A new training system that can run on ordinary tablet computers is enhancing existing electronic warfare (EW) instruction for the crews of U.S. air mobility aircraft, including the C-130H, C-130J, and C-17 transports. Known as the Pilot Vehicle Interface (PVI) Trainer, the simulation system complements training missions in real aircraft, which can be expensive, and improves access to on-the-ground training.
EW system training is essential to maximizing the survivability of aircrew and aircraft operating in contested environments. Increasing the familiarity of mobility aircrews with these complex systems is a major focus of the Advanced Airlift Tactics Training Center (AATTC), which supports the development of EW systems training capabilities to complement in-classroom instruction, as well as the ability to be loaded onto desktop computers and tablet devices for use outside the classroom.
“There are training opportunities after in-classroom instruction that don’t require hands-on system training or training sorties to gain familiarity with the real equipment and its behaviors,” said Tom Glimmerveen, a senior research engineer at the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI), which developed PVI Trainer for the AATTC. “Using this inexpensive, computer-based system allows aircrews to become more familiar with EW systems before they fly in a real trainer, and it allows them to continue practicing after the training.”