Aero Simulation

What Aero Simulation does

Aero Simulation, Inc. (ASI) is a Tampa, Florida-based defense contractor founded in 1983 by Joe Fernandez that designs, manufactures, and sustains flight simulation training devices and related services for the U.S. military and allied nations. The company's core technology platform is RASTER, a modular open architecture that enables rapid reconfiguration of a single cockpit across multiple aircraft platforms. ASI builds full-flight simulators (FFS), flight training devices (FTDs), radar aircrew training devices (RATDs), maintenance training devices, ship simulators, and live-virtual-constructive (LVC) / distributed-mission-operation (DMO) systems, supported by nine U.S. locations and a workforce of nearly 300. A 30-year continuous sustainment relationship with the U.S. Coast Guard (IMOMS) anchors the installed base of 500+ supported training devices.

ASI's product portfolio includes the ATLAS software suite, which automates FAA Part-60 objective testing for simulator aerodynamic qualification; the Transport Delay Test Kit; Extended Reality (XR) training devices built on Varjo XR-4 hardware; and the MH-60T Reconfigurable Flight Training Device (RFTD) launched in June 2025 with mixed-reality capabilities. The company sells primarily to the U.S. Air Force, Navy, Coast Guard, and Marine Corps, with foreign military customers in Japan, France, and South Korea. Technology integrations are sourced from partners including Aechelon Technology (image generators), RealTimeAeroTech, and Varjo.

The business model is built on long-cycle government contracting. Recent prime awards include a $202M-ceiling joint-venture contract with BGI LLC (NSST, April 2024) for U.S. Navy strike-fighter training and a $100M-ceiling single-award ID/IQ (TD III, April 2025) for Air Force C-17 sustainment, layered on top of multi-decade USCG IMOMS sustainment. Revenue mechanics combine prime contracts, subcontracts, hardware sales, and recurring sustainment services. In 2023, ASI completed its transition to 100% employee ownership through an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP).

Name

Aero Simulation

Legal name

Aero Simulation, Inc.

Website

https://aerosimulation.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Aero Simulation, Inc. is a Tampa, FL-based defense contractor founded in 1983 that designs flight simulators, reconfigurable training devices, and sustainment services for the U.S. military and allied nations. The employee-owned firm employs nearly 300 professionals across nine U.S. locations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Flight Simulation Systems

NAICS

Search, Detection, Navigation, Guidance, Aeronautical, and Nautical System and Instrument Manufacturing (334511), Other Aircraft Parts and Auxiliary Equipment Manufacturing (336413), Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing (33641)

SIC

Search, Detection, Navagation, Guidance, Aeronautical Sys (3812), Aircraft Parts & Auxiliary Equipment, Nec (3728), Aircraft & Parts (3720)

akta.pro primary industry

Avionics Test, Simulation & Calibration Equipment (IMABAFAN)

Keywords

• Flight simulation systems
• Defense training devices
• Flight training simulators
• Maritime training systems
• Distributed mission operations

Headquarters

HQ city

Tampa

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Government Defense Contracts: ASI generates revenue primarily through U.S. government defense contracts including ID/IQ contracts, single-award contracts, and sustainment contracts. Major contracts include TD III ($100M ceiling), NSST ($202M ceiling), and various Air Force, Navy, and Coast Guard training system contracts.
2. Training Device Sales and Modification: Design, development, and delivery of new training systems including flight simulators, maintenance trainers, and reconfigurable training devices. Includes modification and upgrade services for existing training devices.
3. ATLAS Software Licensing: COTS software product for flight simulation testing, sold with validation dongle containing license key.
4. Transport Delay Test Kit Sales: Hardware and software test kit product sold for simulator latency measurement.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Aero Simulation designs, develops, manufactures, and sustains high-fidelity flight simulators, flight training devices, reconfigurable training devices, ship/maritime trainers, and maintenance training systems for U.S. and allied military customers. Its portfolio is anchored by the proprietary RASTER modular open-architecture system, with supporting products including the ATLAS flight-dynamics test software and a transport delay test kit. The company also delivers long-term sustainment services such as the IMOMS program for the U.S. Coast Guard.

