Red 6

Red 6 is a company specializing in AR synthetic air combat training. Its Advanced Tactical Augmented Reality System (ATARS) provides an AR system that offers a realistic training environment for multiple pilots. Applications include practicing formation flying with a virtual wingman, in-flight refueling, carrier landings, dogfights, and evasion of Surface to Air Missiles (SAMs). These maneuvers are challenging, risky, and costly to practice, making Red 6's technology highly valuable for military training. According to the company, this represents the first significant shift in pilot combat training in a century. The technology allows pilots to network with other real planes in the same simulation, with all activities recorded for post-session debriefing.

The company's EVE Headset offers a 160-degree field of view (FOV), suitable for outdoor use in full daylight and high-speed environments with a peak brightness of 18,000 nits and 10 ms latency. Red 6's ARCADE system uses VR to create, brief, and debrief training environments experienced through ATARS. This system allows users to define threat environments accurately and conduct post-flight analysis. It combines biometrics, flight data, and user inputs to enhance the efficiency of de-briefing. Red 6's AR technology, combined with its AI-driven multi-player network and biometric feedback loops, can be applied across various industries, including entertainment, sports, and medicine. For instance, in the theme park industry, Red 6's technology can create customized experiences for individual customers. In sports, AR can enhance both player and viewer experiences, enabling live and virtual interactions between players and fans.

Notable achievements include the completion of its first AR training mission in June 2022, which allowed multiple pilots to communicate simultaneously in AR alongside the company’s acceptance into the Walt Disney Web3 accelerator.

Key customers and partnerships

In August 2021, Red 6 received a contract worth up to USD 70 million from the US Air Force (USAF).

Notable partnerships include that with:

- Palantir to integrate Red 6’s tech into the former’s mixed reality platform, Ontology Software Development Kit (OSDK) (March 2024)

- BAE Systems to integrate Red 6’s AR helmet into Project OdySSEy (November 2023). The company previously signed a memorandum of understanding for the Hawk aircraft trainer program.

- United Kingdom’s Royal Air Force (RAF), and the National Security Strategic Investment Fund (NSSIF), the UK Government’s corporate venturing arm for dual-use advanced technologies, to supply AR tech for the UKMFTS, UK’s military flying training ecosystem.

- Lockheed Martin and Korea Aerospace Industries to implement Red 6's Advanced Tactical Augmented Reality System (ATARS) into Lockheed Martin’s T-50 fighter jet and Prepar3D software simulation suite (June 2023).

- Boeing to integrate ATARS into Boeing T7 fighter trainer aircraft and the F-15EX training system (September 2022).

Funding and financials

In June 2023, Red 6 raised USD 70 million in a Series B funding round led by RedBird Capital Partners. Funding was to be used to advance Red 6's proprietary technology for its ATARS.