Wing commander tests B-1B simulator upgrade

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Alessandra N. Gamboa
  • 28th Bomb Wing Public Affairs
ELLSWORTH AIR FORCE BASE, S.D. --  28th Bomb Wing Commander Col. Jeffrey Taliaferro visited Ellsworth's B-1B Lancer simulators to evaluate upgrades made to weapon and visual system trainers, April 15.

Modifications began mid-January 2011 to upgrade visual and sensor databases, as well as the projectors and display screens of the original system built in the mid-90s.

The $18.4 million dollar project will fully update all four operational B-1B weapon system trainers, located both at Ellsworth and Dyess Air Force Bases, and is scheduled for completion in September 2011.

The updates to training capabilities include improved real-beam radar and high-resolution ground mapping radar pictures, making them comparable to aircraft radar imagery.

"Visual and sensor system upgrades also provide imagery to the trainer's laptop-controlled targeting pod display in both electro-optical and infrared modes," said Quinten Miklos, B-1 simulator project officer. "The benefits of this upgrade include greatly increased sustainability and ease of maintenance for weapon system trainers. The impact of training realism for the aircrew will be immediate and significant."

Colonel Taliaferro visited the simulators to experience these changes firsthand, and remarked on the importance of these upgrades for the base, combatant commanders and the joint community.

"These upgrades signal a dramatic improvement in our visuals - we've gone from Mario Brothers to Halo," Colonel Taliaferro said. "This kind of enhancement to training resources is significant because we will be able to train aircrew more effectively, complete more training and, as a result, build greater combat capability. We live in an era where each flying hour is precious."