Product overview

Aero Simulation, Inc. (ASI) provides revolutionary training and simulation systems for defense and security applications. The company offers a comprehensive portfolio of training solutions including Full Flight Simulators (FFS), Flight Training Devices (FTD), Reconfigurable Aircrew Training Devices (RATD), and Reconfigurable Architecture for Simulation Training, Engineering, and Rehearsal (RASTER). Supporting products include the Automated Test Lab for Aerodynamic Systems (ATLAS) for testing simulator flight dynamics, Transport Delay Test Kits for validating simulator latency, Extended Reality Devices (VR/AR/MR), Ship Simulators, and Maintenance Training Devices. The company delivers all-domain training solutions spanning air, sea, land, space, and cyberspace domains through Live, Virtual, Constructive (LVC) and Distributed Mission Operations (DMO) environments. ASI also provides sustainment services including the IMOMS program for US Coast Guard training devices. Founded in 1983 and headquartered in Tampa, FL, ASI is a 100% employee-owned company with nearly 300 employees supporting the US Military, Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security, and international allies including Japan, France, and South Korea.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Full Flight Simulators (FFS) Top-tier flight training simulators providing dependable, cost-effective, and immersive training in high-fidelity environments with economical life-cycle costs, recognized by FAA, EASA, and CASA for allowing training hours to be logged as actual flight time. Targeted at U.S. military and international military aircrew training programs.
• Flight Training Devices (FTD) Training devices that synthetically provide aircrew with aircraft flight and flight environmental cues, replicating flight equations and behaviors matched against aircraft responses and environmental factors. Used by military and commercial aircrew training programs.
• Reconfigurable Aircrew Training Device (RATD) Versatile, portable training devices that incorporate approved Level D type Operational Flight Training software and actual aircraft controls, providing the look and feel of an Operational Flight Trainer at a fraction of the cost. Designed for military aircrew training programs requiring reconfigurable platforms.
• RASTER (Reconfigurable Architecture for Simulation Training, Engineering, and Rehearsal) Proprietary modular, open-architecture system that brings commonality to various mission platforms and devices, reducing lifecycle costs, simplifying platform concurrency, and ensuring seamless system upgrades by integrating actual platform OFPs with minimal modifications on COTS hardware.
• ATLAS (Automated Test Lab for Aerodynamic Systems) Modular COTS software solution designed to test and optimize flight dynamics and engine performance of flight training devices with intuitive graphical interface, supporting FAA Part-60 Level-D compliance. Sold under a one-time / perpetual license with optional validation dongle containing license key.
• Transport Delay Test Kit Intuitive test kit that measures transport delay (latency) of flight trainers between pilot input and pilot cueing outputs, usable on various simulator types with configurable sampling rate and exportable results. Sold as a unit-priced hardware/software product.
• Ship Simulators (Navigation, Seamanship, and Shiphandling Trainers / NSST) Maritime simulation systems including Navigation, Seamanship, and Shiphandling Trainers (NSST) for naval training across multiple fleet locations, delivered under the $202M NSST ID/IQ contract with the U.S. Navy via the BGI-ASI Joint Venture.
• Maintenance Training Devices Training systems for maintenance personnel, including MH-60 Composite Maintenance Trainer and fire fighter trainers, designed to build hands-on maintenance skills for military applications.
• Extended Reality Devices VR/AR/MR training devices providing immersive simulation experiences, including mixed reality crew trainers, integrated with partners such as Aechelon (image generators), RealTime AeroTech (BOSS/RTWS), and Varjo (XR-4 headsets) for high-fidelity pilot training.
• MH-60T Reconfigurable Flight Training Device (RFTD) with Mixed Reality Capabilities Advanced immersive reconfigurable flight training solution for MH-60T aircrew featuring Aechelon high-definition image generator integrated with a Global Commercial Database, RealTime AeroTech Brownout Simulation Server (BOSS) and Real-Time Wind Server (RTWS), and Varjo XR-4 mixed reality headsets for ultra-wide field-of-view, high-clarity immersive training. Designed for U.S. Coast Guard Aviation Training Center pilot training.
• IMOMS (Integrated Maintenance, Operation and Modification Support) Program Comprehensive sustainment service program providing operations, maintenance, supply management, in-service engineering, and modifications for U.S. Coast Guard Aviation Training Center training devices; has maintained greater than 95% availability on training devices since initial award in 1999.

Quantifiable outcome

• Greater than 95% availability maintained on IMOMS contract training devices
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered major and core.

