Boeing and Red 6 have achieved a significant milestone by concluding their inaugural flight tests of an integrated augmented reality (AR) system within a TA-4J military trainer aircraft. This collaborative project, unveiled in September 2022, aims to advance AR technology for aerial dogfighting and enhance training capabilities in advanced tactical aircraft. Following successful trials in the TA-4J, the AR system will undergo integration and testing in the cutting-edge T-7 Red Hawk advanced trainer.
Donn Yates, Boeing Air Force Fighters and Trainers Business Development Executive Director, expressed their achievement, stating, "The successful series of ground tests and four flight sorties illustrate our collaborative ability to rapidly integrate, deliver, and test new technology with the potential to change fighter pilot training for an entire generation. Combining Boeing's platforms, capabilities, and knowledge with new and emerging companies like Red 6 creates better products and services for the warfighter."
The project harnesses Red 6's Advanced Tactical Augmented Reality System (ATARS) and Augmented Reality Command and Analytic Data Environment (ARCADE). Boasting a wide field of view and full-color visuals, ATARS and ARCADE are specifically designed to establish a "fully synthetic, outdoor training environment." According to Boeing, this innovative technology empowers pilots to "see and interact with virtual aircraft, targets, and threats on the ground and in the air, while also experiencing the cognitive loads of physically flying the airplane."
