RSAF 'Top Guns' train with Satellite Linked Virtual Replay
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Straits Times, Monday, 10 November 2003, reported that RSAF Training Group in Cazaux, France will be using new high tech satellite linked equipment in their dog-fight training, so as to get immediate reviews of each individual's performance.
http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg/singapore/story/0,4386,219141-1068501540,00.html?
'Action replays' to get pilots up to speed in dogfights
Singapore's trainee pilots in France will have access to device that records their planes' positions in air battles for review
By David Boey
TO TRAIN Singapore's fighter pilots better, an electronic device that captures every position they take during mock air battles will be introduced to their flight training in France from early next year.
Called Air Combat Manoeuvring Instrumentation (ACMI) pods, they are fitted under the wings of the warplanes to record, via satellite, each fighter's location.
Later, at debriefings, trainees get a clear view of how well they did in the mock air battle, especially when several fighters are performing high-speed manoeuvres.
The pod is one of several devices the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) is considering.
Said Lieutenant-Colonel Sim Kim Yong, Commander of 150 Squadron: 'We want to look at basic ACMI equipment like pods, antennas and television monitors as debriefing tools. This will allow us to conduct better debriefings.
'You can point out students' mistakes, their correct moves. From there, they can visualise air combat manoeuvres a bit more clearly.'
The training at Cazaux Air Base in south-west France involves Super Skyhawk fighter-bombers: 16 single-seat A-4SU and double-seat TA-4SU planes modified as advanced jet trainers.
The ACMI pods, which resemble air-to-air missiles, are hung on weapons pylons under the wings of the Super Skyhawks.
Cazaux is where the RSAF trains its fighter pilots. About 150 RSAF personnel are based there, including close to a dozen pilot trainees.
These trainees stay between six and nine months before they graduate as fighter pilots.
Before France, they receive their basic flight training on S.211 jet trainers in Australia, at the Royal Australian Air Force base in Pearce, near Perth.
A posting in France is also available to full-time national servicemen. Four of them are currently at Cazaux on a two-year posting.
Apart from training, the detachment at Cazaux also allows Singapore pilots to fly there for joint air defence exercises hosted by the French Air Force with NATO air forces involving sometimes as many as 17 European countries.
The 'extra' trainees receive in the Cazaux training programme is exposure to a range of weather conditions and procedures used by different air forces, said LTC Sim.
'For example, the air traffic controllers speak English but because of the different accents, sometimes they don't understand what our Singaporean pilots are saying. And sometimes we don't understand the French speaking English.
'But over time, we get to know and understand and learn from each other.'
Another plus is the vast training ranges over the Atlantic Ocean - about 160km long and 65km wide - located just five minutes by air from Cazaux.
This compares favourably to training over the South China Sea, where about 30 per cent or 18 minutes of an hour's flight training is spent reaching the training area.
Instructors at Cazaux also have the use of air-to-ground ranges which allow trainees to fire the Skyhawk's 20mm cannon or attack land-based targets with bombs. These ranges span an area about the size of Ang Mo Kio and Toa Payoh combined, said LTC Sim.
He also expressed confidence that the training will help pilots master more advanced fighters such as the F-5S/T interceptor and F-16C/D multi-role fighter. -
hmmm..this is not even news right? hasn't the rsaf been using the ehud acmi for quite some time already?Originally posted by Atobe:Called Air Combat Manoeuvring Instrumentation (ACMI) pods, they are fitted under the wings of the warplanes to record, via satellite, each fighter's location.
Later, at debriefings, trainees get a clear view of how well they did in the mock air battle, especially when several fighters are performing high-speed manoeuvres.
The pod is one of several devices the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) is considering.
Said Lieutenant-Colonel Sim Kim Yong, Commander of 150 Squadron: 'We want to look at basic ACMI equipment like pods, antennas and television monitors as debriefing tools. This will allow us to conduct better debriefings.
'You can point out students' mistakes, their correct moves. From there, they can visualise air combat manoeuvres a bit more clearly.'
The ACMI pods, which resemble air-to-air missiles, are hung on weapons pylons under the wings of the Super Skyhawks. -
is been some time already....except nw the news wants to more open up?Originally posted by IAF:hmmm..this is not even news right? hasn't the rsaf been using the ehud acmi for quite some time already?
Atttract more potential pilots? 
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IIRC while the system is setup for local training its only recently that the AJT detachment got it. Even the AZ and NM detachments still don't have it. They carry the US APX-95 systemOriginally posted by duotiga83:is been some time already....except nw the news wants to more open up? Atttract morepotential pilots?
Not surprisingly the source of the system was not mentioned. Although an article in AFM a couple of years back splashed our use of THE system all over their pages -
Yea, i read that b4 in the AFM.....using the Ehud system right? can't remeber already......Originally posted by Viper52:IIRC while the system is setup for local training its only recently that the AJT detachment got it. Even the AZ and NM detachments still don't have it. They carry the US APX-95 system
Not surprisingly the source of the system was not mentioned. Although an article in AFM a couple of years back splashed our use of THE system all over their pages -
is the ehud more advanced than the US system? what's the difference?Originally posted by Viper52:IIRC while the system is setup for local training its only recently that the AJT detachment got it. Even the AZ and NM detachments still don't have it. They carry the US APX-95 system -
Duotiga, you're right, thats the system we use.Originally posted by IAF:is the ehud more advanced than the US system? what's the difference?
IAF, the US ACMI system requires ground-based stations to record the parameters measured by the APX-95 pods carried by the aircraft.
The EHUD system is totally "rangeless", ie you can setup an ACMI exercise ANYWHERE you want when the aircraft involved are carrying the pods. Theres no need for fixed ACMI stations, all parameters are measured by the pods and downloaded into computers back at base when the aircraft returns.
Any aircraft thats capable of carrying the AIM-9 is compatible with the system. IIRC other than Singapore the RAF and the RNZAF (when they had combat capability) used this system -
IIRC, in it's eagerness to develop better ties with the indonesian military, rsaf has actually allowed tni-au to use the ehud acmi system.
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I was thinking this for quite some time liao:
Since A-4SU is going to replace soon, what type to replace them in the AJT training? F-16? or as an entire seprate programme?
