeccanica the opportunity to explore advantages deriving from getting sets of simulators developed for specific different and complementary environments to work together and to create a “Simulation Hosting Service” to meet the requirements of governmental or military customers. In February, SimLabs was federated with Government and Armed Forces Simulation Networks (the NATO Modelling & Simulation Centre of Excellence at Cecchignola Rome), confirming its functionality and effectiveness through the achievement of a real time simulation involving different systems and laboratories .
At ITEC, AgustaWestland showcases three advanced training systems that help it deliver industry leading helicopter training services to its customers.For maintenance technician training AgustaWestland is showing its HeliSmart system. Advanced graphical visualization creates the helicopter systems,tools and ground equipment in a fully interactive 3D virtual environment, allowing 150 familiarisation, corrective and preventive maintenance tasks to be trained. AgustaWestland Distance Learning (AW-DL) provides access to individualised learning content wherever and whenever using PC or tablet via a Learning Portal over the World Wide Web, providing a tailored, hi-quality, immersive and effective training package. Also on show will be a Rear Crew Training Device, which forms part of AgustaWestland’s Whole Crew Training Approach where RCTD/simulators/flight-training devices can be linked to allow full-crew training. Trainees operate within the VR environment whilst being fully observed by the Instructor acting as the pilot and can practice, gunnery, hoisting, external-load, obstacle awareness and aircrew skills without reliance on weather, targets or aircraft availability.
Alenia Aermacchi will exhibit within the Finmeccanica stand and will showcase its M-346 simulator and C-27J aircraft. It will also display the Eurofighter Typhoon’s simulator in the Italian Air Force’s booth. Founded in 1961, Alenia Aermacchi’s Simulation Centre develops and manages flight simulators and hardware and software equipments necessary for their integration. These simulators are used to support the development of the airplanes Alenia Aermacchi produces directly or in national or international partnerships. Flight simulators, interactive piloting stations, generators of scenarios and images and relative installations of virtual reality are integrated in a distributed simulation network that carries out tests on complex and multi-platform systems that includes simulators located on both different and interconnected sites. When the aircraft is delivered to a customer and enters its operational phase, the same resources active in the development are also active in the initial training of pilots and technicians. Additionally, simulators dedicated to ground training are specifically designed and built for the customer and installed at its air bases. Such approach has proven highly effective in the Eurofighter and C-27J programmes: in both cases Alenia Aermacchi’s engineering simulators have been used for the initial training and to develop ad-hoc flight simulators (Eurofighter Enhanced Aircrew Cockpit Procedure Trainers and Eurofighter Aircrew Synthetic Training Aids – the latter of which was developed within the ASTA programme)and C-27J Flight Simulator. Alenia Aermacchi, with over 50 years of experience in the military pilot training, has also developed an Integrated Training System (ITS) that includes mission simulators (Full Mission Simulators), Academic Training Media in addition to Training Management Tools and, naturally, the Trainers aircraft, first of which the new M-346.
OTO Melara developed simulation systems for land platforms such as VBM IFV, DARDO IFV. The aim of these simulators is to facilitate integration of the platforms inside Command and Control (C2) operating network. The system, integrated in an HLA environment, is composed of a platform simulator and its real C2 components. This means that every connection protocol with the C2 network is correctly replicated. Even though simulators has been mainly developed for testing the C2 network functionalities, thanks to their good level of fidelity comparing with real systems, they can easily adapted to be used as trainers for military personnel. The DRACO is the land platform derived from the 76/62 multipurpose Naval Gun. The gun is used, for naval application, in the following roles: Anti Air Warfare, Shore Bombardment, Anti Surface Warfare. The DRACO system offers, for the land application, the same multirole capability by combining remarkable range, accuracy, firing power of the 76 mm gun, with the advantages offered by the improved 76 mm warheads and new generation fuses (3AP). The high performance in anti air warfare are moreover enhanced by using DART guided ammunition. OTO Melara developed a software which helps to define the design requirements and evaluate the performance of the system inside different scenarios. We will show 3D animation of a selected scenario implementation.
Selex ES, with a wide range of systems and solutions for simulation and training, is particularly involved in this sector. At the exhibition, the company showcases a selection of systems for avionics components which includes the integrated Aircraft maintenance trainer, able to allow service engineers to study the modern aircraft, making them able to recognize the cognitive processes necessary to operate and repair the modern military aircraft; the Avionics Systems trainer, to study and repair avionics systems on board; MARS (Multimode Airborne Radar Simulator), a software that provides a real-time simulation of the major air to air (A/A) and air to surface (A/G) radar systems. The product, designed to be easily integrated into various flight simulators, is currently used in the Eurofighter flight simulators. For the avionics sector the Fighter Mission Desktop trainer is also shown. It is a reconfigurable simulation tool offering a complete sensor simulation displayed in realistic environments. Finally the MALE Battlelab is presented: a modular cost effective solution for the development, testing and missions simulation for UAVs. In the field of land complex systems the Integration test bed of Forza NEC is showcased. It is a “spread” centre for experimentation, consisting of numerous military centers networked, geographically distributed and characterized by a completely integrated and interoperable environment. Selex ES also displays the virtual shooting range, a solution for the training of law enforcement and security for all those organizations which have to improve the ability to use weapons. On the communication simulation domain, the company shows the NCSE, Network Communication Simulation Environment. It is a solution allowing the simulation of any system: from sensors to mobile networks and infrastructure, in order to evaluate the scalability, survivability, availability, and the network reliability before they are made operational. The company also introduces the Swave HH, a portable radio channel for secure tactical communications, and the LRT-350, a computer specifically designed for vehicular applications which particularly well performs computational power, which is essential for C2N (Command, Control and Navigation) applications. Selex ES is also into the stand of the Italian Carabinieri with the Sicote system which is employed for the Support to the investigation and control of territory.
Telespazio, a joint venture between Finmeccanica (67%) and Thales (33%), will attend at ITEC 2013 with its subsidiary Telespazio VEGA Deutschland. The company will present its joint Simulation capabilities and especially focus on training solutions for individual, classroom and distance learning which facilitate initial, conversion, and refresher training for pilots, operators and maintenance technicians, like for example the Virtual Maintenance Trainer for the NH90 helicopter or the Cockpit Procedure Trainer for the CH53-GA helicopter. The company, with its strong heritage in delivering training solutions, focusses on bespoke solutions to meet todays and future customers’ needs. With its Equipment Emulation Technology it builds simulation-based training systems with features such as learning management, computer-guidance and remote coaching.