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Eglin Air Force Base Receives First F-35 Full Mission Flight Simulator By Eddy Metcalf |
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April 20, 2011 - Lockheed Martin marked the delivery of
the first F-35 Lightning II Full Mission Simulator (FMS)
system to Eglin Air Force Base's 33rd Fighter Wing.
Preparation and assembly is underway at the base's F-35
Integrated Training Center (ITC) for training to
commence this fall.
The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II is a family of
single-seat, single-engine, fifth generation multirole
fighters under development to perform ground attack,
reconnaissance, and air defense missions with stealth
capability. The F-35 has three main models; one is a
conventional takeoff and landing variant, the second is
a short take off and vertical-landing variant, and the
third is a carrier-based variant. The Joint Strike Fighter FMS includes a high-fidelity 360-degree visual display system and a reconfigurable cockpit that simulates all three aircraft variants for U.S. and international partner services. The system is the highest fidelity trainer in the F-35 pilot-training-device suite, accurately replicating all F-35 sensors and weapons deployment. |
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"JSF training technology brings a revolutionary new capability
to the joint services," said Col. Arthur Tomassetti, 33rd
Fighter Wing Vice Commander. "The smooth surface,
high-resolution dome is a dramatic improvement over legacy
fighter simulators. The high visual acuity and utilization of a
significant amount of real aircraft parts and source code will
allow us to train a wide variety of mission tasks previously not
accomplished in simulators. The F-35 FMS will be our primary
pilot training device, and we are anxious to start putting it to
good use."
In all F-35 simulators, actual aircraft software is used to give
pilots the most realistic experience and allow software upgrades
in step with the F-35 development. Small group training events
with pilot and maintenance instructors are currently being held
at the ITC using maintenance, desktop and mission trainers.
"This is a tremendous milestone for the F-35 training team,"
said Joanne Puglisi, director of F-35 Training and Support at
Lockheed Martin Global Training and Logistics. "We are committed
to providing the next generation of F-35 fighter pilots and
maintainers with the most advanced training systems in the
world. The FMS is a key component in that capability." |
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