In Augmented Reality News
August 5, 2025 – Red 6, an augmented reality (AR) technology firm that provides applications for military air combat training, has recently announced a new partnership with Northrop Grumman to integrate its Advanced Tactical Augmented Reality System (ATARS) into Beacon, Northrop Grumman’s next-generation open-access testbed for autonomous systems.
The collaboration will focus on equipping the Beacon platform with ATARS, which creates realistic outdoor simulations for fighter pilots that mimic advanced military threats, and can be deployed quickly across a wide range of training exercises.
The system aims to improve safety, ease airspace limitations, enable next-generation aircraft training, and offer environmental benefits. Red 6 stated that ATARS is already in use by pilots and supports some of the USAF’s most sophisticated training scenarios, including for both crewed and uncrewed formations.
“The Beacon program represents the future of autonomous mission development, and we’re excited to contribute Red 6’s innovative augmented reality capabilities to this groundbreaking initiative,” said Daniel Robinson, Founder and CEO of Red 6. “Our partnership with Northrop Grumman will accelerate the integration of these proven capabilities into the autonomous systems that will define the future of collaborative combat operations.”
Beacon provides an integrated environment that simulates real mission scenarios, enabling third-party partners to test autonomous systems alongside Northrop Grumman’s flight software. The platform brings together tools from across the industry, giving partners the opportunity to demonstrate and scale their technologies while accelerating the development of autonomous capabilities.
Tom Jones, corporate vice president and president, Aeronautics Systems at Northrop Grumman, commented “Beacon is about collaboration across industry between companies of all sizes and expertise. By providing open access to the Beacon ecosystem, we’re enhancing the innovation, new competition and ultimately the autonomous capabilities that industry can deliver to our customers – with unmatched speed and at scale.”
To learn more about Red 6 and its AR pilot training solutions, click here. To learn more Northrop Grumman’s Beacon platform, click here.
Image credit: Red 6 / Northrop Grumman
About the author
Sam is the Founder and Managing Editor of Auganix. With a background in research and report writing, he has been covering XR industry news for the past seven years.