King Crow Studios awarded $6.5 million contract by US Department of Defense to support B-52 Virtual Reality training

In Virtual Reality and Mixed Reality News

May 19, 2021 – King Crow Studios, a virtual reality (VR) training and game development company, has today announced that it has been awarded a USD $6.5M SBIR (Small Business Innovation Research) Phase III contract with the United States Government to support B-52 Pilot Training over the next 4 years.

The award comes after the company spent 2020 collaborating with the US Air Force (USAF) to develop a B-52 Virtual Reality Procedures Trainer (VRPT). The B-52 VRPT is a custom virtual training solution that creates digital twins of aircraft and equipment. This allows B-52 pilots and mechanics to train on virtual procedures prior to their interaction with physical aircraft and helps to reduce the cost of on the job training, fuel costs, and equipment downtime.

“We are excited to continue collaborating with the DoD and Air Force to use mixed reality training solutions to increase safety, productivity, and efficiency for Air Force pilots, maintainers, and support staff,” said Cody Louviere, King Crow Studios Founder and President. 

According to the company, the contract began on May 17, 2021 and extends through to 2025. King Crow Studios was supported and advised throughout the bid process by several Louisiana-based partners including Nexus Louisiana, Precision Procurement Solutions (PPS) and the USAF. 

“King Crow Studios continues to Bridge The Gap for the American Warfighter. Their success and determination will continue to create jobs, have a positive return on investment for the United States Air Force and grow the economy in the state of Louisiana,” said Grant Rogers, Precision Procurement Solutions CEO.

As well as working with the US Department of Defense, King Crow Studios also produces VR games, with its latest title ‘Hive Slayer’ currently available on Steam for free – although the company is currently accepting donations to help raise money for hurricane relief in Lake Charles, Louisiana. The game will also be available on the Oculus Store in Summer 2021. 

For more information on King Crow Studios and its virtual reality training solutions and games, please visit the company’s website.

Image credit: King Crow Studios

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Sam Sprigg

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.