F-35, F-22, F-16 and E3 Sentry Planes Linked in Multiplayer Combat Simulator

Lockheed Martin, the Joint Program Office and the U.S. Air Force successfully connected the F-35, F-22, F-16 and E3 Sentry in a “highly contested simulated environment” during a Distributed Mission Training (DMT) final acceptance test at Nellis AFB, Nevada.

This simulated training event was the first time these platforms were connected virtually. Additional platforms such as the F-15 can also connect into this shared virtual environment.

The F-35 DMT capability creates interoperability across military platforms for continuation training and large force exercises. The initial delivery at Nellis AFB is a major step forward as it establishes the framework for F-35 simulators around the world to interconnect, Lockheed said in a release Wednesday.

Previously, F-35 simulators allowed up to four pilots at a facility to fly together in simulated combat. DMT links pilots at Nellis AFB to pilots at other bases through an existing distributed network enabling simulated training events with existing 4th generation and 5th generation platforms. This is the first of many fielded DMT solutions for the F-35 training enterprise.

“This base capability lays the foundation for pilots to truly train like they fight by enabling advanced tactics training through multi-domain operations in a simulated environment,” said Chauncey McIntosh, Lockheed Martin, vice president of F-35 Training and Logistics.

As a next step, the DMT capability is expected to be rolled out to other USAF bases worldwide. The Navy is expected to receive the DMT capability through an accelerated delivery at NAS Lemoore by the end of the year.