Autonomous Air Combat Manoeuvring Instrumentation

Autonomous Air Combat Manoeuvring Instrumentation (AACMI), second-generation GPS-based ACMI systems, see below.

ACMI can stand for Air Combat Manoeuvring Instrumentation, or Aircraft, Crew, Maintenance and Insurance. Also for Australian Centre for the Moving Image, for which there is a separate entry.

* Air Combat Manoeuvring Instrumentation. This refers to an instrumented Air Combat range and the aircraft equipment needed to use the range. First-generation ACMI systems used ground radars to track and record the position of the aircraft on the range.

* Later systems use aircraft-mounted satellite navigation systems such as the US NAVSTAR GPS system. Recording of aircraft tracks can therefore be independent of ground-based radar, and are sometimes called `range-less' or Autonomous ACMI systems (AACMI).

* Radio transmissions from the aircraft report its position in three dimensions to other aircraft on the range and also to ground control. This enables real-time air-to-air exercises to be carried out and also complex ground de-briefs (After-Action Review or AAR) based on data recorded at the time. Such de-briefs involve the use of modern graphics and display techniques that can bring out training and other points to aircrew and ground staff.