MiDAS – Simulating and better understanding aerial combat with precision

Imagine being able to replay an aerial combat scenario like a three-dimensional game of chess with a perfect memory: reconstructing and analysing every action, and evaluating every decision and its consequences. This is exactly what IABG’s ‘Mission Display and Analysis System’ (MiDAS) enables. MiDAS also supports ‘what-if’ analyses by allowing the actions of exercise participants – such as weapon engagements or electronic warfare measures – to be entered retrospectively.

Particularly in aerial combat, where fractions of a second can mean the difference between victory and defeat, MiDAS provides a decisive advantage by enabling users to debrief and analyse their missions using all relevant data. It combines the real world with virtual elements such as weapon effects, electronic warfare and decoys. In training scenarios, it is possible to integrate simulated adversaries into the combat situation and present them within a realistic threat environment. This blend of reality and simulation creates a training environment that is as realistic and safe as possible. Furthermore, this optimised use of resources enables immense cost savings. A particular capability of MiDAS is the simulation of guided missiles to evaluate simulated weapon engagements carried out during a training mission. This significantly enhances the quality of the training.

Interface for all relevant data

MiDAS processes the information and data from all participating systems, whether flight data, videos or radio communications. The software links the various data streams, making MiDAS the connecting tool, for example, for international exercises. In the past, differing data formats or closed systems presented an insurmountable hurdle, meaning that exercise partners were only able to carry out limited analyses.

MiDAS provides an overview through playable video sequences, statistics and relevant information. With the help of our analyses, concrete exercise results are derived from abstract data sets. Additionally, this enables the simulation of alternative scenarios to demonstrate to pilots well-founded decision options that could have been utilised during the exercise. 

Pilots can review their flights down to the smallest detail, planners can develop new strategies, and instructors can make targeted suggestions for improvement. Particularly impressive: even complex weapon systems such as integrated air defence can be simulated, taking the realism of the exercises to a new level. With optional accessories, even civilian aircraft can be integrated into the simulation, thereby enabling more cost-effective target representation. Furthermore, MIDAS provides a complete live view of the exercise, in which hit participants can be immediately removed from the exercise (instant kill removal).

Learning in retrospect and in real time

The mission debriefing is usually the most educational part of an exercise. MiDAS transforms the traditional debriefing into an interactive experience in which every metre flown, every manoeuvre and every decision can be scrutinised. The pilot experiences their own actions from different perspectives. MiDAS provides clarity – particularly in aviation, where the flood of information in the cockpit can also lead to uncertainty. It clearly demonstrates what is possible and helps decision-makers act on a well-founded basis.

Thanks to its wide range of applications and the efficiency gains it delivers, MiDAS is already an indispensable tool in various military operations. The German Air Force uses the tool as standard software for Eurofighter mission debriefings. Over the past 14 years, the software has supported numerous international exercises such as Air Defender 2023 and Tigermeet 2024.  

MiDAS is more than just a debriefing tool – it modernises military and aviation training and sets new standards in preparing air forces for the challenges of the 21st century.