Boeing connected the F-22 Mission Training Center (MTC) at Langley Air Force Base, Va., to the U.S. Air Force's Distributed Mission Operations Network (DMON) in November, allowing F-22 pilots at the base to train virtually with pilots in other aircraft platforms for the first time. The MTC at Langley is the first of four F-22 training centers that Boeing will link to the network over the next three years.

The Air Force's Distributed Mission Operations (DMO) configuration enables MTC sites to connect with one another via the DMON, increasing the scale and improving the accuracy of training operations. Connecting the four-seat F-22 MTC flight trainer to the DMON also provides F-22 pilots with more realistic training with other Air Force assets on the network, such as the F-15C MTC.

"Boeing's F-22 MTC was the first trainer in the industry to achieve 'first-pass success' on its initial DMON testing," said Mark McGraw, Boeing vice president of Training Systems and Services.

This MTC was also the first to use the Agile Software Development process, which is based on industry and Boeing best practices for efficient software development. This process allowed the functionality of the trainer's components to be assessed much faster than with traditional software development methods.

Boeing is on contract to deliver three new F-22 MTCs for Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska; Holloman Air Force Base, N.M.; and Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii.