Courtesy Photo | ONR Global Capt. Matthew Romero, TechSolutions outreach coordinator (right), presents...... read more read more
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A recent innovation in aviation training delivers a better way to prepare future Navy pilots, and it all began with an idea. Recently, the Office of Naval Research (ONR) Global honored Lt. Cmdr. Geoffrey Dick for his foresight in requesting and pioneering the T-45 Mixed Reality (MR) Trainer.
ONR Global’s Capt. Matt Romero, TechSolutions outreach coordinator, presented Dick with the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal for his leadership in championing, prototyping and transitioning to operations the TechSolutions TS-944 T-45 Mixed Reality (MR) Trainer at Naval Air Station Corpus Christi, Texas.
“ONR Global’s TechSolutions enables Sailors and Marines closest to the problem to submit requests for rapid technological integration to increase mission effectiveness,” said Romero. “This unique program produces tangible results for the command within the tour of duty of the Sailor who submitted the request.
“Lt. Cmdr. Dick, recognizing an area of opportunity within his request, connected key players in the development of the T-45 Mixed Reality Trainer, facilitating the achievement of Strike Aviation flight training throughput requirements.”
According to the award citation, Dick was instrumental in developing the solicitation released to the Naval Research and Development Establishment and in ensuring that the resulting white papers and proposals were targeted to the needed capability.
Additionally, Dick facilitated connections with the Chief of Naval Air Training (CNATRA), the Naval Aviation Training and Ranges Program Office, and the T-45 instructor pilots who will ultimately adopt this technology. He also devised a plan to evaluate it for the Navy and Marine Corps aviation communities within 12 months.
The new flight simulator incorporates mixed reality, which combines elements of both virtual reality and augmented reality to create immersive experiences that blend the real world with digital elements. Today, new Navy aviators can flip switches and turn dials — physically interacting with the cockpit before leaving the ground.
Dick believes the new mixed-reality tool will better prepare students for flying tactical strike formations, reducing the potential for wasted time and effort in one of the Department of the Navy’s most expensive resources.
In July 2024, four trainers were delivered to Naval Air Station Meridian, with an additional 20 trainers being procured for both Naval Air Station Meridian and Naval Air Station Kingsville. In August 2024, almost 200 naval aviators and conference attendees flew the T-45 Trainer at Tailhook 2024 in Reno, Nevada.
"ONR TechSolutions enabled an already strong collaborative effort between CNATRA, Training Air Wings ONE and TWO, and the Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division,” said Dick. “Several individuals within these commands recognized a training and capability gap within our Undergraduate Strike Aviator training pipeline and leveraged their knowledge and experience to develop potential solutions. TechSolutions was key in focusing these efforts and realizing an attainable plan to provide quality mixed reality training capability to the pipeline."
Cherish T. Gilmore is a contractor for ONR Corporate Strategic Communications.
| Date Taken: | 03.10.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 03.10.2025 13:15 |
| Story ID: | 492407 |
| Location: | ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA, US |
| Web Views: | 93 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Ideas that Soar: ONR TechSolutions Flight Simulator Garners Achievement Medal, by Cherish Gilmore, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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