{"id":135427,"date":"2021-03-19T20:20:23","date_gmt":"2021-03-19T20:20:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/uncategorized\/2021\/03\/19\/the-air-forces-t-38-trainer-could-dogfight-with-augmented-reality-adversaries-soon\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T23:51:50","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T23:51:50","slug":"the-air-forces-t-38-trainer-could-dogfight-with-augmented-reality-adversaries-soon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/news\/your-military\/2021\/03\/19\/the-air-forces-t-38-trainer-could-dogfight-with-augmented-reality-adversaries-soon\/","title":{"rendered":"US Air Force\u2019s T-38 trainer could soon dogfight with augmented reality adversaries"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">WASHINGTON \u2014 In the future, when U.S. Air Force fighter pilots face off in aerial combat training missions, they could be dogfighting the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/digital-show-dailies\/itsec\/2019\/12\/03\/the-us-air-force-wants-to-network-all-its-weapons-together-will-simulators-be-included\/\" target=_blank>video game version of Chinese and Russian warplanes<\/a> at a fraction of the cost of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/digital-show-dailies\/afa-air-space\/2019\/03\/06\/air-forces-new-trainer-jet-could-become-its-next-light-attack-or-aggressor-aircraft\/\" target=_blank>using real jets<\/a> like the F-22 Raptor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At least that\u2019s the pitch the California-based company known as Red 6 is making to the service.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For the past three years, Red 6 has been working with the Air Force to mature its Airborne Tactical Augmented Reality System, or ATARS, which allows pilots flying real fighters to see projections of other aircraft through their helmet visor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Now the company is on the brink of finalizing a Small Business Innovation Research Phase III contract with the Air Force that will allow it to integrate its technology with a Northrop T-38 Talon \u2014 the supersonic jet trainer used to train fighter pilots, according to its founder and CEO, Dan Robinson.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe\u2019re working in partnership with the test community at Holloman Air Force Base to do that, and then we\u2019re going to be working hand in hand with them to evolve that and make sure that it\u2019s ruggedized,\u201d he told Defense News in a March 17 interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The company is also using internal funding to network multiple ATARS together so that more than one aircraft can train as a group against a larger set of adversaries. The hope is to demonstrate that capability for the Navy and Air Force sometime this year, Robinson said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Unlike virtual reality, where everything the user sees through a headset is simulated, augmented reality superimposes simulated images over the real world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The ATARS system comprises a custom augmented reality headset designed to be worn with a standard HGU-55 helmet used by F-15 and F-16 pilots. It also includes hardware and software responsible for tracking the pilot\u2019s head in space and displaying information, all driven by a game engine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIt\u2019s minimally intrusive. It\u2019s designed to be platform agnostic,\u201d Robinson said. \u201cIt will incorporate into any aircraft, and there will be slight adjustments to determine antenna positioning and things like that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If Red 6 proves that its technology works, it could solve one of the Air Force\u2019s longstanding requirements: the need for cost-effective \u201cred air\u201d training that gives fighter pilots experience in close-quarters aerial combat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In 2019, the Air Force awarded a contract to seven companies that provide <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/air\/2020\/01\/13\/red-air-providers-prep-for-a-big-year\/\" target=_blank>red air training services<\/a>: Air USA, Airborne Tactical Advantage Company, Blue Air Training, Coastal Defense, Draken International, Tactical Air Support and Top Aces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">These companies typically buy up used third-generation subsonic fighters and hire retired military pilots to pose as aggressors in training missions. However, to train against more advanced threats, the Air Force has to use its own aircraft as aggressors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Currently, there is no way for the Air Force to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/digital-show-dailies\/itsec\/2016\/12\/05\/air-force-seeks-virtual-elements-in-flight-exercises-to-heighten-realism-complexity\/\" target=_blank>virtually represent an adversary<\/a> once a threat gets within visual range, or about 10 nautical miles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Using tools like threat emitters that replicate the radiofrequencies emitted by missiles, artillery and other aircraft is sufficient to train pilots beyond visual ranges, Robinson said earlier this week at an event held by the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies. But with augmented reality, the Air Force would be able to virtually project \u2014 for example \u2014 a combat-representative Russian Su-57 that the pilot must dogfight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cSo far, augmented reality hasn\u2019t worked outdoors or in dynamic environments,\u201d Robinson said. \u201cIt does now.