Since its delivery to the Royal Air Force (RAF) in early 2023, the synthetic and collective training system Gladiator - designed and developed by Boeing Defence UK for the UK MoD owner - has continued to evolve through a series of integrations and capability enhancements.
Built on UK intellectual property and developed for the RAF, the system has been subject to sustained investment from the Boeing Defence UK team to ensure it meets current training requirements while continuing to develop in step with the RAF’s future needs.
What is Gladiator?
Gladiator uses advanced technology to deliver multi-layered, distributed synthetic collective training in a safe, secure and resilient environment for maritime, land and air forces operating across all domains.
The system marks a significant step forward for UK collective training, enabling crews and ground forces from the three services, alongside allies and partners, to conduct high-end peer-on-peer training in a secure and sustainable setting while generating simulated combat mass.
Capability development and new integrations
The Air domain is already in use with Gladiator, and the system has successfully integrated F-35 simulators and Rivet Joint.
Land and Maritime domains are currently in development, while the core Space capability is expected to be enhanced in the future.
The team has supported the RAF through a series of capability concept demonstrations, which include Shadow and Ground-Based Air Defence (GBAD), aimed at showcasing how Gladiator, alongside Boeing Defence UK more broadly, can assist the UK Ministry of Defence in meeting key user requirements.
Thom Breckenridge, Managing Director of Boeing Defence UK, said the system is helping to transform the way the RAF trains:
“Gladiator is helping to redefine what effective military training looks like for the RAF. By combining live and synthetic environments, we’re giving users the ability to train at greater scale, with more realism, and in a way that is secure, sustainable and cost-effective. The system’s spiralling development means we can continue to evolve capability in step with the customer’s needs, while delivering real operational advantage today.”
Boeing Defence UK and BAE Systems’ Synthetic Digital team recently demonstrated Gladiator’s capability at RAF Spadeadam, in Cumbria, using the open-source version, known as Arena, alongside a real Typhoon.
The demonstration showed how live and virtual training can work together in practice. During the event, the Typhoon flew while a real emitter on a hill simulated a threat environment, allowing the aircraft and the synthetic system to interact. The exercise demonstrated how the system can be used in the electromagnetic spectrum to replicate effects such as GPS jamming; capabilities that cannot be exercised safely in live training.
Alongside these integrations and developments, Gladiator continues to support the Air Battlespace Training Centre’s training schedule. Most recently, Gladiator participated in exercises including TITAN DRAGON, LUDUS DAGGER and ATHENA WARRIOR.
"Gladiator represents a transformative step in how the RAF approaches collective training. Working with our industry partners, the Whole Force and international allies and partners, it delivers scalable, realistic, and secure training that enhances operational readiness while reducing costs and environmental impact. This capability ensures we maintain air dominance and adapt to evolving threats effectively enabling our front-line crews to be ready to Fly, Fight and Win.” – Gp Captain Paul, Senior Responsible Owner (SRO) MUSTANG and Gladiator.
Benefits of collective training for the UK
For the RAF and wider UK defence, synthetic collective training offers a number of advantages over traditional live training, which can be costly, restrictive and limited by access to airspace and equipment.
Gladiator supports:
- Generating simulated combat mass
- Fifth-generation training and operational security
- Building and maintaining air dominance skills
- Improved value for money and reduced platform lifecycle impact
- Reduced airspace use and environmental impact
- Greater data capture and analytics
Gladiator is helping to reshape collective training for the RAF, providing a more flexible, scalable and realistic way to prepare for the challenges of modern operations.