When Tornado and Eurofighter jets take to the skies during the annual Timber Express exercise of the German Air Force, the primary objective is to test the tactical data links between various platforms. However, this year the exercise also served as a real-world proving ground for the System Development Lab (SDL) of Airbus Defence and Space. The software was used to enhance the live operations by injecting virtual allies and threats into the various physical assets involved.
“Using the SDL, we managed to put the Live, Virtual, Constructive (LVC) framework for training and testing to work,” says René Birkholz, Business Developer for Future Air Power at Airbus Defence and Space. The LVC approach aims to blend together the physical and the virtual world. While physical forces operate actual aircraft (live), they are complemented by human operators in simulators on the ground (virtual) and computer-generated synthetic entities (constructive). “At Timber Express, we were able to prove that SDL can act as a constructive engine within this triad by seamlessly integrating computer-generated assets into a training environment,” says Birkholz.
A new paradigm of testing
The successful integration of the SDL into Timber Express can be considered a paradigm shift in how air forces conduct their exercises. “With ongoing developments in next-generation weapons systems and uncrewed platforms, testing and validating their capabilities in the real world is becoming increasingly complex, if not impossible,” says Birkholz. Using the SDL helps to address two major challenges simultaneously.
“Having numerous physical aircraft in the air can become prohibitively expensive,” notes Birkholz. “The SDL, however, populates the airspace with allies and adversaries at a fraction of the cost.” In addition, a virtual approach means that tomorrow’s concepts can already be tested in live operations today. For example, the SDL can simulate an uncrewed collaborative combat aircraft which will become operational by the end of this decade.
Connectivity is everything
None of this would have been possible without a seamless information exchange between the various platforms. In this regard, the SDoT product line from infodas was pivotal in ensuring the interoperability between systems with different security classifications. This enabled the participants to integrate a wide range of capabilities, including sensors, effectors, command systems, and generative tools — such as the SDL — into the exercise.
“This year’s Timber Express was a prime example of why the smooth flow of information plays an important role not only in real military operations, but also in exercises. It lays the groundwork to enrich live training with virtual elements,” summarises Marion Konnerth, Head of Projects at infodas.
Simulating the entire battlespace
However, the SDL is not only relevant in the context of military training, however. In fact, it can accompany the entire product development process from the very beginning. “At Airbus, we will use the SDL to define the very soul of a new system,” says Birkholz. How so? By using the SDL to simulate an integrated, multi-domain air operation incorporating land, sea, space, and cyber forces. Realistic ‘Red vs. Blue’ conflict simulations will then show how the new capabilities of a Eurofighter or next-generation fighter would fare in a given scenario, taking into account supporting assets such as uncrewed collaborative combat aircraft, refuelling tankers and ground-based air defence systems.
To generate insights, the SDL will execute thousands of automated and accelerated combat simulations to statistically determine the most successful setup. Alternatively, human pilots and battle managers will be able to take a seat at physical roleplayer stations and play out missions in real time against realistic, computer-generated threats.
“These simulations will help us to better align our design choices with operational reality,” Birkholz explains. “It is about creating a feedback loop throughout the development process, where we constantly validate and adapt the capabilities of the platform until it is fit for purpose.”
A question of sovereignty
Navigating the future of European air power is a complex challenge that requires upgrading operational assets, such as the Eurofighter, while integrating future systems, whether crewed or uncrewed. “Today, we cannot afford to develop a product in isolation,” says Birkholz. Instead, every capability must be evaluated within an interconnected, multi-domain ecosystem.
The SDL enables precisely that. It supports the development of products from the initial concept to validation and training, ensuring that the new systems and capabilities are fit to meet the complexities of modern military operations. Or as Birkholz puts it: “With the SDL at the core of our joint simulation, integration, testing and training environment, we can be confident that tomorrow’s systems will not only be ready to fly – they will also be ready to win.”
