MH60S/R Helicopter Crew Trainer: Via a Variety of Modeling, Simulation and Visualization Technologies

Stottler Henke, in conjunction with the US Navy, has developed and deployed a flexible, low-cost PChosted desktop crew trainer for the Navy’s new MH-60S and MH-60R helicopters: Operator Machine Interface Assistant (OMIA). OMIA is currently in use by HSC-2, HSC-3 and HSM-41. This paper emphasizes some of the flexible, low-cost, rapid development methods used to reach the present deployment and are allowing for the continued flexible, low-cost, and rapid evolution of OMIA to meet evolving Navy needs. These methods include re-use of COTS software, design for evolving COTS hardware/software, and design for evolving requirements. In addition to many COTS solutions, some proprietary software was built. COTS software utilization includes the integration of MicrosoftTM Flight Simulator for many aviation aspects of OMIA, and the use of twoand threedimensional COTS libraries to develop the user interface and cockpit. The foundation that permits the flexible and rapid use of different components is the underlying design for evolving requirements. The flexible design for evolving requirements is necessary because the Common Cockpit has and continues to evolve. The flexible design allows OMIA to work with and control MicrosoftTM Flight Simulator when it is available, to use COTS and/or custom hardware when attached, and to still function as a complete standalone application. Continuing enhancements of the trainer are allowing it to teach an increasingly broad variety of aviation and mission tasks; for example, OMIA software driving the MH-60S Mission Avionics Systems Trainer (MAST).