A system-of systems approach to the development of flexible, cost-effective training environments

In today's aircrew training context, although there is an abundance of training systems that can enhance training and reduce costs, the challenge for the military training organizations to select the most cost-effective training systems to address their immediate and future needs is unresolved. The urgency of this dilemma is exacerbated by shrinking defense budgets. This paper shows how the systems engineering perspective can help the decision-making process for selecting the training media equipment to construct a cost-effective training media environment. A multidisciplinary approach and systems engineering techniques were used to develop a theoretical model of the Mission Training Environment arrangement. Implications of the approach, such as that the training environment can be viewed as a system of systems and that the choice is based on combination of equipment, will be discussed.