MetaVR supplies JTAC simulators to US armed forces

MetaVR has announced that it has recently supplied its Joint Terminal Attack Control (JTAC) simulators to the US armed forces under contracts worth a combined $1.8 million. The company provided 14 terminals in total to US Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) and the Air Combat Command (ACC).

MetaVR’s JTAC simulation system, developed jointly with Battlespace Simulations (BSI), was recently granted accreditation by the Joint Fire Support Executive Steering Committee for JTAC training. According to the company, nine desktop and portable JTAC simulators were sold to AFSOC with initial fielding at Hurlbert Field, and five systems to be delivered to the Nellis Air Force Base JTAC Schoolhouse.

This JTAC training simulator, comprised of MetaVR’s Virtual Reality Scene Generator (VRSG) and BSI’s Modern Air Combat Environment (MACE) scenario/entity generator, includes an integrated software-based Distributed Interactive Simulation (DIS) radio, a recording capability for recording and AAR/playback of missions, and a simulated laser range finder/laser designator. MACE is a DIS-enabled threat environment capable of generating a wide variety of semi-autonomous forces.

The MetaVR/BSI JTAC simulation system enables users to perform training missions on a virtual battlefield with close air support interfaces such as 9-Line, 5-Line, and Call for Fire. Features that support such missions include physics-based weapons performance, laser target designation, full-motion infrared video feeds, a mission editor, human-level behaviours, path finding, blast effects calculations, complex weather system control, and a robust weapons and entity library. The JTAC system is capable of importing existing military topographic database information to enable operators and instructors to quickly develop scenarios appropriate for mission rehearsal.

The MetaVR/BSI JTAC simulator is offered as a commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) simulator, and is available in portable and desktop configurations with a head-mounted display, and as an integrated system with a fully immersive dome or curved desktop screen display from Immersive Display Solutions.

In a related effort, MetaVR was chosen by the Air National Guard to be the visual system for its Advanced Air National Guard Simulation (AAJTS) prototype system. MetaVR real time 3D visuals will be used on the first two full-up 4-meter dome configurations of the JTAC simulator. The 240-degree horizontal x 100-degree vertical partial-dome displays are produced by Immersive Display Solutions. The AAJTS simulators will be delivered to the Air Education and Training Command (AETC) at Randolph Air Force Base.