The “Enemy” Comes to Virtual Training: 
In a first of its kind event, the Air Force linked “enemy” MiG-29s into its network of simulators “flying” in Virtual Flag 2006. The New Mexico Air National Guard supplied the “enemy” pilots. The Distributed Mission Operations Center at Kirtland AFB, N.M., linked simulators around the country into a cyber battlespace for aircrews, and space and ground operators. Officials say about 75 percent of the Virtual Flag participants worked from their home stations. (Read our article “Distributed Mission Operations” here.)
As Air Force leaders consider concepts of operations for Collaborative Combat Aircraft, sustainment in the field—and easing that support by using standard parts and limiting variants—should be a key consideration, according to a new study from AFA's Mitchell Institute of Aerospace Studies.