ASTi was contracted to design the simulated communications and radio environment for an AWACS Trainer installed at Tyndall AFB, FL. Read about ASTi's involvement with the follow-on AMS II project.

• 37 Operator Stations for Student & Observer
• Display & Debrief Station for after-action review
• Each operator station has access to 5 radios & 3 intercoms with "Secure" and "Clear" modes.

The AWACS Communications System interfaces with a bank of real radio equipment to provide communications with real-world assets during exercises. The reconfigurable software allows the exercise administrator to group all 37 Operator positions in one large exercise, or subdivide the positions into multiple, separate exercises.

In the Interactive Simulation Mode, the AWACS Communications System allows trainees to participate in exercises with other live students, instructors or pseudo-pilots over the DIS network. In Stand-Alone Mode, the system isolates one trainee to interact with the host computer running a preconfigured simulation with voice-recognition and recording facilitated by the DACS processing node.

Each of the following links will display a diagram of a specific part of the AWACS Communications System complete with an explanation about how that portion of the system operates.

• Operator DACS processing node (1 of 9).
  Shows typical configuration for 4 Operator station/1 DACS node.
  
  
• Radio DACS processing node (1 of 1).
  Shows typical configuration for 1 Operator station, Display & Debrief station, Real Radio interface/1 DACS node.
  
  
• Single Operator Station (1 of 37).
  Shows typical configuration of operator station including DACS processing pathways for voice recognition & recording by host SGI computer.

The ASTi communications environment digitally manipulates student transmissions making them indistinguishable from real-radio receptions from the participating live assets. Intelligent processing nodes (DACS) know when to add simulated radio propagation effects to student/pseudo-pilot voicestreams and when to refrain from altering receptions coming from a live, real-world radio transceiver.

The versatility of the host computer teamed with the ASTi DACS processing nodes allows each operator station to be used for different roles when required by different exercises. For example, each Operator station could be used in simulation for an AWACS trainee, an air traffic controller, an F-15 pilot, or even as an enemy threat station.

As a follow-up to the AWACS Communications System, ASTi will be working with the Southwest Research Institute as part of the DMT program. ASTi will design & participate in the implementation of a "long-haul" DIS network that will link the AWACS training facility to a remote F-15 simulator in a different city.