Who and what are we?

The Communication Education and Learning Technology Section (CELTS) at Army Aviation Training Centre (AAvnTC) is an organic development and innovation section. Its primary remit is the design and development of learning products for aviation training elements for Army. Its auxiliary remit is innovation, including test and evaluation of learning technology for potential inclusion in the Aviation Training System.

CELTS is led by a Royal Australian Army Education Corps officer and consists of a multi-disciplinary and multi-talented team of instructional designers, graphic artists, 3D artists, 3D print specialists, software developers, and uniformed multimedia technicians.

Its XR team (developer, 3D artist and 3D print specialist) are funded via the Future Ready Training System funding line and have exponentially empowered the instructional design and development elements to pursue new technologies for better training effect.

An organic capability like CELTS is a powerful capability at a training establishment like AAvnTC. It allows specialists to build the best training materials, allowing instructors to focus on mentoring, leading, and guiding the next generation of aviation personnel.

Finally, the CELTS asset makes Army a more informed customer. Having an organic instructional design and XR capability ensures that the culture is ready, willing, and able to engage with external partners effectively.

How will this technology play into Training Transformation and build a Future Ready Training System?

Within the Army Aviation Training System, there are a number of opportunities to expand on our growing training innovation efforts across a number of trades.

Ground Crew Mission Support (GCMS)/Ground Crew Aircraft Support (GCAS): the development of virtual training devices that emulate mission, communication, and threat data loading procedures to the CH47F (Chinook) will assist in training and reduce the requirement to access live aircraft until summative assessment. As this product matures, it will be replicated in other airframes.

For Aircraft and Avionics Technicians, there are opportunities to build virtual flight control systems, 3D models for training, and procedural training devices. These efforts will allow trainees to better understand airframes during their ab-initio and Initial Employment Training.

For pilot training, there is the opportunity to leverage low-cost simulation tools to build training for tactical manoeuvres and terrain-specific flying.

Simulation and virtual procedural training also represent an exciting opportunity to get after contemporary, student-centred, scalable simulation. The next financial year includes development and implementation plans for the following:

Aircraft Marshalling 2.0. CELTS has already developed a deployable, responsive, and effective virtual aircraft marshalling product. It has been integrated into the classroom environment and is helping bridge the gap between classroom theory and students marshalling a live aircraft. The plan for the next iteration of this product is to include adverse weather, uneven or difficult terrain, and complex training scenarios such as fires and hazards; i.e., things that are almost impossible to replicate and practice safely in the real world.

UH60-M (Blackhawk) and AH64-E (Apache) Refuelling. Building on CELTS’ previous success of developing a virtual reality refuelling procedure for the CH-47F, the team will expand into replicating this effect across incoming airframes. This project has the potential to provide virtual training opportunities prior to having access to live aircraft, particularly relevant during introduction into service (IIS) of these new capabilities. This represents a fantastic opportunity for measuring the Army’s ability to take control of VR with agility, allowing Army to scale and adapt rapidly for an increasingly dynamic environment.

Low-cost Procedural Training Devices. Through CELTS’ innovation line of effort, the team has explored opportunities for procedural training. Efforts so far have included replication of engine start-up and shutdown procedures that are low cost, accessible, and easily adapted. These efforts are helping to re-shape the approach to ‘simulation’ that is occurring throughout the organisation and recognise that it is a spectrum where the learning outcomes determine the technology and the level of fidelity required from the training event.

Outside the AAvnTC, there are further opportunities for engagement, collaboration, replication, and general knowledge sharing.

Refuelling. With the renewed focus that fuel services are receiving in the Integrated Force, the time for increased collaboration and resource sharing is now. This could include expanding efforts into building land-based refuelling procedures for other training centres who are looking to develop a virtual capability. The only limiting elements are developers and the demand signals.

Home station training and unit inter-operability. An important element of virtual training is successful scalability and export of the training. For example, virtual refuelling practice can occur anywhere and at any time. If the workforce is deficient in a particular procedure or inexperienced on a particular airframe, commanders can use virtual training to remediate individual and group skills prior to a live training event.

Rethinking Education. Army learning is now known to be an ongoing skill that requires constant renewal and investment. For example, if there are any concerns about skills currency which may have occurred due to not marshalling an aircraft for a while, that training can be accessed instantly via timely pull-learning events. This will result in better practices at units, a better culture of unit education, and less skills-fade across the organisation.

What are the challenges going forward?

Agility vs Procurement. The organisation always runs the risk of delivering yesterday’s technology today via a complex technology procurement process. Learning technology, 3D modelling, virtual reality: all these elements have a very limited shelf-life and will quickly outpace the organisation. If the Army intends to be agile to meet an increasingly dynamic strategic environment, strong links with CIOG to identify needs and meet demands in a timely manner are vital. Every piece of technology represents a security risk, but all innovation requires the courage to see risk, acknowledge it, mitigate it, and proceed as appropriate. No risk = no progress.

The Defence Simulation Enterprise Solution. The incoming role of simulation within the organisation is still an unknown. The enterprise has a vision for collective training which is necessary to develop the co-operation and skills necessary for an effective ADF in future conflicts. The question of what the simulation enterprise and simulation framework will look like, and how individual simulation initiatives like AAvnTC’s will fit into the enterprise solution is still uncertain.

There is absolutely room for both the massive enterprise solution and the individual, specific, customised, and curated simulated learning products. Difficult problems like “how does Army approach simulation” require deep consideration and a one-size fits all approach does not meet all TE’s needs.

Workforce sustainment and recruitment. A workforce like CELTS is specialised and skilled and must be resourced. AAvnTC has taken a long-term, purposeful view towards building this capability and has achieved amazing goals with its contractors. To be sustainable, this model will likely need to shift into a permanent workforce capability of above-the-line specialists who will continue to exist in location and provide the capability, year after year. Uniformed personnel can only supplement that diverse workforce through the Total Workforce System as Army continues to leverage industry appropriately for talent to meet the organisation’s specific needs.