Sogitec combines Sword, Genius and HORUS for virtual/constructive demonstrator

French simulation specialists Sogitec, a subsidiary of Dassault Aviation, has integrated its Genius generic UAS simulator and its helicopter rear unit simulator (HORUS) cabin simulator with MASA’s Sword constructive simulation. The platform was demonstrated as a proof-of-concept at Eurosatory in Paris last month.

MASA’s Sword is an automated, aggregated constructive simulation with an open simulation platform which is interoperable with other simulations and command and control (C2) systems. It has been used in more than 20 countries for command and staff and command post training. A major user has been the French Army, and it is known in France as SOULT (Simulation pour les Opérations des Unités interarmes et de la Logistique Terrestre - Simulation for combined arms and ground logistic units) where it supports all arms command training across the combat, combat support and combat service support specialisations from company to divisional level. It has also increasingly been used by the French armed forces for joint command training.

Stéphane Morelli, product manager for UAS and mission aircraft simulation at Sogitec, told Shephard that the aim of the integration was to focus on interoperability of capabilities, as well as the development and practice of tactics, techniques and procedures. The concept enables participants using Sword to employ UAVs or rotary wing aircraft in the constructive simulation which is then reflected in the virtual world of the two simulators.

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He explained that Genius, as a generic simulator, complements the specialised simulators provided by UAS manufacturers, and it can be customised to reflect the performance and sensor payload of the particular UAV being simulated.

Sword provides an aggregated model of entities in the battlespace, but when Genius is deployed within the simulation the sensor view is of the disaggregated unit: if Sword shows a tank company, a video feed from the UAV will show the appropriate number of individual tanks tactically deployed.

Morelli said that the focus has been on “the quality and realism of the images, the entities’ situation in the terrain and their activity within the scenario”.

HORUS, a mixed reality simulator for helicopter hoist operator or door gunner training, uses the Varjo XR-3 head-mounted display (HMD) and ‘blue screen’ technology to provide a mixed-reality environment. The concept demonstrator included a helicopter door gunner, who was able to engage targets in the virtual environment which were the same disaggregated entities from the constructive simulation that were shown in the UAV sensor feed.

Morelli said that the concept has undergone some initial testing with the French Army, with the next step being to update the simulators in line with the test results, before looking at integrating additional simulators such as ground-based air defence. He added that the intention was to continue with demonstrations with the hope of achieving orders by the end of 2025.

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