The Navy is buying a new way to test avionics without flying actual planes

The US Navy is buying a system that simulates how new avionics equipment works on different aircraft. This means they can test new navigation and communication gear without putting it on a real plane and flying it.

Testing new aircraft systems usually means installing them on a physical plane and running expensive, time-consuming flight tests. This new emulator allows engineers to test complex interactions between different systems in a lab. It speeds up development and reduces the cost and risk of integrating new technology into naval aircraft.