MS&T Magazine - Issue 1/2012

www.halldale.com THE INTERNATIONAL DEFENCE TRAINING JOURNAL

TRAINING TECHNOLOGY

Maritime Composite Training System TRAINING TECHNOLOGY

At Home on the (Virtual) Range TRAINING TECHNOLOGY

Beyond Remove-and-Install TRAINING TECHNOLOGY

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Issue 1/2012

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EDITORIAL COMMENT

Managing Editor

"Managing resources is only half the equation; the other half is managing processes..."

On the cover: The Royal Navy's Maritime Composite Training System (MCTS).

Image credit: BAE Systems.

are going to be a function of organisational intelligence or IQ. According to Rummler, organisation IQ has only two components: the “intelligence” infrastructure (i.e. the feedback mechanisms) and the leadership – the individuals who act or don’t act on the data available. Leadership has to know what results are expected, know what variables will determine those results, know how well the organisation is performing against the expected results, and finally, know what has to be done to achieve the results. Then, leadership has to act. An organisation with IQ is adaptive, that is, has the capacity to cope with change, and is adaptable, continually questioning the fundamental assumptions underlying the existing ways of doing work.

In the face of resource constraints, leadership must maximise the resources at hand and has little choice other than to question many of the fundamental assumptions underlying the way the organisation works. In a recent webinar (18 Jan) of the Armed Forces Chapter of ISPI (www.afc-ispi. org) consultant Phillip Kirby, while discussing how and where to find “hidden treasure” in an organisation, made the point that managing resources increases costs – managing processes decreases costs and improves performance. The treasure is hidden in the processes. The key to managing processes is to have relevant metrics – metrics that are aligned to organisational goals – and for trainers, this means insisting on trainee performance aligned to organisational goals, and being prepared to redesign the training process to reflect that alignment. We are currently seeing some of this realignment in, for example, flight training as the balance between simulator and training aircraft use shifts towards simulation.

For the training community, this is the time to get some IQ, and to rethink traditional curricula, critically examine the paths to individual and collective performance, and find Kirby’s hidden treasures. It’ll pay off in the long run. Certainly, current and emerging technologies have cleared the playing field.

Jeff Loube, CPT Managing Editor, MS&T Magazine jeff@halldale.com

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Jeff Loube

THE PENTAGON, as are other militaries, is facing some of its biggest spending reductions since the end of the Cold War. Speaking at a recent news conference reported in the NYT about budget plans, Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, emphasised the US would still maintain the strongest military in the world. “Capability is more important than size,” General Dempsey said. He added that “this budget does not lead to a military in decline” and that “it is a military that can win any conflict, anywhere.”

Sounds like a tall order – cut resources, downsize, and yet maintain capability – and it is; however, if the focus is just on managing resources, capability could well succumb to survivability. Managing resources is only half the equation; the other half is managing processes – that is, how the work gets done and value created. In the face of mandated resource cuts, business as usual won’t cut it.

However, there is recognition of the importance of process implicit in the emergence of the new buzzwords – adaptability, and the related term – adaptive. At I/ITSEC 2011 Dr Laura Junor, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Readiness, emphasised the need for an adaptable organisation if the Services were to maintain a capability she described as adaptive, flexible, and scalable.

As I listened to Junor speak about adaptability, it reminded me of Organisational IQ, a concept I first encountered at a presentation

by Dr Geary Rummler some years ago. In an editorial comment in MS&T issue 4/2007 Organisational IQ was used to frame a discussion of learning organisations. Organisational IQ is worth revisiting, particularly as it embodies the idea of adaptability.

Rummler defined an organisation’s intelligence (IQ) as the organisation’s ability to effectively adapt to a changing environment. What he meant by this is the ability to anticipate or detect changes in the environment and influence those changes and/or change the system to be able to ‘profit’ from those changes and the ability to anticipate or detect performance gaps in operations and to take corrective or preventative action.

