DiSTI wins UH-72A Lakota VMT option

DiSTI has won a second year option of interim contractor support for the US Army's UH-72A Lakota Virtual Maintenance Trainer (VMT).

The initial contract included the development of the VMT to provide training for maintenance tasks in an interactive 3D game-like environment. The delivery included 12 interactive student workstations with a networked instructor station, an additional hangar workstation collocated with a hardware-based trainer and a capability to deploy virtual training content on hand-held mobile devices.

The trainer was implemented at the Western Army National Guard Aviation Training Site in Marana, Arizona in early 2016 and graduated its first class of trainees that June. The VMT is built so that students can learn to maintain the aircraft to FAA standards.

Joe Swinski, president of DiSTI, said: ‘This programme was one of the first that DiSTI delivered as a prime contractor to the US Army for our VMT solutions. The cornerstone of the programme was based on our proven software toolchain called VE Studio and our patented end-to-end solution for requirements analysis and traceability, design, development, and testing.

‘What is especially unique about this solution is that we have provided the army the ability to conduct training on large screens, desktop size screens, as well as mobile devices.’