Drone Training Gets Real: What the CymLITE-FPV Module Means for Defence Readiness
CymSTAR’s CymLITE-FPV offers NATO forces advanced simulation for FPV drone operator training, enhancing multi-domain readiness and operational realism
At this year’s Paris Air Show, CymSTAR unveiled a tool that addresses a growing challenge for military commanders: training FPV drone operators for actual combat scenarios rather than isolated flying exercises. The CymLITE-FPV module lets drone operators work alongside pilots of manned aircraft, ground vehicle crews and command posts in shared virtual environments.
FPV drones demand different training than traditional unmanned systems. Operators must manage multiple feed sources, coordinate with friendly forces and adapt to rapidly changing tactical situations. Standard flight simulators cannot replicate the complexity of modern multi-domain operations where a single mission involves air, ground and cyber elements working together.
Why Training Needs to Reflect Reality
NATO forces increasingly need operators who can function across domains. Recent conflicts have demonstrated that drone operations rarely occur in isolation – they form part of larger tactical pictures involving manned aircraft, ground forces and electronic warfare systems. Military simulation research shows that multi-domain training reduces costs by over 50% compared to live exercises whilst improving operator readiness.
CymLITE-FPV goes beyond standard drone simulators by embedding unmanned operations within larger scenarios. Operators train for ISR missions whilst coordinating with reconnaissance aircraft overhead, practice swarm tactics whilst managing airspace deconfliction with friendly helicopters, and rehearse strike missions integrated with ground force movements. This approach reflects how FPV drones actually operate in combat environments.
The system uses the Mission Combat Simulator platform, which provides high-fidelity terrain modelling, urban clutter effects and environmental conditions that affect drone performance. This creates training opportunities that would be impossible or prohibitively expensive to replicate with live aircraft.
How the Technology Works
The system operates through Distributed Interactive Simulation (DIS) protocol, a standard used by NATO and allied forces for networked training environments. DIS enables real-time communication between different simulation systems, allowing drone operators in one location to train with tank crews in another facility and fighter pilots in a third location.
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