Boeing, CTI join forces for military simulations

Boeing Co. has forged a teaming arrangement with a company that has broken new ground in military training with its use of simulation technologies.

Together with Los Angeles-based Creative Technologies Inc., Boeing plans to develop new training technologies for warfighters and law enforcement professionals, Boeing officials said today. The agreement combines Boeing's experience in aviation training systems with CTI's experience in game-based simulations for ground forces training, they said.

The agreement makes official a continuing relationship between the two companies centered on the Army's Future Combat System Program. The companies are partners in the Army's Fires Centers of Excellence integration effort at Fort Sill, Okla., which consolidates the Army's air defense artillery and field artillery schools.

The service has solicited ideas from Boeing about air defense and field artillery training, and a Boeing-CTI team plans to weigh in on ways to synthesize long-term training.

The partners likely will focus on mobile field artillery training for warfighters who are either deployed overseas or home between deployments. Rather than requiring the service members to travel long distances to get the training, the portable training equipment could be moved from base to base or brought to the front lines.

Boeing, of Chicago, ranks No. 2 on Washington Technology's 2008 Top 100 list of the largest federal government prime contractors.