L-3 Link Simulation & Training (L-3 Link) announced that it has been awarded a contract by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) to supply eight appended Blue Box HD (BBHD) Block 30 Training Support Equipment units for integration on operational Predator and Reaper Ground Control Stations (GCS).
During the first quarter of 2016, six of the appended BBHD units will be delivered to U.S. Air Force sites and one unit each will be installed at GA-ASI’s System Integration Lab and at L-3 Link’s Arlington, Texas facility.
Blue Box HD, which is named after simulator pioneer Ed Link’s invention of the 1929 Blue Box flight simulator, is a computational simulation solution that can be appended to any operational ground control station to support crew training requirements. (see photo above)
“Our appended Blue Box HD solution is truly a game changer that enables operational ground control stations to support high-fidelity training for U.S. Air Force Predator and Reaper crews,” said Frank Delisle, L-3 Link’s vice president of engineering and technology. “Crews will be able to switch between undertaking actual operational missions to immersive training environments that provide unmatched platform concurrency and sensor fidelity.”
“From a cost-effectiveness standpoint, crews will be able to train where they are deployed and will not need to travel to a training facility,” Delisle added. “When there is adverse weather and crews are unable to fly, they still will be able to conduct mission rehearsals and refresh their skills by training on a ground control station that is appended to our Blue Box HD system.”
L-3 Link’s BBHD provides a highly sophisticated training solution that accurately reproduces dense and complex training environments for MQ-1 Predator and MQ-9 Reaper pilot and sensor operator aircrews. Other advantages of the BBHD solution are low life-cycle cost, compact design, easy operation and maintenance, reduced physical footprint and continuous fidelity improvements.
Source: Press Release