The US Air Force’s Air Education and Training Command (AETC) has connected a flying T-7A Red Hawk to two ground simulator cockpits, allowing instructors in the air and on the ground to operate in the same simulated battlespace.
AETC said the flight was its first successful integration of the aircraft with the T-7A Ground-Based Training System.
Two instructor pilots from the 99th Flying Training Squadron flew the aircraft, designated APT-4, while civilian instructors from the 12th Training Squadron operated the simulators.
AETC said the flight validated secure, two-way data links between the airborne T-7A and ground simulators, giving both crews a shared view of the training scenario in real time and establishing a technical foundation for future pilot training courses.
The work comes as the 12th Flying Training Wing prepares to receive production T-7As to replace the 1960s-era T-38 in training future fighter and bomber pilots.
The Red Hawk measures 47.7 feet (14.5 meters) long, with a wingspan of 30.6 feet (9.3 meters).
Powered by an F404 afterburning engine, it carries 4,500 pounds (2,041 kilograms) of fuel in its fuselage and has a maximum altitude of 45,000 feet (13,716 meters).
Virtual Wingmen and Simulated Threats
The setup uses live-virtual-constructive training, which combines aircraft in flight, people operating simulators, and computer-generated forces in a single exercise.
A pilot in a ground simulator can act as a wingman or opponent for the airborne crew.
Instructors can also add simulated enemy aircraft, surface-to-air missile threats, and electronic jamming to the displays in both the jet and the simulators.
The connection allows participants to follow one another’s maneuvers, simulated sensor activity, and weapons use as the exercise unfolds.
According to AETC, the approach is intended to let pilots practice complex combat scenarios while reducing the number of actual aircraft needed to represent opposing forces.