ELITE Threat Emitter System

Expendable Low-cost Integrated Training Emitter (ELITE) With the DoD still often training its combat aircrews against outdated threats no longer representative of the pacing threat of emerging adversaries, the USAF requires investment in improved training infrastructure and threat replication capabilities.  Air Combat Command (ACC) has recognized the threat-training gap as one of the top priorities in its “ACC Future Training Concept - 2020”.  Advanced Strategic Insight, Inc., (ASI) proposes to develop Expendable Low-cost Integrated Training Emitter (ELITE), which consists of remotely cued, and mobile threat emitters, at ~1/100th of the cost of currently fielded emitters.  ELITE would enable all USAF units to be outfitted with this training opportunity for less than it would currently cost to establish a single threat representative a training range.  Additionally, it would be fully expendable (able to drop live ordnance on the emitter) due to its significantly low cost that permits multiple target sets to be affordable per range area, as well as unit replacements on demand as needed. No current combat training/electronic warfare ranges allow for full tactical execution from Find, Fix, and Target, to Track, Engage, and Assess (F2T2EA), yet ELITE would permit that level of tactical training for combat aircrews.  As an added benefit, ASI’s novel approach provides this opportunity for aviators to exercise the entire tactical kill chain by actually employing kinetic airpower and collecting bomb hit assessment, honing combat habit patterns for a near-peer engagement.  In the proposed Phase 1 activity, ASI will further engage range authorities, ACC, and other customers to validate requirements.  In subsequent phases, ELITE prototypes are further developed to provide low-cost, full kill chain training to the USAF and other services.