July 22, 2003 – ASTi recently delivered a total of ten (10) systems to L-3 Communications' Link Simulation & Training division. These systems will be used by the Naval Air Systems Command Training Systems Division (NAVAIR TSD) on the first of several F/A-18C Distributed Mission Training (DMT) training systems.

The F/A-18C DMT program is part of the U.S. Navy's Aviation Simulation Master Plan, which declares all air, land, and sea assets train in a "fully integrated, synthetic battlespace". This inaugural DMT trainer suite consists of four (4) networked F/A-18C tactical operational flight trainers (OFTs), and will be deployed at NAS Oceana, VA.

ASTi's Digital Audio Communication Systems (DACS) will supply high-fidelity radio communications, electronic warfare comms, navigational radio suite, aural cueing, and environmental audio. ASTi Telestra platforms provide HLA-compatibility for the simulated radio environment, and allow centralized, remote management of the various DACS computers.

ASTi has provided simulated communications and aural cue solutions for the U.S. Navy's F/A-18 flight simulator program for over ten (10) years. Further, ASTi has a long history of support for the DMT program and the development of communications simulation in an HLA environment. ASTi played a key supporting role in the pioneering HLA experiments conducted for the DMT program, with the Defense Modeling and Simulation Office (DMSO), the Air Force Research Laboratory Warfighter Training Research Division (AFRL), and the U.S. Navy Air Combat Environment Test and Evaluation Facility (ACETEF) Aircraft Simulation - Manned Flight Simulator (MFS).

For more information, see Link's press release, or an overview of applying HLA to the DMT environment.