AN F-16 fighter jet hurtles through the skies above the Dutch countryside, banking and turning, diving and climbing as if in battle with enemy planes and missiles. But apart from the F-16, the sky is empty. That’s because its pilot is playing what is arguably the world’s most exciting and expensive computer game: flying a multimillion-dollar plane against computer-generated opponents.
Cuts in defence spending, lack of airspace and noise complaints from the public have combined to make traditional plane-on-plane training a logistical and economic nightmare for many air forces. So instead of engaging in mock dogfights against colleagues flying other…
