San Francisco – October 13, 2026 -- Schemata has been awarded $3.25 million in fully funded, milestone-based contracts through the U.S. Air Force innovation arm AFWERX to deliver AI-enabled virtual training for Air Force equipment. The total comprises an initial $1.25 million award and a $2 million extension, which funds training for members of the 97th Air Mobility Wing.
Altus pilot spreads to nine installations at no added cost
Schemata began with two civilian equipment platforms at Altus. Each module is a photorealistic, interactive 3D copy of the real equipment, paired with an AI Instructor that guides Airmen through inspection procedures and answers their questions. Airmen use the modules to prepare for the hands-on inspection portion of equipment certification, and can practice on their own schedule without the physical equipment or an instructor present.
The tool started with the 97th Logistics Readiness Squadron at Altus. It has since reached nine installations across five major commands at no additional cost to the government, including Ramstein, Nellis, Andrews, Langley and Whiteman.
Equipment and instructor shortages drove the Air Force to Schemata
The 97th AMW had too little equipment and too few qualified instructors for the number of Airmen needing certification. Classes of 20 or more shared a couple of training assets, with ten people crowded around a single piece of equipment. According to the company, its AI-powered analytics, photorealistic 3D modeling and ability to meet the Air Force's heightened cybersecurity requirements attracted AFWERX and led to the initial $1.25 million award.
Instructor-led training capacity doubles as each instructor saves 12-20 hours
Schemata reports the following results from the deployment, which it says justified the $2 million extension:
- Training bottlenecks caused by equipment availability were eliminated.
- Each instructor saved 12 to 20 hours.
- Instructor-led training capacity doubled, as instructors can train more Airmen in the same time.
- All Airmen surveyed reported higher confidence in their training than with traditional methods.
Instructors now concentrate on core training that sets the standard Airmen must meet, while Airmen handle repetition on their own with AI assistance.
Other Air Force units request more equipment as Schemata plans to scale
"This contract takes a capability proven at one wing and puts it in the hands of Airmen across the force," said James Brown, Co-Founder and CEO of Schemata.
Other Air Force organizations have already asked about covering additional equipment. Schemata is working with Air Force stakeholders on ways to scale beyond the current program. The company says the approach applies to any equipment, airframe, weapon system or facility, across the military and in the private sector.