Boeing Delivers New Synthetic Training System for the Royal Air Force

• Boeing has spent £24 million with UK supply chain developing the new, leading-edge, UK-developed capability
• Gladiator will leverage latest technologies to deliver multi-layered complex training in a safe, secure and resilient synthetic environment for Maritime, Land and Air Forces

RAF Waddington, Lincolnshire,  February 14, 2023 - Boeing [NYSE: BA] and the Chief of the Air Staff, Sir Mike Wigston KCB CBE ADC, have opened Gladiator, a new synthetic training environment for the Royal Air Force (RAF) based at the Air Battlespace Training Centre at RAF Waddington.

The leading-edge system will complement combat training in a live environment, build live training exercises in a virtual world, and support complex training scenarios, both simultaneously and independently of each other.

“Gladiator represents a step-change in capability for the UK, allowing crews and ground forces from all three services, along with the UK’s allies and partners, to train in a secure and seamless virtual environment,”said Steve Burnell, managing director, Boeing Defence UK. “In partnership with our UK technology suppliers, we have delivered an open source solution that meets the RAF’s current and future training needs.”

The Chief of the Air Staff, added: “Gladiator will enable our forces to trial, test, and practise their tactics in a secure environment, linked across all operational domains. It is an invaluable training tool for the next generation of warfighters across air, space, land, cyber and sea.”

Boeing Defence UK (BDUK) led the design, development, and build of the Gladiator Core Systems and & Services (GCS&S) element of the programme, adopting digital design principles, including agile software development and an open systems architecture, by integrating commercial off the shelf (COTS) products.

The newly developed sovereign capability has created over 50 highly skilled jobs in the UK, with more than half based at a new facility at RAF Waddington where the equipment has been installed. BDUK has also leveraged its extensive supply chain network to partner with 14 SMEs and technology providers from across the UK to deliver the new capability, spending over £24 million with the local supply chain.

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Notes to Editors

The technology partners from Boeing’s UK supply chain network include ST Engineering Antycip, Boxxe, BSI, Clearvision, Exacta Technologies, HPE, Memory Express, Pitch, Reality Modelling, Sapphire, Softcat, Visavvi, Waymont, WhiteSpider.

Calytrix Technologies from Australia, CogSim Technologies from Canada and Pelican Ventures Inc. from the United States have also been selected by Boeing to join the UK based suppliers on the Gladiator programme.

About Boeing in the United Kingdom

As a leading global aerospace company, Boeing develops, manufactures and services commercial airplanes, defence products and space systems for customers in more than 150 countries. The company leverages the talents of a global supplier base to advance economic opportunity, sustainability and community impact. Boeing employs a highly skilled workforce of over 3,000 people across the country and spends £2 billion a year in the UK supply chain. For more information, visit www.boeing.co.uk or follow us on Twitter @BoeingUK.