A ‘revolutionary’ new system that will allow Royal Air Force mission planners to integrate real and virtual technologies to direct the RAF’s future Typhoon frontline fleet, Sceptre from BAE Systems “draws on huge amounts of command and control information to plan and deliver a successful mission and present this in a simple and actionable way”.

The system combines three-dimensional in-cockpit views, the representation of digital aeronautical flight information, potential hazards and conflict detection with real-time weather information, an intelligence picture and fast-jet performance data.

Moreover, it is a modular application that can be used on a variety of devices, including tablets, personal computers and interactive touch tables used for mission briefing and de-briefing.

Louise Aiken, head of mission planning programmes at BAE Systems (www.baesystems.com), said: “We have worked with pilots and our customers to create a highly intuitive system in Sceptre, one that delivers a wealth of information in a simple actionable way that has not been possible before.

“In today’s world, pilots do not have time to decipher multiple pages of information. Sceptre gives them information in a clear way to allow them to focus on the mission.

“By getting information to them quickly, accurately and clearly, Sceptre allows them to make more-informed decisions. We are constantly looking at new ways to exploit technology to develop our products and capabilities, and Sceptre is a great example of how we’re taking these technologies onto the frontline.”