Premises to this definition are that results are about adapting to continuously changing targets and circumstances, how well an organisation adapts is a function of organisational intelligence, and therefore, results

ISSUE 1.2012

Revisiting Organisational IQ

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CONTENTS

MS&T Magazine Military Simulation & Training Magazine Editorial Editor in Chief Chris Lehman e. chris@halldale.com Managing Editor Jeff Loube e. jeff@halldale.com Group Editor Marty Kauchak e. marty@halldale.com Europe Editor Walter F. Ullrich e. walter@halldale.com Procurement Chuck Weirauch e. chuck@halldale.com US News Editor Lori Ponoroff e. lori@halldale.com RoW News Editor Fiona Greenyer e. fiona@halldale.com Advertising Director of Sales Jeremy Humphreys & Marketing t. +44 (0)1252 532009 e. jeremy@halldale.com Sales Representative Pat Walker USA (West) t. 415 387 7593 e. pat@halldale.com Sales Representative Justin Grooms USA (East) & Canada t. 407 322 5605 e. justin@halldale.com Sales & Marketing Karen Kettle Co-ordinator t. +44 (0)1252 532002 e. karen@halldale.com Marketing Manager Mike Fitzgibbon t. +44 (0)1252 532008 e. mike@halldale.com Design & Production Distribution & Circulation

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03 EDITORIAL COMMENT Adaptive and Adaptable. Managing Editor Jeff Loube links budget cuts, adaptability, and process.

06 TRAINING TECHNOLOGY Maritime Composite Training System. The Royal Navy’s MCTS is worth a visit. MS&T’s Dim Jones did just that and describes a training capability never seen before.

10 TRAINING TECHNOLOGY Small Arms. Trainees are spending less time at home on the range. Robert W. Moorman surveys the use of technology in small arms training.

14 TRAINING TECHNOLOGY Catching Up. The maintenance training community is embracing technology to improve training. Group Editor Marty Kauchak examines the evolving trends.

18 TRAINING TECHNOLOGY Distributed Mission Training. The US Marine Corps’ Aviation Distributed Virtual Training Environment is nearing implementation. MS&T’s Chuck Weirauch reports on this and the NASMP.

22 LEADERSHIP INTERVIEW

MS&T (ISSN 1471-1052) is published six times per year in February, May, June, August, September, November by Halldale Media and distributed in the USA by SPP, 75 Aberdeen Road, Emigsville PA 17318. Periodicals postage paid at Emigsville, PA. POSTMASTER: send address changes to MS&T, Halldale Media Inc, 115 Timberlachen Circle, Ste 2009, Lake Mary, FL 32746.

Circulation audited by:

30 SHOW REPORT I/ITSEC 2011. MS&T’s editors report on this premier S&T show and conference.

28 TRANSFORMATION A Centre of Excellence. The NATO M&S COE in Rome. Colonello Francesco Mastrorosa reports on recent activities, and scopes future directions.

34 NEWS Seen & Heard. A round up of developments in simulation and training.

Compiled and edited by Fiona Greenyer.

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24 TRAINING TECHNOLOGY Kriegsspiele: Serious Games. Learning through gaming? Walter F. Ullrich traces the history and the impact of Kriegsspiele.

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www.halldale.com/mst All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise – especially translating into other languages - without prior written permission of the publisher. All rights also reserved for restitution in lectures, broadcasts, televisions, magnetic tape and methods of similar means. Each copy produced by a commercial enterprise serves a commercial purpose and is thus subject to remuneration.

Helen A. Remily. Ms Remily, TRADOC Capabilities Manager for The Army Distributed Learning Program, speaks with Group Editor Marty Kauchak.

TrAINING TEchNoloGy

Skipping a Generation The rN’s new McTS sets the bar for surface naval trainers. MS&T’s Dim Jones visited this extraordinary training system.

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n 29th October 2011 at HMS Collingwood, the Royal Navy’s shore training establishment near Portsmouth, former First Sea Lord Admiral Sir Jock Slater formally opened the Cunningham Building, named after his great-uncle. Admiral of the Fleet Viscount Cunningham of Hyndhope was Commander-in-Chief Mediterranean Fleet for the first half of WWII, and First Sea Lord for the second half. This illustrious sailor would, I am sure, have been happy to have his memory associated with a programme which has been billed as ‘the greatest development in RN surface stream training in the last 40 years’ – the Maritime Composite Training System, or MCTS.

