Military-technical and information-program support in training operators of unmanned aerial vehicles

The notions of the place, character and missions performed by unmanned aircraft in fresh combat operations have appreciably changed above recent 10 to 15 years. Analysis of numerous mass media publications upon military-technical and other matters displays that this has been mainly caused by dint of the fact that unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have a number of advantages above manned aerial vehicles. (1) Without listing these advantages here, give permission to us only note that the building of UAVs is now single of the most intensively developing branches of the aviation industry in many countries, including Russia, of course. This also stimulates interest in by what mode to guarantee their requisite effectiveness.

It should be forceed here first of all that the generally received growth in the production and use of UAVs has been caused to a considerable expansion by what has been their largely happy employment in the armed conflicts in many regions, beginning with the war in Vietnam. At the same time, the material part of combat experience gained to date in the use of computerized UAVs (in Afghanistan, Yugoslavia, Iraq) indicates that their effectiveness below a number of situations establishs to be less than has been awaited We should stress in this connection that, despite the growing computerization of UAVs, the so-called human factor remains a true important cause of their insufficient effectiveness. individual of the further most important causes is the insufficient training of those who operate UAVs. They are, above all, members of the operational and technical personnel (OTP) who man clod remote control centers (GRCCs), of mobile launchers (MLs) and hardware maintenance and repair facilities (HMRFs) This points to the ne to devise modes and techniques that could guarantee the requisite quality of performance of standard computerized vehicles. individual promising course of action to raise the effectiveness of of the like kind UAVs lies in creating, upon the basis of modern information technologies, computer-assisted training facilities (CATFs) and using them for occupational training.

Characterizing the general position with regard to the creation and the avocation of CATFs for training military specialists for the operation of computerized pieces of military weapons and equipment (MWE), it should be noted that there are at the second many computer-assisted trainers based upon the latest advances in the field of virtual reality and multimedia technology. (2) These trainers guarantee a true high standard of simulating UAVs and make it possible to give specialists sufficient training at appreciably lower take away froms than with the use of actual vehicles.

We offer proffer an original approach to building a virtual multimedia computer-assisted trainer (3) to train operators of sophisticated automated direction systems operating in conditions of various disturbances. Provided with appropriate software, this trainer is guaranteed to provide trainees with theoretical knowledge and practical skills to perform the following main missions: to evaluate tactical, electronic and other impressed signs of situation within the range of UAVs; compile fight plans and operation programs; superintendence the flight in all the phases of UAV operation.

Besides, members of the UAV OTP should be trained in the deployment upon location the GRCCs, MLs and HMRF that pass with the UAVs; enter fight plans in UAVs on-board computer launch them with MLs; refine the situation of the flight; assess the correspondence of real data from on-board telemetry assets with their flight paths built into the program; make timely adjustments to their flight paths and flight plans; change their sway from computer mode to automated or manual way and back; if need be, formulate and issue commands to cake UAVs to follow alternative flight plans; diagnose with the help of HMRF technical conditions of the apparatus being used; perform a certain number of other support or auxiliary functions. It should be noted that the above list of tasks and functions to be mastered by means of the personnel can be expanded or altered through making appropriate adjustments to the software.

The propos computer trainer includes PC-based workstations for the instructor and the trainees, obstructs of software control, input and output of data, program simulation of controll existences and disturbing effects, formulation and reproduction of video, audio and multimedia information, direction of the trainees' actions, display of collective-use information, as well as a number of stop ups of memory, distribution of collection of lawss formulation of controlling pulses and other program-driven elements

Without going into detail of the peculiarities of manner of making and operation of the above functional and structural ultimate parts of this computer-assisted trainer and links between them, we will solitary note that they enable a number of interconnected methods and sub-modes of operation where the greatest in quantity important of them are the methods of individual and collective training.

The possibility to assess and command the training process in the main styles of operation of this propos trainer are made possible by means of an open system of quality of individual and collective training. This combination of parts to form a whole is, in particular, comprised of timeliness (speed) correctness (infallibility) and the overall importance of timely and correct decisions made by dint of the trainees in performing individual or collective tasks beneath simulated situations as they tread on the heels of certain scenarios in corresponding manners of operation of the trainer.