TOPICS & CATEGORIES
The British Royal Air Force (RAF) completed multiple successful demonstration flights of an airborne augmented reality (AR) technology, the Advanced Tactical Augmented Reality System (ATARS), on its “Hawk” advanced training jet in late December 2024. RAF test pilots used this new system to identify, engage and defeat virtual adversaries and cooperate with synthetic wingmen while airborne in real time.
“We’re thrilled to see the Royal Air Force embrace the transformative potential of ATARS,” said Daniel Robinson, founder and CEO of Red 6. “This successful demonstration marks a massive milestone in showcasing how Red 6’s technology will revolutionize pilot training. By projecting synthetically generated entities through Red 6’s patented augmented reality technology into the field of view of the pilots, ATARS negates the need to provide live aircraft and instructors for students to fly with, or against. This revolutionary technology promises to transform the capacity and quality of U.K. military flying training by increasing the throughput of students at enormous cost savings to the MoD [Ministry of Defence]. It’s an honor to collaborate with the RAF as we redefine the future of aviation training.”
Last summer, the RAF awarded a contract to BAE Systems to conduct the in-flight demonstration of ATARS, developed by AR specialists Red 6, on a Hawk TMk2 aircraft. The U.K. Military Flying Training System (MTFS) Hawk Delivery Team delivered the contract to Defence Equipment and Support, the procurement arm of the U.K.’s MoD.
“Exploitation of novel technologies like this is an essential part of ensuring the RAF is able to sustain our combat edge and to be ready to fly, fight and win when called upon by our country,” said Air Commodore Rob Caine, the RAF’s head of flying training. “This latest development is a very exciting proposition and a huge opportunity to improve training quality, increase throughput and lower essential overheads like aircraft, airspace and instructors. We are all looking forward to seeing how we can take this kind of technology into our plans for the future.”
This demonstration represents a full circle for Red 6 founder and CEO, Daniel Robinson. Robinson was a qualified weapons instructor on the Tornado F3 with the RAF before his selection as the first non-American to fly the F-22 Raptor for the U.S. Air Force. In 2018, he formed Red 6 with a vision to transform military flying training for all allied nations worldwide.
The ATARS assessment has provided essential insights into the value of capabilities like AR, which flight instructors can consider for inclusion in the U.K.’s MTFS. Red 6 is continuing to work with the RAF to deliver a paradigm shift in capacity and capability, while delivering cost savings to the MoD.
People who read this article also found these articles interesting :
