Exclusive: Red 6 and Boeing bring augmented reality to Army's Apache

How it works: ATARS overlays virtual, interactive objects on the real world, creating customizable combat scenarios. It works in the air, while actually flying, as well as on the ground, strapped into a mock cockpit.

• Users can practice refueling, flying alongside drones and dealing with enemy air defenses, among other missions.

What they're saying: "Exploring the integration of ATARS with the Apache marks a significant milestone — not only as our inaugural collaboration with a rotorcraft platform but also as our first potential partnership with a U.S. Army platform," Red 6 CEO Daniel Robinson, a former F-22 and Tornado pilot, told Axios.

• Red 6 and Boeing previously worked together on the T-7A Red Hawk trainer.

Zoom out: The U.S. military has long sought accurate and effective simulation, whether for instruction, war-gaming, engineering or some other resource-intensive task.

• "Augmented reality technologies such as ATARS open up new opportunities to prepare military aviators for complex threat environments they face today and will encounter in the future," Kathleen "KJ" Jolivette, vice president and general manager of Boeing's vertical lift division, told Axios.

The intrigue: Word of the collaboration coincides with the Dubai Air Show, which both companies are attending.

Go deeper: Boeing mulls Patriot seeker upgrades amid soaring demand