Synthetic environments will become increasingly important to the military in the future. The capability to optimally blend virtual, constructive and real environments will become crucial not just for aircrew training, but for other military uses (e.g, test and evaluation, research and development, prototyping, tactics validation). Technical advances in networking will theoretically allow any site in the world to be linked into world-wide synthetic environments. Individuals and components from the Joint Chiefs of Staff down to the individual warrior will be able to access these environments. Senior leaders will interact through synthetic environments in much the same way they currently interact with theater and battlefield level assets during war. Therefore, this paper does not focus on issues related to franchising upper echelon users of synthetic environments. This paper expresses recommendations and considerations about what will be required to franchise aircrews at the lower end of the hierarchy.

In the zeal to create and use synthetic environments, operating concepts, access tools and aircrew training requirements may be over-looked. Aircrews already voice the concern that they are merely "training aids" for senior leaders in large-scale exercises. The problem stems from aircrews not being allowed to function as they would in combat. This paper describes concerns, recommendations and access tools that should be considered to make sure that aircrews are properly franchised in the use of synthetic environments.