Wed, Mar 07, 2012
Sim Allows Training In Emergency Procedures, Fulfills NATOPS
Requirements
NAVAIR recently strengthened its warfighter-qualification
facilities with the installation of a Tactical Operational Flight
Trainer (TOFT) at China Lake. The TOFT F/A-18E/F simulator, which
fulfills NATOPS requirements and allows pilots to practice
emergency procedures, is also used to qualify pilots nationwide.
Rear Adm. Mat Winter, NAWCWD commander, officiated at the
simulator’s grand opening event, March 1.
China Lake’s TOFT offers local VX-9 and VX-31 pilots an
alternative warfighter-qualification training venue as well as the
capability to rehearse critical military missions prior to
participating in live-fire and captive-carry test and evaluation
(T&E) events. This is the only TOFT in the U.S. Navy that is
government-operated and maintained and the only TOFT located at an
RDAT&E facility. According to Loibl, having this TOFT at China
Lake allows NAWCWD squadrons to complete required training locally,
saving them time, funding, and airframe hours. It also allows
PMA-205 to conduct software upgrade tests locally which can result
in faster turnaround time for end users.
"This TOFT is a rich addition to the arsenal of capabilities for
our warfighters and the direct result of Command, competency, and
program collaboration and leadership," Winter said.
The TOFT, located in Laboratory 1 of the Michelson Laboratory annex
(Building 6), installation required 1,800 square feet of space, two
additional 225A circuits and 30 tons of extra air-conditioning
capacity to power and cool the device. By having the simulator
located at China Lake, the Navy will save millions of dollars that
would have been spent in fuel and transportation costs by shuttling
pilots back-and-forth between China Lake and NAS Lemoore, which was
once the closest available TOFT location.
China Lake’s TOFT is identical to those located at NAS
Lemoore and Oceana except for its lack of an aft SimuSphere. Each
TOFT features individual front and aft cockpits, both equipped with
its own SimuSphere — a nine-panel visual-display dome to
complement an out-the-windows (OTW) environment. To decrease the
simulator’s size and cost, the IBAR replaced the aft OTW
display dome with a five-foot flat-panel screen. Each SimuSphere
also includes 11 projectors: nine projectors display OTW images,
one projector provides the pilot’s heads-up display, and the
final projector displays images for the Improved Fresnel Lens
Optical Landing System.
Each TOFT also features a simulated Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing
System and night-vision goggles. The system is compatible with
either APG-73 or -79 radar. Future upgrades may include the
capability to run the system on emerging F/A-18G aircraft. The TOFT
at China Lake is the only device of its kind owned and operated
solely by the U.S. government. Other models — including those
located at NAS Lemoore and NAS Oceana — are government-owned
and contractor-operated. The TOFT is software-based and costs less
than its hardware counterparts. The ultimate goal is to shorten the
timeline between software development and F/A-18E/F fleet
installation.
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