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><b>The path forward<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Although there is no current program of record for the solution Red 6 could provide to the military, the company has some notable former Air Force leaders on its side.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In February, Red 6 appointed Mike Holmes, the former four-star general who led Air Combat Command, as chairman of its board. The company added former acquisition executive Will Roper to its advisory board earlier this month.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Red 6 has received buy-in from sources such as the Air Force\u2019s AFWERX innovation hub \u2014 having been awarded Small Business Innovation Research Phase I and II contracts \u2014 and received an investment of undisclosed value from Lockheed Martin\u2019s venture capital arm in June 2020.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">During the SBIRS Phase III contract, Robinson plans to work with the Air Force on solidifying a business model for providing the technology as well as finalizing the cost. But to get that money, lawmakers will need proof that the technology works, said Robert \u201cOtis\u201d Winkler, a professional staff member for the Senate Armed Services Committee.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cMoving it into a training environment where you\u2019re actually projecting images that aren\u2019t necessarily there is something that we\u2019re going to have to prove to folks as far as latency, as far as the ability to make a difference in training,\u201d he said during the Mitchell Institute event.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">However, advancements like the F-35 helmet-mounted display \u2014 which overlays imagery from the jet\u2019s sensors into a singular picture projected onto the helmet \u2014 supports the idea that pilots can wear highly sophisticated optical systems while conducting normal flight operations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI think when people actually experience this, it becomes hard to argue,\u201d he said. \u201cI mean, if you look at what are our kids are doing when it comes to augmented reality, in the video games that they are playing, that\u2019s kind of the expectation when folks show up in the military. And I think most of them are disappointed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As the company figures out how to link multiple ATARS systems together across large distances, it will need to overcome the challenge of latency, Robinson said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A solution to that problem is something that companies like Red 6 might be able to learn from large, global, multiplayer games such as Fortnite, which uses techniques such as pose estimation and predictive analysis to ensure all users are sharing the same experience, said Robinson.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cOn multiplayer games \u2026 the movements are much more nuanced and rapid \u2014 so for example, a soldier crouching behind a desk,\u201d he said. \u201cWhat we\u2019re talking about is fighter combat, where &#8230; the realities of the physical limitations of the airplane are a little more predictive.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Air Force is finalizing a contract with Red 6, which is developing tech to allow pilots to dogfight with simulated foes.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":114160,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":88,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":[]},"categories":[29,116,117,15,88],"tags":[],"coauthors":[3297],"class_list":["post-135427","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-home","category-left-column","category-middle-column","category-news","category-your-military"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"EL3RILSEIJBXLNNFKP2ELVDVE4","arc_canonical_url":"\/air\/2021\/03\/19\/the-air-forces-t-38-trainer-could-dogfight-with-augmented-reality-adversaries-soon\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented By:"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.0 (Yoast SEO v28.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>US Air Force\u2019s T-38 trainer could soon dogfight with augmented reality adversaries - Military Times<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The Air Force is finalizing a contract with Red 6, which is developing tech to allow pilots to dogfight with simulated foes.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/smg.go-vip.net\/defensenews\/air\/2021\/03\/19\/the-air-forces-t-38-trainer-could-dogfight-with-augmented-reality-adversaries-soon\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"US Air Force\u2019s T-38 trainer could soon dogfight with augmented reality adversaries\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The Air Force is finalizing a contract with Red 6, which is developing tech to allow pilots to dogfight with simulated foes.