The US Air Force has awarded augmented reality (AR) system developer Red 6 a contract worth up to $70 million to integrate its proprietary AR into operational military aircraft.
The SBIR Phase III sole source award will enable Red 6 to pursue the commercialization of its Airborne Tactical Augmented Reality System (ATARS). The system allows pilots and ground operators to see synthetic threats in real-time, outdoors, and critically, in high-speed environments.
“This award is indicative of Red 6’s commitment to deliver training solutions for the defense community,” said Daniel Robinson, Founder and CEO of Red 6. “We are excited to continue to grow our presence within the US Air Force as we harness the power of our one-of-a-kind technology in support of the warfighter,” continued Robinson.
Red 6 will begin integration into a T-38 Talon supersonic jet trainer immediately and will be followed by integration onto a fourth generation operational and training aircraft, such as the F-16 Fighting Falcon.
“Red 6 is ushering in a new era of training, and with the support of the US Air Force we aim to deliver an extraordinary increase to readiness, proficiency, training capacity, and capability,” said Robinson.
“Innovation within training is needed now more than ever to remain competitive with our adversaries,” said Dr. Winston Bennett, Airman Systems Directorate, Warfighter Interactions and Readiness Division, US Air Force. “Red 6 is delivering a solution to current pain points in training, that if fixed, could solve several national security issues we face today,” continued Bennett.
