Feature MT 5/2022 · 23 Hadean is looking at a range of technologies to potentially enhance future training. These include AI, the metaverse and cloud computing. (Photo: Hadean) Hadean, formed in 2015, and BAE Systems opened conversations in 2021 and “the project is currently in development while we continue to work closely with our partners,” explained Keshani. MilTech understands another demonstration will take place later this year; possibly at I/ITSEC in Orlando. With its Tempest project and associated Future Combat Air System Technology Initiative high on its agenda, BAE Systems is placing increased emphasis on training and wants to work more closely with is customers and partners to deliver more meaningful training. Although worthy, these visions of bespoke learning, exploiting the metaverse, digital-twins that are all “tailored to how the individual learns” are all very well but they must convince a conservative military audience of their benefits. For example, MR and XR were heralded as changing the world of training a decade ago but so far, progress and technological take-up has been slow. Perhaps it’s a case of approaching the task of enhancing future training iteratively. For example, part of the BAE Systems-Hadean team is data-analysis and VR specialists, VRAi. One of the company’s goals in this project is to capture pilot performance data and more importantly, use those data in a meaningful way to shape training to a specific individual’s needs or make changes to training covering a complete cohort. During Farnborough 2022, VRAi and BAE Systems announced that they were now going to work together on developing a multi-domain single synthetic environment (SSE) for use in the project. “A single synthetic environment opens up huge opportunities for collective training, bringing crucial battlefield experiences without the challenges and constraints of live training and its limited warfare scenarios,” explained Sir Stuart Atha, Defence Capability Director, BAE Systems Air Sector. “Being able to use the data generated from simulation to tailor training for an individual is crucial for our armed forces.” There is no doubt that Hadean seems to be the go-to company as far as future training options are concerned. Already working with BAE Systems and with CAE for the UK MoD’s SSE programme, in June Thales added Hadean to its MoU with Plexys to develop and “enhance the partnership’s capabilities in synthetic battle-space training, digital simulation systems, AI, modelling, integration expertise and more.” In a sector in which ‘buzz-word bingo’ has a strong presence, few potential users really understand the nuances or inferences of modern technologies when they are spouted by industry. The author recently spent an hour attending a briefing on the metaverse. A retired US Navy admiral said at the end of the meeting – “I came here knowing nothing about the metaverse and leave here knowing nothing about the metaverse.” Industry needs to spend more time explaining the benefits of emerging technologies, drop the buzz-words and be willing to answer the ‘so what’ questions. This removal of a phase of live flying training, and therefore a training aircraft, can be seen in the US with the T-1A Jayhawk. The US Air Force bought 177 T-1As to carry out multi-engine training for pilots transitioning to aircraft such as the KC-135, C-17 and C-130. In 2019, the US Air Force decided to retire the T-1A fleet without replacing it and conduct multi- engine training using synthetic training equipment only. The Next Generation Whereas modern synthetic training equipment can undoubtedly be used for training the 6th-generation air force, the fact that this technology tends to be stove-piped into live, virtual and constructive silos makes it difficult to exploit fully. Even the integration of these silos, once claimed as a panacea for military training with the advent of integrated live, virtual and constructive (I-LVC), has its drawbacks. Another approach is to look at synthetic training technologies differently and as an artificial intelligence-driven whole that operates within a cloud environment. In other words, this approach moves away from using discrete simulation devices. One of the leaders in the area of next-generation training is Hadean, which is working in close cooperation with BAE Systems. MilTech asked the company’s COO, Mimi Keshani to describe the project. “The only way to conduct a multi-domain, global collective training experience is to harness the cloud and the massive amount of compute available there[…] Whereas traditionally organisations have used disconnected domain specific simulators, we are focussed on providing an interoperable single synthetic environment that can be accessed at different levels of command and domains.” This approach has many advantages such as allowing users, “to create highly complex, high fidelity and secure training experiences, whilst knowing they are only paying for what they use. Our dynamic scaling can provision on-demand the amount of machines necessary to run an application or simulation… this means it is well suited to scenarios with fluctuating workloads - such as a training environment that might have inflexion points such as congested battlespace or complex terrain.” f
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