ORLANDO, Fla. – A U.S. Air Force team in Orlando recently conducted a cyber-security scan on an A-10 Thunderbolt simulator at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., in the first remote operational vulnerability scan of an Air Force aircraft simulator.
The scan is part of a larger effort to connect and integrate weapon system simulators across the Air Force via the Simulator Common Architecture Requirements and Standards initiative – more commonly known as SCARS.
“The scan is a significant milestone for SCARS,” said Michael Burns, Chief of Common Architecture and Standards, within the Agile Combat Support Directorate’s Simulators Division. “It [scan] proves our design and allows us to move forward with our infrastructure. Through common architecture, simulators will be able to integrate more efficiently and effectively, and provide more realistic and relevant training.”
Simulators have been used for decades by the U.S. Air Force to train aircrew members. The systems are comprised of a wide range of modern and legacy technologies that don’t work well together. Through the deployment of the SCARS infrastructure and implementation of standards, SCARS will create commonality which will allow the Air Force to better manage its simulators, improve cybersecurity, and enhance training.
Currently, the SCARS team is set to field its infrastructure to simulator sites around the world.