JTACs Train in A-10 Joint Virtual Exercise

MetaVR News, Volume XIV, Issue 2, September 8, 2010

In mid-June of this year, several players within the Air National Guard community completed three networked virtual training events as milestones for the training of joint terminal attack controllers (JTACs). The events linked an A-10C FMT dome simulator from the 184th fighter squadron at Ft. Smith with JTACs from the 169th Air Support Operations Squadrons (ASOS), IL ANG Peoria, Air Support Operations Center personnel from the 168th ASOS, two Joint Forward Observers (JFOs) from the 2-34th Brigade Combat Team of the Iowa National Guard, and white cell support from the Iowa Air National Guard Distributed Training Operations Center (DTOC) in the form of Army ground players and a UAV feed. During the course of the three events, they conducted multiple attacks from the A-10C using cannon, GBU-38, and rockets using Type I and Type II procedures with good effects.

MetaVR VRSG drove the visuals in the training systems at all of the sites and provided fully correlated terrain. The A-10C FMT, JTAC trainees in Peoria (using VRSG in a first person simulator/shooter mode), DTOC XCITE entity generator, and the DTOC UAV all used the same 3D terrain for the events, MetaVR Metadesic-formatted terrain.

The JFOs and UAV feed were integrated throughout the three periods as was ASOC support and the use of the Tactical Air Control Party Close Air Support System. While the A-10C simulator was working directly with the JFO and JTACs, the DTOC XCITE entity generator provided constructive JTACs, aircraft, and dynamic events which tasked the ASOC with managing airspace and assets.

http://www.metavr.com/casestudies/jtac.html
http://www.metavr.com/technology/JTAC-metavr-based_systems.html
http://www.metavr.com/products/vrsg/firstpersonsim.html