Augmented reality (AR) tech firm Red 6 announced on Monday it had successfully tested its air combat flight training module for fighter pilots.
The training programme features multiple AR assets, allowing pilots to train against virtual targets, noting a major technical milestone for the company’s extended reality (XR) solution.
According to the Orlando, Florida-based firm, the demo featured two Red 6 testing pilots using Berkut 540 fighter jets at the Santa Monica Airport in California.
The company created its Combined Augmented reality Battlespace Operation Network (CARBON), allowing pilots to interact with the same AR assets, which simulated KC-46 Pegasus Tankers. Pilots later refuelled with the augmented assets and observed the activities in real-time, the firm explained.
The news comes as Red 6 aims to showcase its AR and artificial intelligence (AI) real-time dogfighting capabilities two years prior to the most recent update.
Daniel Robinson, Founder and Chief Executive for Red 6, said in a statement,
“We are thrilled that 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”
He added that synthetic training environments would “grow exponentially in the future” and that his firm aimed to “be a huge part of that growth and success.”
Brandon Harris, an F-22 and Red 6 Testing Pilot, said it had never been possible for multiple pilots “to communicate simultaneously in AR like this,” adding it had been a “historic milestone” for Red 6 and the AR industry.
He concluded: “One day this training will produce the most elite War Fighters in the world.”
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AWE 2022, Saudi Deal Developments
The news comes after the Augmented World Expo (AWE) 2022, which took place 1 to 3 June, shortlisted two of the firm’s AR solutions — its Airborne Tactical Augmented Reality System (ATARS) and CARBON — for an Auggie Award.
The enterprise also struck a huge strategic partnership with Saudi Arabia’s Advanced Electronics in early May to train Saudi military personnel to pilot BAE Hawk Mk 165 fighter jets.
The United States Air Force (USAF) also awarded the Orlando and Santa Monica-based firm with a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase III contract in August last year, valued at up to $70 million USD, over five years time to develop its AR solutions.
Red 6 powers its platform with Epic Games’ Unreal Engine, one of the world’s most acclaimed gaming engines, to provide visual targets in pilot heads up displays (HUDs) for next-generation military aircraft training.