Daring Class This programme was born of the need to provide a modern training system for the RN’s latest class of surface ships, the Type 45 Daring Class destroyers. It would supersede the Cook Simulators at the Maritime Warfare School (MWS) Southwick Park (formerly HMS Dryad),

which were type-specific static warship simulators, originally commissioned in 1974 and updated to replicate the operations rooms of Types 42, 23 and 22 vessels; the huge capability of the Type 45 required a state-of-the-art training system, which they could not provide. However, the opportunity was recognised to develop a flexible and reconfigurable – rather than type-specific – system, which could serve not only Type 45, but also the projected Queen Elizabeth Class (QEC) aircraft carriers and Type 26 Global Combat Ships, as well as reflecting the constant upgrades being carried out in existing classes. MCTS was not, therefore, developed as a replacement for the Cook Simulators, but as a radical change – a holistic training system to revolutionise surface stream training and treble the existing capacity for fleet continuation training. The programme – a partnership between the MoD’s Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S), the RN’s MWS and BAE Systems – was a bold initiative, embracing commercial innovation; it has, unsurprisingly in a climate of con-

Above Student under instruction training on McTS. Image credit: BAE Systems.

stant change and cost-cutting within the MoD, not been without its difficult phases.

MCTS includes everything needed to deliver individual career and warfare team training, from documentation, through training planning to skills training. The programme comprises classroom and CBT lessons, generic Classroom-Based Skills Trainers (CBST) and, finally, Warfare Team Trainers (WTT).

There is a suite of 85 warfare courses, providing Individual Career Training through equipment- and role-specific Targeted Employment Modules; these may utilise simulators, and teach individual skills progressing through SubTeam to Full-Team training; the inherent flexibility of the system allows delay of down-selection to a specific type until the last possible moment. MCTS uses sea-going operational software in a

The staff of MCTS is broadly divided into 2 categories, RN Instructors, and Role-Players provided under contract by VT Flagship. The role-players can perform 3 functions: as gamecontrollers, who interact with the instructors and control the intensity of the training; as role-playing team members, working alongside the students; and as external assets, including helicopter and fast-jet air. The control room manning level is proportional to the scenario and the threat level – for a multithreat environment, it is fully manned. There are separate teams for Surface, Air and Sub-Surface, and uniformed SMEs to provide expert advice when required. The Common Synthetic Environment Control (CSEC) provides injects into the system, and stimulates the WTT equipment, so that students in the WTT can see elements of the scenario as they would do for real.

There are databases for multiple potential theatres of operations, including the South Coast Operating Area and the English Channel, the South China Sea, the Falkland Islands and the Persian Gulf. Tailored databases world-wide can be provided on request. There are scenarios for special tasks, such as Humanitarian Relief, Counter-Narcotics and Anti-Piracy, and the set-up for major exercises – such as Joint Warrior – can be replicated.

Lastly, the Cunningham Building is connected to Devonport, and to allies such as the US and Germany, and MCTS can run the same scenario across the networks between these players.

There are 3 WTTs in the purpose-built Cunningham Building, and 2 in a parallel – but much smaller – facility in the Discovery Building at Devonport (1,700m2 as against 7,000m2). Each WTT can be divided by acoustic screens to form smaller workspaces, known as Quadrants. The full warfare team of a Type 45 requires the computer power of a whole WTT (as will the QEC in the future); however, the CVS, LPD, LPH, Type 42 or Type 23 will use half a WTT in both space and computers, allowing a sub-unit team, or several individual skills trainers, to be accommodated in

ISSUE 1.2012

Staff

the remaining 2 quadrants. It is possible to have sub-unit teams of Type 45, Type 42 and Type 23 in adjacent compartments, each working the same scenario and passing information to each other as they would do for real, or working in totally separate scenarios. On the day I visited, the first WTT contained a Type 23 Ops Room with full warfare team, and an adjoining quadrant accommodated a separate Type 23 team doing Harpoon training; these teams could work either together or separately, depending on the type of training required. The last quadrant was a ‘minisystem’, designed to accommodate 4 units of a specific equipment, in this case the UAT 16 ESM system fitted to the Type 45.

This allowed students to practise equipment operation, based on four ‘ships’ working the same scenario and exposed to the same events; it made it possible for them to interact as a task force, permitted one-on-one instruction if required, and catered for different students progressing at different rates, but also allowed a single role player to act as game controller and another to act as the ‘outstations’, feeding in the required cues and stimuli - a very efficient solution. This WTT alone accommodated 2 different command systems, 3 scenarios and 7 ‘ships’.

