Air Force flight training experts eye Google Cloud to power new aircraft flight simulation and training

Virtual system functions even with commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) equipment like a gaming chair and joystick that works with the software.

The technology, acquired by the U.S. Defense Innovation Unit in Cambridge, Mass., offers a relatively cheap and scalable cloud computing-based training interface that can support several types of aircraft simulations.

The Joint Immersive Training System (JITS) has a consistent interface for several types of planes the Air Force trains on, as opposed to one-off systems that model specific planes.

Pilot training and flight simulation have become critical issues for the Air Force