Indra's advanced air controller simulator receives the NATO's top accreditation

Indra's advanced position air controller simulator (SIMFAC) has been awarded with the NATO's top accreditation for day and night time missions. The system has been in operation since January 2011 at the Spanish Air Force's airbase in Alcantarilla (Murcia).

Such an accreditation allows the SIMFAC to perform all sorts of training procedures during Close Air Support (CAS) operations in levels 1, 2 and 3, Urban-CAS and Emergency-CAS. This accreditation allows any allied country to train their staff with the simulator.

The system recreates the different aircraft guiding missions of an advanced controller. These include the identification of objectives, location of allies, air control in improvised runways, support for operations in urban environments and under any meteorological condition.

The simulator has a semi-spherical screen that puts the controller team or TACP (Tactical Air Control Party) - two to four operators - in a highly realistic scenario. This scenario recreates the movements of aircraft and vehicles in the operations area, both in open fields and in cities, during day or night time and under different meteorological conditions. A joystick is used to control the scenario displayed, achieving a full 360º vision.

SIMFAC also has a built-in multiple support aircraft simulator (with fighter aircraft, helicopter, transport aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicle models) that allows the instructor to occupy the pilot's role. The pilot must be coordinated with the land team during these operations, maintaining the communications protocol and receiving their support to successfully complete the mission set forth.

Finally, the simulator has an instructor position from which the tactical environment is established: the scenario, behaviour of allied, enemy or neutral entities, definition of active hostile environment with risks for allies or civil parties and meteorological and visibility conditions are established, among others.

Real equipment

The controllers use elements that are employed in a real operational environment during their performance. The simulator reproduces the operation of binoculars, telemetry equipment and allocation of objectives, thermal infrared vision camera, night-vision device, GPS or tactical radio. It also has the ROVER (Remotely Operated Video Enhanced Receiver) system, a unit that the pilot can use to share the images captured by the aircraft's sensor with the land controller in real-time. In addition, it has a High Level Architecture (HLA) system that can be connected to other types of simulator to perform joint exercises.

The SIMFAC is a ground-breaking solution, based on direct experience with the client and has been designed to cater for the client's training needs. It was one of the first simulators of this type to be commissioned in Europe. The high quality of its visual system, tactical environment and recreation of the pilot's position make this the most advanced simulator in operation in Europe.

The success of SIMFAC is the result of close collaboration between the Air Forces and Indra during the definition and development of the project and its subsequent evaluation and improvement. The company has worked hand in hand with the professionals of the Logistics Support Command and airbase of Alcantarilla, who have provided their knowledge and experience. Such an effort has allowed this system to become a reference in international markets.

Indra

Indra is the leading consultancy technology multinational in Spain and a leader in Europe and Latin America. Innovation is the cornerstone of its business and sustainability. The company has allocated more than €550 million to R&D&i in the last three years, making it one of the leading companies in Europe in its sector in terms of investment. With sales of approximately €3 billion, nearly 60% of its revenues are from the international market. The company employs 42,000 professionals and has customers in 128 countries.