Historically, flight training has focused on creating pilots who can master the ability to handle a variety of environmental, human, and technological risks to complete pre-planned missions. Yet, as technology advances have become shared across both allied and adversarial forces, the contested fight is being realized. To be specific, the additional skills and competencies needed to be effective in the future fight are categorically different than the primarily flight-focused skills previously required. Accordingly, the USAF has created the opportunity for instructors to define readiness independently, differing from the Ready Aircrew Program (RAP) Task Messaging historical requirements. While this is a first step to recognizing that current metrics and matrices are not representative of all the nuances of the skills required for aircrew readiness, there needs to be a definition and associated assessment method that targets these new, and more complex, competencies.

In response, the USAF completed a learning engineering study for one airframe to determine how to modernize learning practices and inform technology requirements. Subjective data was gathered to first understand the competencies needed to be ready for the “Night One” future fight. Second, these findings were translated into a five-stage model of development which was then used to create an updated set of learning goals and metrics that can influence training content, pathways, and technology procurement decisions. This paper will provide an example for how to modernize training for the contested fight. It will focus on determining when and how to use live-fly or simulation-based training as well as what devices, environments, and other training elements are needed from industry.