Leonardo is looking to the future of advanced military pilot training with the international FITS4TOP (Future Integrated Training System for TOP Pilots) project, an innovative “system of systems” designed to enhance the current Live, Virtual and Constructive capabilities of the military pilot training syllabus.
The FITS4TOP project is co-funded by the European Union under the European Defence Industrial Development Programme (EDIDP) 2019, an EU industrial programme aimed at supporting the competitiveness and innovation capacity of the Union’s defence industry. The solution is seamlessly integrated into the M-346 advanced jet trainer and its Ground-Based Training Systems (GBTS).
FITS4TOP is an innovative “system of systems” that leverages advanced hardware and software, artificial intelligence, augmented reality, new sensors, data links and state-of-the-art onboard avionics to enhance the current Live, Virtual and Constructive (LVC) capabilities of military pilot training syllabi. These capabilities – which enable real aircraft in flight to be combined within a single mission with simulated elements and computer-generated friendly or adversary forces – are extended into a modern multi-domain environment, characterised by a high level of interoperability.
The project delivers a highly digitalised training environment, supported by high-performance computing and cyber-resilience capabilities, in which trainee pilots conduct live flight training while facing potential air, maritime and land-based threats.
Trainees can interact in real time with instructors and other pilots operating simulators, engaging with increasingly complex and realistic simulated mission scenarios. They acquire and process data and information, which can also originate from real operational theatres and be filtered through “friendly” assets, such as Joint Terminal Attack Controllers (JTACs). JTACs play a critical role in Close Air Support (CAS) missions, which require a high degree of integration between airborne fighter aircraft and personnel operating on the ground.
In recent days, a demonstration of the project’s capabilities was conducted at Leonardo’s production site in Venegono Superiore (Varese, Italy), involving an M-346 aircraft in flight together with its associated ground-based training systems, to validate the FITS4TOP technology demonstrator.
The event, attended by European institutions and representatives from the military and defence industry of the four participating Member States (Italy, Denmark, France and Romania), marks a significant milestone in the development of advanced LVC capabilities for the training of future combat pilots in multi-scenario environments. It responds to the growing requirements of European Defence and concludes the technology development phase launched in 2020 under Leonardo’s coordination, with the involvement of six aerospace excellence partners (Italiana Ponti Radio, IFAD, MBDA, CS Group, METRA and INCAS) from four EU Member States.
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