Network Electronic Warfare Training System (NEWTS)

Training aircrew to fly modern combat aircraft is challenging. Aircrew need to be confronted with numerous simulated threats simultaneously. Training scenarios of this density give aircrew the ability to recognize and react with appropriate maneuvers, expendable countermeasures, and electronic jamming. Realistic training is required regularly because threat reaction skills are perishable. Unfortunately, threat training opportunities are minimal. Some units have access to a small number of “postage stamp” electronic combat ranges, but they cannot represent a realistic Integrated Air Defense System. Research Associates of Syracuse (RAS) proposes a multi-phased application of AFRL’s Next Generation Threat System (NGTS) to increase training capabilities substantially. NGTS is a highly successful Warfighter Readiness Research Division program. It simulates physics-based threat parametric data for high-fidelity-training. NGTS has been successfully integrated into an Imbedded Electronic Warfare System (IEWS) to provide high fidelity threat training for MC-130P aircraft under AFSOC Project 02-028. The RAS NEWTS proposal is ultimately to extend the success of the MC-130P integration to combat aircraft physically incapable of carrying an embedded system. In Phase II, we will demonstrate this for the Block 30 F-16 using a test bench, with extensions to other aircraft left to subsequent phases.