Advanced Air Defense Simulator

BAE Systems, a global defence, aerospace and security company, engaged Bohemia Interactive Simulations (BISim^TM), a global developer of advanced military training and simulation software, to integrate BISim’s VBS3 and VBS IG products into the Advanced Air Defence Simulator (AADS) used by Australian Defense Force personnel to train in a simulated RBS-70 platform (Ground to Air Missile System).

The Training facility for the RBS-70 ground-based missile defence system is located at the Australian Defence Force's Woodside Barracks in South Australia and is managed by BAE Systems.

“The AADS provides a fully immersive collective training environment for Air Defence soldiers,” said Steve Baldock, Manager, Support Engineering, BAE Systems Australia. “It continues to deliver quality training outputs without the high logistic and ammunition costs. With the inclusion of VBS3/VBSIG, the immersive experience has increased dramatically, enabling soldiers to be trained and assessed in an Air Defence environment whilst being ‘distracted’ by ground events.”

VBS3 is a full-featured simulation software application, complete with offline and runtime editors, after-action review, massive content library, developer tools, an easy-to-use interoperability gateway, and a voice communications system. It is the standard for game-based desktop simulation for tactical training and mission rehearsal, and is by far the most widely used game-based simulation software among Western militaries today. VBS IG provides high-fidelity, game-quality 3D visuals for out-the-window and multi-channel views for all types of simulators. A version of the VBS IG is used by the U.S. Army for its largest vehicle simulation program. 

“BISim has a long and proud history of serving the Australian Defence Force,” said Ryan Stephenson, Managing Director of BISim Australia and BISim Group General Counsel. “The organisation was the first adopter of VBS and has been using VBS since 2003. In 2005, an enterprise license was procured which provided the Army, Navy, Air Force and supporting agencies with access to thousands of seat licenses of VBS2 and VBS3 for use primarily in their seven battle simulation centres.” 

Stephenson added: “BISim has a growing relationship with BAE Systems based on the success of the AADS project which both organisations hope to carry forward into other cutting-edge simulation projects.”

The AADS trainer is displayed on a 5-metre dome via 27 projectors. The architecture involves using VBS3 as the host, scenario generator & IOS, and VBS IG (the predecessor to VBS Blue IG) to drive the dome and binoculars, allowing an operator to work with his team, including at least one team member with a set of binoculars. 

In addition to a dome, there is also an instructor operating station used to administer the scenario and scenario generator, which is used to select the aircraft and define their flight profile. The AADS trainer also leverages VBS3’s After Action Review capability together with the training facility’s technology, which allows recording of the participants via video and synchronises this video with the VBS scenario. 

While the AADS is focused on delivering collective training to the 16th Air Land Regiment soldiers, it also contributes significantly to developing individual skills and assessment for soldiers attending promotion courses at the School of Artillery. Each year a number of students travel from Puckapunyal, Victoria to Woodside, South Australia to learn and be assessed in their drills. Whilst the AADS is an Air Defence training capability, its modular design combined with the use of VBS3/VBS IG enables the system to be configurable to meet broader simulation needs.