U.S., Japan merge real and virtual skies during KS27
MISAWA AIR BASE, Japan – High above the Japanese coastline, a Japan Air Self-Defense Force F-35 Lightning II carves through the clouds, its pilot scanning the radar for simulated adversary aircraft. Miles away at Misawa Air Base, Japan, U.S. pilots sit inside F-35 Emulated Non-Operational Flight Program Interoperability Experience (FENIX) simulators, flying the same mission in a virtual sky.
In past exercises, real and virtual battlespaces existed in isolation. During Keen Sword 27, the U.S. Pacific Command J7 Pacific Multi-Domain Training and Experimentation Capability (PMTEC) integrates live, virtual and constructive (LVC) environments into a single, seamless battlespace focused on defensive counter-air operations.
This technology allows U.S. and Japanese F-35 pilots to train side by side with Japanese controllers in a fully integrated, bilateral training environment.
“During KS27, we connected 35th Fighter Wing pilots in FENIX simulators with Japan Air Self-Defense Force F-35 pilots flying in live airspace,” said Richard Ryan, 35th Fighter Wing F-35 Program Integration Office program manager. “Adding constructive adversary forces and linking the battlespace to regional command-and-control centers created a more realistic environment for pilots, aircrews and operators to make decisions together.”
To make this complex exercise possible, a live JASDF E-2 Airborne Early Warning and Control aircraft orbited overhead, acting as a crucial communication and digital bridge. By processing all tactical data at the appropriate classification level, the bilateral team bypassed the need for complex cross-domain network solutions, creating a streamlined architecture that allowed U.S. virtual pilots, live Japanese fighters, and ground-based controllers at the Japan Aerospace Defense Ground Environment to communicate effectively.
The breakthrough highlights the critical training advantages of LVC technology, which allows joint forces to rehearse high-end combat scenarios that are otherwise difficult to replicate in the real world due to airspace, cost, or security constraints.
"What we achieved during KS27 is a paradigm shift in how we prepare for modern, high-tech conflict," said Dr. Andre Stridiron, PMTEC program manager. "By leveraging advanced LVC technology, with our joint services, allies and partners, we are able to insert virtual assets and constructive, computer-generated adversaries directly into the training scenario for battle managers, live and simulated pilots. This creates an incredibly dense, realistic threat environment that maximizes training value while significantly reducing operational costs. This gives USPACOM Commander Adm. Samuel Paparo a true asymmetric advantage."
According to Stridiron, this groundbreaking training environment was not built in a vacuum. It was forged through a close collaboration between military innovators and commercial defense partners.
By collaborating closely with commercial developers, USPACOM and PMTEC rapidly adapt cutting-edge software and advanced networking protocols to meet the rigorous security demands of bilateral military operations. This synergy allows the joint force to deliver advanced simulator capabilities directly to the tactical edge to ensure the alliance maintains its decisive technological advantage.
“The improvements to FENIX and distributed multi-domain connectivity since Exercise Valiant Shield earlier this year have made this training more capable and more relevant for our pilots,” Ryan said. “Their feedback confirmed that the enhanced system gives us a valuable way to train with our Japanese allies in a high-fidelity scenario.”
The success of the demonstration also serves as a powerful testament to the enduring, ironclad alliance between the United States and Japan. By training as a single, cohesive team, both nations demonstrated an unprecedented level of joint integration and operational readiness.
“As the first location in theater to achieve this capability, the 35 FW is building on the work completed during KS27,” Ryan said. “We are focused on bringing additional joint and allied partners into increasingly rich scenarios for future exercises and persistent, regular training across the Pacific.”
As the lessons from KS27 are analyzed, PMTEC, USPACOM J7 planners, industry, partners and allies are already looking to the future. Plans are underway to refine line-of-sight communication quality and expand data-sharing capabilities, paving the way for larger, more complex bilateral LVC exercises across the theater. By successfully merging real and virtual skies, the U.S. and Japan have done more than prove a technical concept—they have redefined bilateral combat readiness, ensuring both nations can operate as a seamless, unified force in any domain.
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