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/news\/your-military\/2021\/03\/19\/the-air-forces-t-38-trainer-could-dogfight-with-augmented-reality-adversaries-soon\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Military Times\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2021-03-19T20:20:23+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-08-07T23:51:50+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Valerie Insinna\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Valerie Insinna\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\n\t    \"@context\": \"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\n\t    \"@graph\": [\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"Article\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/militarytimes\\\/news\\\/your-military\\\/2021\\\/03\\\/19\\\/the-air-forces-t-38-trainer-could-dogfight-with-augmented-reality-adversaries-soon\\\/#article\",\n\t            \"isPartOf\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/militarytimes\\\/news\\\/your-military\\\/2021\\\/03\\\/19\\\/the-air-forces-t-38-trainer-could-dogfight-with-augmented-reality-adversaries-soon\\\/\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"author\": {\n\t                \"name\": \"migration\",\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/militarytimes\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"headline\": \"US Air Force\u2019s T-38 trainer could soon dogfight with augmented reality adversaries\",\n\t            \"datePublished\": \"2021-03-19T20:20:23+00:00\",\n\t            \"dateModified\": \"2026-08-07T23:51:50+00:00\",\n\t            \"mainEntityOfPage\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/militarytimes\\\/news\\\/your-military\\\/2021\\\/03\\\/19\\\/the-air-forces-t-38-trainer-could-dogfight-with-augmented-reality-adversaries-soon\\\/\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"wordCount\": 1010,\n\t            \"commentCount\": 0,\n\t            \"publisher\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/militarytimes\\\/#organization\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/militarytimes\\\/news\\\/your-military\\\/2021\\\/03\\\/19\\\/the-air-forces-t-38-trainer-could-dogfight-with-augmented-reality-adversaries-soon\\\/#primaryimage\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"thumbnailUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/IMG_7424.jpg.jpg\",\n\t            \"articleSection\": [\n\t                \"Home\",\n\t                \"Left Column\",\n\t                \"Middle Column\",\n\t                \"News\",\n\t                \"Your Military\"\n\t            ],\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t            \"potentialAction\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"CommentAction\",\n\t                    \"name\": \"Comment\",\n\t                    \"target\": [\n\t                        \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/militarytimes\\\/news\\\/your-military\\\/2021\\\/03\\\/19\\\/the-air-forces-t-38-trainer-could-dogfight-with-augmented-reality-adversaries-soon\\\/#respond\"\n\t                    ]\n\t                }\n\t            ]\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"WebPage\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/militarytimes\\\/news\\\/your-military\\\/2021\\\/03\\\/19\\\/the-air-forces-t-38-trainer-could-dogfight-with-augmented-reality-adversaries-soon\\\/\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/militarytimes\\\/news\\\/your-military\\\/2021\\\/03\\\/19\\\/the-air-forces-t-38-trainer-could-dogfight-with-augmented-reality-adversaries-soon\\\/\",\n\t            \"name\": \"US Air Force\u2019s T-38 trainer could soon dogfight with augmented reality adversaries - Military Times\",\n\t            \"isPartOf\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/militarytimes\\\/#website\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"primaryImageOfPage\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/militarytimes\\\/news\\\/your-military\\\/2021\\\/03\\\/19\\\/the-air-forces-t-38-trainer-could-dogfight-with-augmented-reality-adversaries-soon\\\/#primaryimage\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/militarytimes\\\/news\\\/your-military\\\/2021\\\/03\\\/19\\\/the-air-forces-t-38-trainer-could-dogfight-with-augmented-reality-adversaries-soon\\\/#primaryimage\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"thumbnailUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/IMG_7424.jpg.jpg\",\n\t            \"datePublished\": \"2021-03-19T20:20:23+00:00\",\n\t            \"dateModified\": \"2026-08-07T23:51:50+00:00\",\n\t            \"description\": \"The Air Force is finalizing a contract with Red 6, which is developing tech to allow pilots to dogfight with simulated foes.\",\n\t            \"breadcrumb\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/militarytimes\\\/news\\\/your-military\\\/2021\\\/03\\\/19\\\/the-air-forces-t-38-trainer-could-dogfight-with-augmented-reality-adversaries-soon\\\/#breadcrumb\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t            \"potentialAction\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ReadAction\",\n\t                    \"target\": [\n\t                        \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/militarytimes\\\/news\\\/your-military\\\/2021\\\/03\\\/19\\\/the-air-forces-t-38-trainer-could-dogfight-with-augmented-reality-adversaries-soon\\\/\"\n\t                    ]\n\t                }\n\t            ]\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/militarytimes\\\/news\\\/your-military\\\/2021\\\/03\\\/19\\\/the-air-forces-t-38-trainer-could-dogfight-with-augmented-reality-adversaries-soon\\\/#primaryimage\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/IMG_7424.jpg.jpg\",\n\t            \"contentUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/IMG_7424.jpg.jpg\"\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"BreadcrumbList\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/militarytimes\\\/news\\\/your-military\\\/2021\\\/03\\\/19\\\/the-air-forces-t-38-trainer-could-dogfight-with-augmented-reality-adversaries-soon\\\/#breadcrumb\",\n\t            \"itemListElement\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n\t                    \"position\": 1,\n\t                    \"name\": \"Home\",\n\t                    \"item\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/militarytimes\\\/\",\n\t                    \"ad_zone\": \"home\"\n\t                },\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n\t                    \"position\": 2,\n\t                    \"name\": \"Your Military\",\n\t                    \"item\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/militarytimes\\\/news\\\/your-military\\\/\",\n\t                    \"ad_zone\": \"your-military\"\n\t                },\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n\t                    \"position\": 3,\n\t                    \"name\": \"US Air Force\u2019s T-38 trainer could soon dogfight with augmented reality adversaries\"\n\t                }\n\t            ]\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"WebSite\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/militarytimes\\\/#website\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/militarytimes\\\/\",\n\t            \"name\": \"Military Times\",\n\t            \"description\": \"Independent News About Your Military | Military Times\",\n\t            \"publisher\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/militarytimes\\\/#organization\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"potentialAction\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"SearchAction\",\n\t                    \"target\": {\n\t                        \"@type\": \"EntryPoint\",\n\t                        \"urlTemplate\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/militarytimes\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"\n\t                    },\n\t                    \"query-input\": {\n\t                        \"@type\": \"PropertyValueSpecification\",\n\t                        \"valueRequired\": true,\n\t                        \"valueName\": \"search_term_string\"\n\t                    }\n\t                }\n\t            ],\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\"\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"Organization\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/militarytimes\\\/#organization\",\n\t            \"name\": \"Military Times\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/militarytimes\\\/\",\n\t            \"logo\": {\n\t                \"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n\t                \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/militarytimes\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\n\t                \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/military-logo-white.png\",\n\t                \"contentUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/military-logo-white.png\",\n\t                \"caption\": \"Military Times\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/militarytimes\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"\n\t            }\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"Person\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/militarytimes\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1\",\n\t            \"name\": \"migration\",\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n\t                \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=gcf4cb6ee0ec29e49e7a963234e4340ec\",\n\t                \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\n\t                \"contentUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\n\t                \"caption\": \"migration\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/militarytimes\\\/author\\\/migration\\\/\"\n\t        }\n\t    ]\n\t}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"US Air Force\u2019s T-38 trainer could soon dogfight with augmented reality adversaries - Military Times","description":"The Air Force is finalizing a contract with Red 6, which is developing tech to allow pilots to dogfight with simulated foes.