The canopy of an Israeli air force (IAF) F-15 flew off when the aircraft was at 30.000 feet. The pilot and weapon systems operator, managed to bring the damaged aircraft to a safe landing in a base in southern Israel. This happened after being exposed to extreme temperatures. A Lt Col, Commander of the IAF’s connected simulators squadron, was very clear when I asked him about the outcome of losing the canopy “they knew exactly what to do and that is because they have been trained again and again, in our advanced simulators.”

 

When I visited the IAF’s connected simulators facility in the Hazor airbase, I could experience the uniqueness of this special squadron that has a major role in making the IAF combat pilots among the best in the world.

The mission training center (MTC) has been built in 2010, after a decision was made to concentrate all the combat simulators in one place.

 

“We have here two types of simulators – one that helps the pilots to learn about the aircraft they fly and a mission simulator.”

Each of the IAF’s fighter aircraft has a dedicated simulator – F-15 C, F-15 I and F-16 and F-16 I.

 

The simulator is a copy of a real cockpit and is located in big domes. The single simulators are operated in front of a 180 degrees picture projected on the dome, while the connected simulators, the ones that simulate real combat missions, are operated in a 360 video dome.

The combat pilots begin to train in the simulators center immediately after they finish their initial training and get to their specific squadrons.

“There are situations that cannot be simulated in real flying “said the Lt Col.

The IAF, that in recent years performed hundreds of operational combat missions in neighboring countries like Syria and Lebanon, and in some distant ones, is relying on a major infrastructure of simulators to train the pilots and prepare them for specific missions.

A full squadron arrives at the center on a regular basis for training. When they sit in the simulators, the instructors, 20 years old woman in their compulsory army service, operate the simulation. “These are the cream de la cream, and they have a major contribution to the success of the stimulation.”

The training of the simulator instructors takes eight months and therefore they have to sign to serve two years, which is the normal service period and another eight months.

Some years ago the MTC was upgraded to allow F-15 pilots to use it.

Until this upgrade, the MTC could be used only by F-16 pilots.

The upgrade allows F-15 pilots and weapon systems operators, to train in very realistic conditions.

The MTC allows to train crews of exact versions of fighter aircraft operated by the IAF, F-16 C/D and F-16 I, and F-15 C/D and F-15 I. “The cockpit of each version is built with attention to each specific system in it.”

The different simulation cockpits are rolled in and out according to the specific training session.

The MTC is based on a very advanced “arena generator” that is being updated continuously according to the enemy, his capabilities and the threats posed by him.

While the MTC is the peak of the IAF’s simulation infrastructure, in recent years other building blocks have been added.

“The enemy continues to progress, both in technology and force operation. They are becoming more and more up to date as time goes by, and the variety of tools at their disposal is challenging,” emphasized the Col, Head of the Training Department. “As a result, the IAF continues to advance and develop. We are planning our training so as to be able to handle a constantly changing enemy. Our training program focuses on activity during times of uncertainty – that is, operation in a theatre in which we don’t exactly know how the hostile forces operate. We need to know how to adjust to a situation in real-time”.

The MTC provides realistic simulated battlefield training using a variety of aircraft systems and mission scenarios and utilizes a sophisticated computer generated forces (CGF) solution to enable simultaneous participation of friendly and enemy forces.

According to Alon Afik, VP training and simulation at Elbit systems, the MTC is being upgraded all the time “this is needed as new weapon systems are introduced into service in addition to new versions of avionic systems.”

He added that the use of the MTC saves 30 per cent of flying hours and that is why the IAF will soon perform 50 per cent of training flights in the facility.

Elbit Systems is a market leader in Simulation and Training, developing, fielding and operating advanced training systems for fighting aircrews, ground forces, special-forces and first responding forces, working closely with the IAF and additional defense forces and homeland security authorities in several other countries.

Speaking with IAF technical people and pilots they all point to the contribution of Elbit systems to the huge simulation infrastructure of the IAF.

They agree that blending combat experience with today’s innovative simulation technologies, Elbit Systems offers operational and tactical, virtual and embedded trainers and simulators.

Elbit Systems announced some years ago that it completed the first phase of a next generation development. This generation of simulators enables to link two air training simulators, in remote locations, via a cloud-based simulation environment by providing a common Synthetic Natural Environment (SNE).

The company revealed it developed the ability to connect simulators through a secure simulation cloud, using standard protocols, to provide simulation and information services.

The pilots of the IAF F-35 are using an advanced mission simulator that was built in the IAF’s Nevatim airbase. This simulator was supplied by Lockheed Martin with the dome made by Rockwell Collins.

The Israeli F-35 is combat proven, after taking part in the war against the Iranian operations in Syria.

-The writer is International Roving Correspondent of this publication.