AACMI

Considering the importance of improving interoperability between the Participants, taking into account the desirability of co-operation in the field of Air Force activity, and recognising that greater co-operation and co-ordination in the field of Autonomous Air Combat Manoeuvring Instrumentation (AACMI) activities will encourage mutual understanding and enhance the Participants’ capability to operate together.

The EAG has actively worked to promote and facilitate training, trials and exercises as well as information exchanges, between the Participants’ Air Forces in the field of AACMI activities.

AACMI activities mean the ability of military aircrew to perform and debrief training missions with no need for any fixed ground infrastructure. Most of the EAG Air Forces have acquired or are in the process of acquiring autonomous air-combat manoeuvring instrumentation (AACMI) pods to allow aircraft to collect flight data. Relayed to ground facilities, these data permit the sorties to be replayed and analysed.

Following previous studies recommendations to develop a standard for data interchange between Ground Segment equipment of different AACMI systems, the EAG has been tasked to assess the interoperability of the different AACMI systems and to issue recommendations to improve these assets.

A standard data format (ICD) has been published by the EAG in cooperation with the manufacturers MBDA and BGT. This format allows nations who implement it in their debriefing ground station, to exchange their flight data irrespective of their level of interoperability. The exchanged data (Time, Speed, Position and Identification) are computed in the ground stations in order to display the recorded flights. This system offers at low cost a realistic debrief of dissimilar aircraft combat missions.

The AACMI Interoperability trials (AIT) were held in Decimomannu, Sardinia, Italy during the period 19 to 23 September 2005. This occurrence gathered Belgian F16, Dutch F16, French Mirage 2000, German F4, Italian AMX, British F3 and Spanish F18. This was the first ever occasion of this kind and the results are encouraging. The actual level of interoperability between AACMI equipment is higher than expected and the ICD kept its promises.

Today five of the seven EAG nations are capable of using ICD. As agreed by Nations, information on AIT results and investigations will be open to other NATO nations wishing to join the project at a later stage. For more info, please contact the project leader.