STRIKEWERX, Specular Theory Team Up for Air Refueling Training Simulator

The Air Force Global Strike Command’s STRIKEWERX has partnered with Specular Theory to develop a training solution for B-25 pilots focused on air-to-air refueling.

The initiative comes as existing simulators fall short in effectively training pilots on critical fine motor skills and visual perception that AAR warrants, STRIKEWERX said.

The collaborative effort is meant to come up with a cost-effective solution by reducing the need for real-world training flights.

Through the collaboration, Specular Theory will further develop its Experiential Air Refueling Lightweight simulator, a small-footprint system that combines virtual reality with physical hardware to replicate air refueling scenarios.

Donna Senft, AFGSC’s chief scientist, highlighted the project’s potential to demonstrate the efficiency of a lightweight simulator using commercial hardware.

The EARL simulator was tested during STRIKEWERX’s 2021 B-52 Air Refueling Trainer Challenge, which informed the development of a consumer-grade, high-fidelity training solution.

The new simulator will be further tested and refined by AFGSC’s operational components.