Lockheed Martin has delivered the first F-35 JSF full mission simulator (FMS) to Eglin Air Force Base’s 33rd Fighter Wing.
Featuring a high-fidelity 360-degree visual display system and a reconfigurable cockpit that simulates all three variants of the JSF, the FMS is designed to give F-35 pilots an accurate replication of the aircraft’s sensors and array of weapons.
Vice Commander 33rd Fighter Wing, Colonel Arthur Tomassetti, said that the F-35’s “training technology brings a revolutionary new capability to the joint services”.
“The smooth surface, high-resolution dome is a dramatic improvement over legacy fighter simulators. The high visual acuity and utilisation of a significant amount of real aircraft parts and source code will allow us to train a wide variety of mission tasks previously not accomplished in simulators. The F-35 FMS will be our primary pilot training device, and we are anxious to start putting it to good use.”
Training with the FMS at Eglin’s ITC (Integrated Training Center) is due to commence in the northern autumn.
