FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Michelene K. St. Amand
MÄK Technologies
P: 617.876.8085 x144
F: 617.876.9208
mstamand@mak.com
MÄK TECHNOLOGIES WINS CONTRACT TO DEVELOP JFACC TRAINER FOR AIR FORCE
MÄK Works With Klein Associates to Create Desktop Trainer
CAMBRIDGE, Mass., June 21, 2005 ―MÄK Technologies, the world’s leading supplier of distributed simulation software, has been awarded a Phase II SBIR (Small Business Innovation Research) contract to develop a prototype web based training simulation environment for the Joint Force Air Component Command (JFACC) and Air Operations Center’s (AOC) senior leaders. The trainer, "JFACC ACE", will improve cognitive readiness by teaching trainees how to better think, visualize, and make decisions.
JFACC ACE will be unique because it will employ a non-traditional simulation approach. The trainer will focus on the JFACC᾿s specific responsibilities including the personal involvement and interactions of the JFACC with his staff subordinate commanders, other component commandeers, the JFC and coalition partners. Although the primary focus will be how the JFACC personally contributes to the success of the air campaign, a variety of related cognitive tasks and prioritization challenges will be exposed to trainees using JFACC Ace.
"This award not only demonstrates the Air Force’s satisfaction with MAK’s existing low-overhead desktop trainers," said Warren Katz, MÄK’s chief operating officer, "But it is yet another step away from the legacy model of expensive, heavyweight, labor-intensive simulation centers, and towards the new trend in inexpensive, deployable, individual, lightweight, game-like, personal training devices."
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MÄK WINS JFACC ACE CONTRACT
This Phase II contract builds on MÄK’s Phase I award and the company᾿s development of a time sensitive targeting trainer (TST) called "Quickstrike". Quickstrike is being developed under a separate Phase II SBIR contract also for the Air Force Research Lab (AFRL) at Wright Patterson Air Force Base and the Mesa Research Site. Jim Lunsford, program leader for MÄK’s work on both projects, was recently recognized for his contribution and excellence in helping AFRL fill the need for effective and efficient AOC training.
MÄK is working with a subcontractor on the trainer - Klein Associates . Klein Associates will complete a JFACC cognitive task analysis based upon interviews with experienced senior JFACC and AOC staff personnel.
MÄK’s military tactical trainers provide an affordable, low-overhead, PC-based solution for staff and tactics training. MÄK trainers allow students to explore current and future combat operations, practice tactical decision-making and better understand the impact of logistics support on tactical operations. Students are immersed in realistic wartime scenarios, giving them the opportunity to plan the battle, fight the battle, and evaluate battle decision-making.
Training exercises conducted using these low-cost trainers serve as an effective preparatory method to maximize live training experience in the field. MÄK trainers are used to enhance and augment the training effectiveness of traditional leadership courses. After completing a conventional lesson, students can practice battle planning then jump into an interactive simulation of the battle, applying their knowledge in an engaging, practical exercise. An After-Action-Review component allows instructors to review and critique a student’s performance.
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MÄK WINS JFACC ACE CONTRACT
About MÄK Technologies
MÄK Technologies develops software to link, simulate and visualize the virtual world. We create tools and toolkits for distributed simulations, develop PC-based military tactical trainers, craft custom solutions, and research and develop the latest simulation technologies. We build commercial off the shelf simulation software that is flexible, portable and supported. Whether you choose our best-selling networking toolkit, VR-Link or our computer generated forces toolkit, VR-Forces, you have purchased a product backed by the industrys leading distributed simulation experts. Our worldwide customers include ITT Industries, Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, Tenix, Dassault and BAE. Please call 617.876.8085 or visit www.mak.com for more information.
