Refueling, Dogfighting, Wing Work All In A Mission
In a single mission the pilot can practice refueling and then join a real and simulated wingman, or go into a dogfight, or both, or any scenario you can think of.
My Experience With Red 6
I’ve flown with Robinson to demo an earlier version of ATARS myself, and was blown away by how realistic it was. We flew a refueling simulation, then joined formation with a F-22, and then simulated a dogfight against a Su-57. Never before have I actually truly felt like a simulation was real; it was easy to see how ATARS is a game-changing development.
That was back in 2020, but ATARS has evolved significantly since then. Last year the USAF signed a $70 million contract with RED 6 to install ATARS in a T-38 Talon training jet within the next year, to validate that it’s safe and evaluate it in their own scenarios. And earlier this year, RED 6 successfully flew the first multi-aircraft training flight against multiple AR assets, connecting multiple live aircraft into one common AR environment, outdoors, up in the sky.
For that mission, two Red 6 Test Pilots took off in both Berkuts and entered the company’s Combined Augmented Reality Battlespace Operation Network (CARBON) over Ventura County, CA, with each pilot seeing and interacting with the same AR generated KC-46 Pegasus Tanker, from their respective aircraft. Red 1 conducted a training mission on the AR refueling Tanker, while Red 2 observed Red 1 and the AR Tanker in real time.
“Never has it been possible for multiple pilots to communicate simultaneously in AR like this. It was a historic milestone for not just Red 6, but the overall AR industry. One day this training will produce the most elite war fighters in the world,” stated Brandon Harris, USAF F-22 and Red 6 Test Pilot.
Both ATARS and CARBON facilitate blending live, virtual, and constructive assets seamlessly into the real world and outdoors, which allows for more efficient and effective training by enabling users to engage in both one-on-one and more complex campaign-level training.
“Our thesis has been validated and this achievement is a major step forward towards the creation of an outdoor Military Metaverse in which all warfighters, across all domains, can train together,” says Robinson.
What’s Next
After the USAF evaluates and tests ATARS in T-38s later this year, RED 6 expects to see it integrated into the Navy’s T-45 Goshawk, followed by fourth generation aircraft including the F-16 and F-15E, and ultimately become an operational part of USAF pilot training within the next 5-7 years.
“Synthetic training environments are going to grow exponentially in the future, and Red 6 plans to be a huge part of that growth and success,” says Robinson.
