# Airwaves

Source: https://www.gaz.dev/work/airwaves

I worked on Airwaves at Babcock: a fully bespoke, 20-player simulation used by the Royal Navy for war-gaming exercises at Royal Naval Air Station Yeovilton.

## Project facts

- Client: Babcock · Royal Navy
- Location: RNAS Yeovilton, Somerset
- Format: 20-player multiplayer simulation
- My contribution: Bespoke simulation software

## The training environment

Airwaves worked like a multiplayer game built for training. Twenty participants could take part in a shared simulated environment, allowing the Royal Navy to run war-gaming exercises.

The application had different views for instructors, pilots, students and spectators.

## The engineering

The software was fully bespoke, bringing together radar simulation, aircraft simulation and aircraft physics. Those systems were part of the same multiplayer training environment.

It was part of my work at Babcock developing software for the Royal Navy, where understanding the operational setting mattered alongside the engineering.

## Designing a shared simulation

My surviving design notes explore which settings belonged to the shared simulation and which belonged to an individual view. They cover aircraft and radar configuration, per-player radio controls, and the relationship between shared objects and their local views.

The notes also work through the client/server lifecycle: connecting a player, creating an exercise, adding entities and starting the simulation. They consider running it for a fixed number of frames during testing, so behaviour could be examined in controlled steps.

## Technology stack

- **C# · .NET Framework**: The bespoke simulation, shared domain model and server.
- **WPF**: The Windows training consoles and radar interface.
- **Topshelf**: Hosting the simulation server as a Windows service.


## Images

![A row of Airwaves training stations, each with a blue radar display, supporting screen, keyboard and chair.](https://www.gaz.dev/assets/clients/airwaves-training-room.jpeg)

The Airwaves training room, with radar displays and supporting screens at each station. Photograph from my project archive.

![Participants wearing headsets at Airwaves simulator stations, with radar tracks visible on their screens.](https://www.gaz.dev/assets/clients/airwaves-simulator-in-use.jpeg)

Airwaves in use: participants working at separate simulator stations with headsets and radar displays.

![A participant operating an Airwaves console with a circular radar display and a separate touch-screen control panel.](https://www.gaz.dev/assets/clients/airwaves-radar-console.jpeg)

A closer view of the radar interface and the separate control screen at an Airwaves station.


[Work with Gary](https://www.gaz.dev/hire-me)