ForgeFX awarded US Army subcontract for drone-based biological threat detection
ForgeFX Simulations, a provider of immersive training technologies for defence and industry, has been awarded a US Army subcontract to expand access to its CBRN drone pilot training simulator, used to train unmanned aerial system (UAS) pilots to detect airborne biological threats.
According to a press release published on Newswire, under the programme, ForgeFX will convert its fielded unmanned vehicle tele-operation training simulator into a browser-based application delivered through the Joint Acquisition CBRN Knowledge System, the US Army's authoritative training and information channel for CBRN personnel.
The simulator trains UAS pilots, sensor operators and mission commanders to remotely fly the Teledyne FLIR R80D Skyraider drone, detecting and collecting airborne biological contamination samples with the onboard MUVE B330 continuous biological detector and collector.
MRIGlobal is the prime contractor on the programme, which is managed by the US Army's Capability Program Executive for Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Defense.
The web-based deployment addresses a central challenge in CBRN training, namely giving operators realistic, repeatable practice on specialised detection and reconnaissance systems without requiring constant access to dedicated training workstations or live-test environments.
Five-lesson curriculum
"Training on physical CBRN systems is constrained by limited asset availability, high operational cost and the risks inherent to live aerosol testing," it was noted in the press release. "Simulation-based training eliminates those constraints, while centralised hosting makes future updates and additions substantially easier to deploy."
"This effort is about removing barriers between the warfighter and the training they need," said Greg Meyers, CEO and co-founder of ForgeFX Simulations. "We're taking a high-fidelity simulator built around real equipment, real procedures and real mission conditions, and making it available through a secure browser without local installation or specialised hardware. That changes the economics of military training and gives CBRN units a more scalable way to build readiness for high-consequence missions."
The simulator was originally developed by ForgeFX and MRIGlobal in close partnership with Teledyne FLIR, manufacturer of both the R80D Skyraider UAS and the MUVE B330 sensor. Teledyne FLIR provided technical documentation and unclassified test data, and hosted ForgeFX engineers at the US Army Dugway Proving Grounds in Utah to observe live testing.
The training programme consists of a five-lesson curriculum covering the full reconnaissance mission cycle, from UAS launch and waypoint navigation to aerosol sampling and post-mission close-out. An unguided capstone mission then presents a randomised contamination scenario and scores performance.
ForgeFX and MRIGlobal have previously supported CBRN defence simulation for the US Army by delivering an unmanned ground vehicle teleoperation trainer for the same reconnaissance vehicle programme, followed by the full unmanned vehicle tele-operation training simulator that serves as the foundation for this subcontract.
ForgeFX and MRIGlobal have also delivered the CBRND HoloTrainer, a mixed-reality device training suite for CBRN special operations forces. In April, it was also announced that ForgeFX Simulations had been awarded a subcontract to deliver a suite of interactive digital replicas of real-world chemical and biological detection devices, including instruments such as Honeywell's MultiRAE Pro multi-gas monitor and the 908 Devices' MX908 handheld mass spectrometer.