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/smg.go-vip.net\/defensenews\/air\/2021\/03\/19\/the-air-forces-t-38-trainer-could-dogfight-with-augmented-reality-adversaries-soon\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"US Air Force\u2019s T-38 trainer could soon dogfight with augmented reality adversaries","og_description":"The Air Force is finalizing a contract with Red 6, which is developing tech to allow pilots to dogfight with simulated foes.","og_url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/news\/your-military\/2021\/03\/19\/the-air-forces-t-38-trainer-could-dogfight-with-augmented-reality-adversaries-soon\/","og_site_name":"Military Times","article_published_time":"2021-03-19T20:20:23+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-08-07T23:51:50+00:00","author":"Valerie Insinna","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Valerie Insinna","Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/news\/your-military\/2021\/03\/19\/the-air-forces-t-38-trainer-could-dogfight-with-augmented-reality-adversaries-soon\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/news\/your-military\/2021\/03\/19\/the-air-forces-t-38-trainer-could-dogfight-with-augmented-reality-adversaries-soon\/"},"author":{"name":"migration","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/#\/schema\/person\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1"},"headline":"US Air Force\u2019s T-38 trainer could soon dogfight with augmented reality adversaries","datePublished":"2021-03-19T20:20:23+00:00","dateModified":"2026-08-07T23:51:50+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/news\/your-military\/2021\/03\/19\/the-air-forces-t-38-trainer-could-dogfight-with-augmented-reality-adversaries-soon\/"},"wordCount":1010,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/news\/your-military\/2021\/03\/19\/the-air-forces-t-38-trainer-could-dogfight-with-augmented-reality-adversaries-soon\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/IMG_7424.jpg.jpg","articleSection":["Home","Left Column","Middle Column","News","Your Military"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/news\/your-military\/2021\/03\/19\/the-air-forces-t-38-trainer-could-dogfight-with-augmented-reality-adversaries-soon\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/news\/your-military\/2021\/03\/19\/the-air-forces-t-38-trainer-could-dogfight-with-augmented-reality-adversaries-soon\/","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/news\/your-military\/2021\/03\/19\/the-air-forces-t-38-trainer-could-dogfight-with-augmented-reality-adversaries-soon\/","name":"US Air Force\u2019s T-38 trainer could soon dogfight with augmented reality adversaries - Military Times","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/news\/your-military\/2021\/03\/19\/the-air-forces-t-38-trainer-could-dogfight-with-augmented-reality-adversaries-soon\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/news\/your-military\/2021\/03\/19\/the-air-forces-t-38-trainer-could-dogfight-with-augmented-reality-adversaries-soon\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/IMG_7424.jpg.jpg","datePublished":"2021-03-19T20:20:23+00:00","dateModified":"2026-08-07T23:51:50+00:00","description":"The Air Force is finalizing a contract with Red 6, which is developing tech to allow pilots to dogfight with simulated foes.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/news\/your-military\/2021\/03\/19\/the-air-forces-t-38-trainer-could-dogfight-with-augmented-reality-adversaries-soon\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/news\/your-military\/2021\/03\/19\/the-air-forces-t-38-trainer-could-dogfight-with-augmented-reality-adversaries-soon\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/news\/your-military\/2021\/03\/19\/the-air-forces-t-38-trainer-could-dogfight-with-augmented-reality-adversaries-soon\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/IMG_7424.jpg.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/IMG_7424.jpg.jpg"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/news\/your-military\/2021\/03\/19\/the-air-forces-t-38-trainer-could-dogfight-with-augmented-reality-adversaries-soon\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/","ad_zone":"home"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Your Military","item":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/news\/your-military\/","ad_zone":"your-military"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"US Air Force\u2019s T-38 trainer could soon dogfight with augmented reality adversaries"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/#website","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/","name":"Military Times","description":"Independent News About Your Military | Military Times","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/#organization","name":"Military Times","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/military-logo-white.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/military-logo-white.png","caption":"Military Times"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/#\/schema\/person\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1","name":"migration","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=gcf4cb6ee0ec29e49e7a963234e4340ec","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"migration"},"url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/author\/migration\/"}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/IMG_7424.jpg.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"Military Times","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/135427","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=135427"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/135427\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":135429,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/135427\/revisions\/135429"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/114160"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=135427"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=135427"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=135427"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=135427"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}