TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. -- Shovels overturned the first piles of dirt during a groundbreaking ceremony for a new 552nd Air Control Wing Consolidated Simulator Building August 16, 2019 on Tinker Air Force Base.
This ground breaking ceremony is in response to Congress mandating all Department of Defense simulations being located on government owned property.
The CSB will house three different training sims: the Diminishing Manufacture Source Replacement of Avionics for Global Operations and Navigation, or DRAGON program, E-3 Mission sims, and Command and Reporting Center Mission sims.
“The consolidated SIM building allows the 552nd Air Control Wing to enter the 21st Century by combining simulators from all platforms in this unique organization in one place, ultimately increasing information cross-flow, integration, innovation, and readiness.” said Col. Keven Coyle, 552nd Air Control Wing vice wing commander. “Our charge is to bring the future faster to our forces and this consolidated sim building allows us to balance that immediate need, with the flexibility to expand warfighting capabilities for years to come.”
The facility will contain approximately 50,000 square feet in a two-story structure. It will also have top secret/sensitive compartment information facilities accreditations with Special Access Program areas.
Having all three sims interconnected allows for the flight deck and mission aircrew to execute training scenarios similar to what might be seen during flight such as pilots practicing mid-air refueling while CRC operators are able to practice combat scenarios.
The ground breaking included Col. Keven Coyle, 552nd ACW vice wing commander, Lee Conley and Daniel DeRobles, representing the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Tulsa District, Ron Reineke,552nd ACW Wing Requirements, and Don Reynolds, 552nd ACW Civil Engineering.
The predicted completion date for this project is March 2021.