• Aechelon TechnologymajorTechnology or Integration · 9 June 2025Partnered with ASI to equip MH-60T RFTD with Aechelon's latest high-definition image generator (IG) integrated with Global Commercial Database, offering unparalleled visual realism and fidelity for Coast Guard pilot training.
• RealTime AeroTechmajorTechnology or Integration · 9 June 2025Partnered to provide Brownout Simulation Server (BOSS) and Real-Time Wind Server (RTWS) for MH-60T RFTD. BOSS improves visualization of Degraded Visual Environments; RTWS provides wind model data for shipboard operations and low-level flight scenarios.
• VarjomajorTechnology or Integration · 9 June 2025Partnered to equip MH-60T RFTD with Varjo XR-4 mixed reality headsets featuring ultra-wide field of view and industry-leading clarity for immersive visual field during pilot training.
• BGI LLCcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 April 2024BGI-ASI Joint Venture formed specifically for NSST contract worth $202M ceiling over five years. Joint venture awarded single-award ID/IQ contract to develop next generation of Integrated Navigation, Seamanship, and Shiphandling Trainers for US Navy.
• Defense Maritime Solutions (DMS)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 April 2024Part of BGI-ASI JV core team for NSST program. Provides industry-leading maritime software suite currently fielded in US DoD and DHS maritime trainers and commercial shipping maritime trainers globally.
• Dignitas TechnologiesmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 April 2024Core team member of BGI-ASI JV for NSST contract. Leader in Modeling, Simulation and Training that rounds out the NSST core team.
• Rockwell Collins Simulation and Training SystemscoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCustomer for E-2D HITS-III program. ASI performs technical refreshes and upgrades to E-2D Hawkeye training systems as subcontractor through NAWCTSD.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• CAE Inc. CAE is the global leader in civil and military flight simulation and training. It is the most direct competitor to ASI in providing Level-D flight simulators, FTDs, and full lifecycle training services to defense customers including the U.S. Navy, Air Force, and allied militaries - the same customer base ASI serves.
• FlightSafety International: FlightSafety International (a Berkshire Hathaway company) designs and manufactures full flight simulators and provides pilot training services to commercial, business, and military customers. It directly competes with ASI in high-fidelity flight simulation technology and FAA Level-D qualified devices.
• Frasca International: Frasca International is a privately-held flight simulation company producing FTDs and flight training devices for civil aviation, military, and university customers. It overlaps with ASI in the FTD and reconfigurable training device segments, particularly for fixed-wing platforms.
• TRU Simulation + Training: TRU Simulation + Training (subsidiary of Textron Aviation) designs and manufactures full flight simulators, FTDs, and maintenance training devices, particularly for military and rotorcraft platforms. It is a direct competitor to ASI in the rotorcraft and fixed-wing trainer market.

Broad incumbents

• L3Harris Technologies: L3Harris is a large defense prime with a Link Training & Simulation division that provides military flight simulators and training systems. While broader in scope, it directly competes with ASI on tactical aircraft and rotorcraft training devices for U.S. DoD and allied customers.
• Elbit Systems: Elbit Systems is a large Israeli defense electronics company with a Training and Simulation business line producing fighter, helicopter, and armored vehicle simulators. It is comparable to ASI in providing high-fidelity defense training systems and competes on international defense tenders.
• Collins Aerospace (RTX): Collins Aerospace (formerly Rockwell Collins Simulation and Training Systems) is a major aerospace prime that supplies military flight training systems and serves as both a customer of ASI (E-2D HITS-III subcontractor relationship) and a competitor on larger training programs.
• Boeing Training Systems: Boeing provides integrated military training systems as part of its broader defense portfolio, including platform-specific training for F/A-18, AH-64, and other programs. It competes with ASI on large military trainer programs and historically employed ASI's board director Duke Duquette as Director of Business Development.
• Rheinmetall (Defence): Rheinmetall Defence operates a Simulation and Training division producing live, virtual, and constructive training environments for armored, naval, and air platforms. It overlaps with ASI's LVC/DMO capabilities and reconfigurable training architecture focus.

Regional players

• Saab (Training & Simulation): Saab's Training & Simulation division provides military training solutions, including Gripen and airborne early warning training systems. It is comparable to ASI in mission scope (high-fidelity simulator design for defense) but is primarily Europe-based with different geographic focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/aerosimulation
• Facebookfacebook.com/aero-simulation-inc-209389912412360
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/aero-simulation-inc-

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Aero Simulation