Patuxent River, Md. — Engineers from the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) have successfully installed essential software in the Air Force's upcoming Joint Simulation Environment (JSE) at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada. This milestone moves the Air Force closer to operating its advanced training and testing facility.
Nellis Air Force Base is renowned as the Air Force's premier center for advanced combat aviation training and testing.
"The Joint Simulation Environment is the only training range where tactical aviators can fight like they would in real air combat," said NAWCAD Executive Director Steve Cricchi. "NAWCAD's JSE is a capability advantage helping American warfighters keep pace with the changing character of warfare—its importance cannot be overstated."
The core software installed in the JSE includes a variety of digital elements that constitute the facility. These elements simulate variables such as weather, the electromagnetic spectrum, surface and subsurface platforms, enemy aircraft, and weapons systems. The software also incorporates weapons systems like the Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile, AIM-9 Sidewinder, and Small Diameter Bomb.
"NAWCAD's JSE is critical to advancing air superiority and improving service interoperability," said NAWCAD JSE Director Blaine Summers. "Standing up robust, multi-platform training and test capabilities at Nellis underscores our Navy's commitment to partnering with the Air Force."
The JSE represents the Department of Defense's (DOD) next-generation digital test and training range, featuring cockpits, domed simulators with 4K projectors, and aircraft software. This environment allows tactical pilots to fly wartime scenarios in a near-exact virtual environment and enables aircraft developers to push air systems to their limits beyond the safety constraints of open-air ranges.
NAWCAD is at the forefront of the DOD's efforts to scale this capability across the services. The warfare center installed enemy air systems at Nellis in 2023 and is set to support F-35 and F-22 operations this year.
Navy and Air Force fighter pilots are scheduled to begin joint training in NAWCAD's JSE this summer. The JSE is now integrated into the DOD's formal curriculum for tactical weapons schools, including the Navy's TOPGUN and the Air Force's 6th Weapons Squadron, both of which currently utilize the JSE at NAWCAD's Patuxent River headquarters. The JSE also trains domestic and allied fighter squadrons worldwide, enabling pilots to complete more sorties in the JSE over a week than they can on open-air ranges in a year. NAWCAD surpassed the training of over 1,000 F-35 pilots in the JSE as of March 2024.
Further plans include incorporating additional test and training cockpits such as the F/A-18 Hornet, EA-18 Growler, and E-2 platforms at the Patuxent River facility. Additionally, NAWCAD will deploy its second training system aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) later this year.
The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division employs more than 17,000 military, civilian, and contract personnel. The command operates test ranges, laboratories, and aircraft, supporting the test, evaluation, research, development, and sustainment of all aviation-related equipment used by the Navy and Marine Corps. Based in Patuxent River, Maryland, NAWCAD also has significant operations in St. Inigoes, Maryland; Lakehurst, New Jersey; and Orlando, Florida.
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