Aerial view of Nellis Air Force Base taken in 2014. Credit: Ken Lund from Reno, Nevada, USA.

The US Air Force has announced the inauguration of the new Virtual Test and Training Center (VTTC) at Nellis Air Force Base (AFB).

With the opening, the Nellis AFB moved a step closer to improve its technology and house the future of joint-aerial combat training.

Go deeper with GlobalData

Go deeper with GlobalData

The gold standard of business intelligence.

Find out more

Discover B2B Marketing That Performs

Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.

Find out more

The training centre will allow pilots to train in live and virtual environments simultaneously.

This is expected to provide a realistic and effective training session while reducing the limitations of physical range.

US Air Force Warfare Center operational training and test infrastructure analyst Peter Zupas said: “It’s a significant step forward to enable testing tactics development and advanced training for the airforce, joint and coalition partners.”

The first missions at the VTTC are expected to commence next year.

GlobalData Strategic Intelligence

US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate?

Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis.

By GlobalData

USAFWC VTTC director Col Dean Caldwell added: “In the next year or so we will officially have it up and running.

“The VTTC will then be turned into a squadron and be placed under the Nevada Test and Training Range.”

The centre will feature capabilities such as platform-specific counterterrorism and live-fire exercises, which will incorporate the multi-domain and near-peer threats in the air, space and cyber domains.

Zupas added: “The VTTC is a great complimentary piece to live-fly sorties. It will allow personnel to increase the number of sorties that otherwise wouldn’t be regularly available to them in live fly. However, simulators are no substitute for live-fly operations.”

The centre is expected to increase the lethality of troops for generations to come.

Airforce Technology Excellence Awards - Nominations Closed

Nominations are now closed for the Airforce Technology Excellence Awards. A big thanks to all the organisations that entered – your response has been outstanding, showcasing exceptional innovation, leadership, and impact.


Excellence in Action
Discover how Virtualitics is transforming mission readiness with explainable AI, predictive maintenance, and data-driven decision intelligence across the U.S. Department of Defense through its AI-powered Integrated Readiness Optimization suite, for which it has won the Innovation and Business Expansion awards.

Discover the Impact