Leonardo has unveiled FITS4TOP, a next-generation pilot training system designed to integrate live aircraft operations with advanced virtual simulation, signaling a shift in how military aircrews are trained for modern warfare. The Future Integrated Training System for TOP Pilots is intended to prepare pilots for high-intensity, multi-domain missions by blending real-world flying with synthetic environments.
The system combines advanced simulation hardware, artificial intelligence, augmented reality, and modern avionics to support comprehensive Live, Virtual, and Constructive training. FITS4TOP enables real aircraft to fly within shared missions alongside simulators and computer-generated entities, allowing training scenarios to span air, sea, and land domains without the need for additional live assets.
Pilots using the system can conduct real flights while engaging with simulated adversaries and mission elements, all connected through secure networks and high-performance computing infrastructure. At the same time, instructors and trainees operating in simulators can interact in real time, building mission complexity step by step to reflect realistic operational challenges.
Data gathered from both live flights and simulated missions is analyzed and fed into ground-based control systems, where controllers coordinate closely with aircrews during close-support and advanced mission training. By merging live and virtual elements into a unified training framework, FITS4TOP aims to deliver more flexible, scalable, and data-driven military pilot training.
