Red 6 will support the continued integration of the Advanced Tactical Augmented Reality System (ATARS) into the T-38 Talon. In picture, a T-38 Talon over Edwards AFB. Credit: US Department of Defense/ commons.wikimedia.org.

Red 6 has secured an additional contract to support the continued integration of the Advanced Tactical Augmented Reality System (ATARS) into the US Air Force (USAF) T-38 Talon.

The contract has been awarded from Tactical Funding Increase (TACFI), an implementation of the USAF SBIR/STTR Supplemental Funding Pilot Program.

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

Red 6-developed ATARS allows pilots to train in real aircraft against and interact with synthetically generated entities in the sky.

This solution enables users to undergo complex training, including air-to-air refuelling, formation flying and air combat manoeuvring.

Red 6 founder and CEO Daniel Robinson said: “Red 6 is ushering in a new era of training, and with the support of the USAF, we aim to deliver an extraordinary increase to readiness, proficiency, training capacity, and capability.”

The 2018 US National Defence Strategy recognised the need to establish the US ‘National Security Innovation Base’ involving dual-use technologies.

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

According to Red 6, the objectives entailed strong partnerships between USAF end-users, USAF acquisition professionals, and the private-sector portion of the National Security Innovation Base.

The TACFI pilot programme was designed to expedite the partnerships and bridge the competence gap between current SBIR/STTR efforts.

19th Air Force Commander Major General Craig Wills said: “Continued transformation of our pilot training system is vital to the Air Force’s future. We’re excited to see continued investment in this arena.”  

Red 6 now intends to integrate into the T-45, followed by fourth-generation aircraft such as the F-16 and F-15E.

Last August, Red 6 won a $70m five-year contract from the USAF for an augmented reality system.

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