MVRsimulation News Issue 65

Welcome to the MVRsimulation March newsletter,
 
The first quarter of 2023 has been busy here at MVRsimulation, particularly for the Deployable Joint Fires Trainer (DJFT) team. In addition to attending JCAS 2023, the U.S. Air Force Special Warfare TACP Requirements Working Group at Langley AFB, and the U.S. Forces Japan (USFJ) LVC-J Design Workshop at Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, Japan, we have introduced multiple new capabilities for the system. Read more about them below - all introduced as part of our ongoing mission to deliver a synthetic training capability that exactly replicates the reality of JCAS and CAS operations in the field.
 
We have also added new terrain and models to the VRSG library, now available for download by users on active software maintenance; and as always we welcome your feedback and requests - please contact us at support@mvrsimulation.com.
 
We look forward to meeting with many of you at the Battlespace Simulations MACE User Group in May. Read on to see what we will be showing at the event and how to arrange a time for you and your team to get hands-on with our systems on site.
 
- The MVRsimulation Team.

New DJFT capabilities

At the end of January, MVRsimulation attended the JFS Symposium and JCAS Curriculum Review in Virginia Beach, VA, demonstrating the DJFT in VRSG's Kismayo, Somalia terrain. This was followed in March by our participation in the U.S. Air Force Special Warfare TACP Requirements Working Group at Langley AFB, and the USFJ LVC-J Design Workshop at Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, Japan.
 
At all three demonstrations the DJFT was integrated with the Varjo XR-3 mixed reality headset, Battlespace Simulations' MACE, and all physical/emulated hardware and software needed to run Type 1/2/3 controls for JTAC/FO training. In addition to showcasing the system’s full range of capabilities - including Digitally Aided CAS (DACAS), target identification between JTAC and CAS aircraft, and full NVG-supported day/night transitions - a number of new capabilities were demonstrated for the first time:
•    Magnified views within Varjo XR-3 headset: This capability simulates binoculars with discrete levels of magnification while using the XR-3.
•    MACE integrated with ATAK: Enabling JTACs to carry out DACAS missions on the DJFT exactly as they do in the real world.
•    New lightweight, carbon fiber audio/mic headset: Emulating military grade communication headsets, with all required JTAC/FO mission functionality including integrated USB Push to Talk and switch activated talk-through technology that isolates the Observer trainee, allowing the Instructor and Role Player to communicate about the training scenario without the Observer being party to the conversation.

VRSG sales & renewals

Reflecting the critical role that VRSG continues to play in JTAC/CAS/FO training across the U.S. Air Force, in the first quarter of 2023 we have received software maintenance renewals for a total of 405 VRSG licenses for the Air Force’s Joint Terminal Control Training and Rehearsal System (JTC TRS). VRSG provides 3D real-time visuals for the JTC TRS, including out-the-window geospecific terrain and sensor visuals for the dome display, simulated sensor feed for ATAK video receiver devices, and its library of Combat Air Force Distributed Mission Operations (CAF DMO)-compliant 3D models - and supports joint training missions with other Air Force simulators such as MJAT for MQ-9 training.

Other key sales this quarter include orders and renewals from the U.S. Army Program Executive Office Simulation, Training and Instrumentation’s (PEO STRI’s) Intelligence Electronic Warfare Tactical Proficiency Trainer (IEWTPT) program. This long term customer now uses a total of 79 VRSG licenses and one Terrain Tools license across 24 Army home station sites.

New VRSG terrain: Japan

Take a look at our brand new VRSG high-resolution geospecific 3D terrain of the main island of Okinawa, Mount Fuji, and Tokyo, Japan. We built this terrain to support our demonstration at the USFJ LVC-J Design Workshop at Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, Japan, to ensure that users could experience DJFT training scenarios in geospecific terrain relevant to their operations.
 
The Okinawa terrain is comprised of 30-50cm high-resolution imagery, covering much of the Okinawa Prefecture including the Main Island of Okinawa, Kerama, Iheya, Izena, Aguni, le, Yoron, and Lotorishima islands. The underlying elevation data was built from 30m SRTM data. The Okinawa terrain also includes a model of Kadena Air Base (RODN), Futenma Air Base (ROTM), and Naha Airport (ROAH). The main island is also populated with several thousand geo-typical tree models, CityEngine buildings, and geo-typical models from our robust model library.

The terrain at Mount Fuji, built with 50cm orthoimagery and SRTM elevation data blended seamlessly with our existing underlying terrain of Japan, is also populated with several thousand tree models.

As part of MVRsimulation's Japan terrain, we also built a high resolution geospecific 3D terrain inset of Tokyo, Japan. The Japan dataset is now available for download as part of our Asia terrain database.
 
As always, we welcome your feedback and requests for new terrain features. Please get in touch with any comments or  new terrain requests at support@mvrsimulation.com.

What's new in 3D models

With the world marking one year since the invasion of Ukraine by Russia in February, equipment fielded by Russian forces remains among our most in-demand VRSG real-time 3D model downloads.
 
Russia’s T-62M tank has been photographed in recent weeks sporting a newer thermal gunners’ sight, and we have updated our T-62M real-time 3D model to reflect this modification; along with adding Russia’s Lancet-3 loitering munition and the 1B75 Penicillin passive thermo-acoustic artillery reconnaissance system. We have also added Sovetsk, a Karakurt-class corvette of the Russian Navy’s Black Sea Fleet.
 
Closer to home, the single piece of military equipment to dominate headlines recently was a certain 'weather' balloon, shot down by the US military in early February. Users with active maintenance may already know that our 3D model library includes a high-altitude reconnaissance surveillance un-tethered gas-filled balloon to support their training missions – pictured below in a round-earth VRSG virtual scene that might look a little familiar.

Our model of the month is the British Royal Navy's Type 45 Destroyer, part of our real-time 3D Content Military Entity Library; and we are also putting the Sky Dragon 50 air defense system - recently acquired by Morocco from China - in the spotlight. This surface to air missile system is based on the DK-10 missile, and consists of launch vehicle, C2 vehicle and 3D radar vehicle (pictured below) – all of which are featured in the VRSG model library and are available for download, complete with damage states, switch states, and articulated parts appropriate to each entity.
 
These models are available at no additional cost to VRSG active software license users, as is the case for all our 3D models - even those built in response to specific customer requests. Our 3D model library includes 90% of the U.S. Air Force CAF DMO list and 95% of those considered mandatory, and can be searched here. If there is a particular model that you would like to see added to the library, please contact us at support@mvrsimulation.com

Meet us at MACE User Group 2023

On 2-4 May 2023 the MVRsimulation team will be on-site for the Battlespace Simulations annual MACE User Group (MUG) in Fort Walton Beach, Florida with the DJFT system.
 
To arrange a demo time, please email us at demos@mvrsimulation.com. Or, just drop by our demo area to try out training missions including DACAS, match sparkle target identification, and NVG-supported day/night transitions; and the newly added ATAK capability, which allows JTACs to carry out DACAS missions on the DJFT exactly as they do in the real world.  And now that the DJFT is interim accredited by the U.S. Air Force, serving JTACs may log Type 1/2/3 controls run on the DJFT for currency, subject to full accreditation of the system being achieved.