In the next WTT were 2 Type 45 teams doing gunnery training; for this purpose, 3 courses came together to form a team and support each other: the CIWS team were operating within 3000m of the ship, and the 4.5in Mark 8 Gun team working out to 9nm, with the Petty Officers’ Course alternating between teams to exercise taking charge of either system. There could be different scenarios for different systems, based on the needs of the students. The speed of the game could be tailored to student proficiency – if he or she was doing well, the staff could ‘up the ante’; if things were going less well, the exercise could be slowed

07 MS&T MAGAZINE

synthetic COTS environment. The basic element of the WTT is the ‘Martian’, an individual work-station with a keyboard and 5 touch-screens, any of which can be folded away if not required.

There are a maximum of 42 Martians in each WTT, and each can be connected to any one of 100 floor ports. The Martians themselves are reconfigurable, and can represent any in-service equipment. In this way a WTT can not only replicate the physical layout of every operations room in the surface fleet, but the software can simulate all the operating systems in current use: the Action Data Automated Weapons System (ADAWS), in use on Type 42 destroyers, CVS, Landing Platform(Helicopter) (LPH) and Landing Platform (Dock) (LPD) – HM Ships Ocean and Albion/ Bulwark respectively; DNA2, the command system of the Type 23 frigate; and the Combat Management System (CMS), in use on the Type 45. Martian reconfiguration between operating systems takes about an hour.

The WTT ops room is normally bigger than its equivalent in the ship; this allows instructors to circulate, and students to gather around one console for instruction. However, importantly, the relative positions are always the same. If the Air Picture Supervisor in a Type 23 ship looks to his right, he will see the Surface Picture Supervisor; that is where the SPS will be in MCTS, and over his right shoulder will be the Underwater Team.

Variations in ambient lighting are used to create the impression of a smaller environment.

Training Technology

down, repeated as required, and close instruction injected, all without affecting the other students. The staff remarked on how this flexibility was in stark contrast to the Cook simulators, where ‘you are where you are’ - in a designated ship type and a fixed scenario. If you need to practise Naval Gunfire Support (NGS), by definition the ship is close inshore, so you can’t practise using the towed-array sonar. The scenario moves at a set speed and, if you can’t keep up, tough luck. In MCTS, you can practise both disciplines, side-by-side, at any pace.

The adjacent 2 quadrants were configured as 2 Sonar 2087-fitted ships working together over a large area of ocean on towed array operations. The last WTT was configured to support an Electronic Warfare course; the students had completed their generic classroom training and were now split into their 3 different command systems, so the WTT was configured as 3 different ships (a Type 42, Type 45 and Type 23), one in each quadrant, whilst in the final quadrant was an Action Picture supervisors’ course, training in Anti Submarine Warfare. This WTT accommodated all 3 command systems and 4 ‘ships’ in 2 different scenarios.

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Potential

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MCTS, however, has potential far beyond individual and team skills training. Since August 2011, the Devonport facility has been used to support Basic Operational Sea Training (BOST) under the direction of Flag Officer Sea Training (FOST)’s Director South. There are already many recorded examples of how training in MCTS has enhanced subsequent performance at sea. A Type 23 crew used the facility during a harbour week, which resulted in a marked improvement in team performance during their first week at sea. The crew of HMS Sutherland used MCTS for passive Type 2087 sonar training, getting up to speed in one WTT quadrant at Devonport before going to sea for area capability training; they could have done all the training at sea, but this would have wasted valuable and expensive sea training time getting the basics right. When HMS Daring was temporarily unable to go to sea, due to an equipment fault, the crew completed training alongside, using MCTS. Such training can be bespoke, tailored to a ship’s individual needs, and used for mission rehearsal; in the latter part of 2011, HMS Diamond,

the third Type 45 undergoing her operational work-up, was the first to complete a MCTS-led OST package.

FOST’s ultimate aim is to make operational generation of ships a continual process, instead of a one-off OST event. This envisages combining the current intensive 4-week OST training programme with periodic team training in MCTS to prepare and maintain skills, maximising the key capability of the system, flexibility: flexibility in configuration, combined ship operations, scenario and scheduling. To put it in the words of one instructor: “Air defence training off the coast of the UK in the morning, gunnery in the Straits of Gibraltar after lunch.” This bespoke continuation training might start with separate sub-teams at first, single-threat then multi-threat, and progress to full ops team training.

The threats can vary – such as Russian, Chinese, Iranian, or Argentine; if a new hotspot appears, as happened in Libya, MCTS can create the environment and model the threat. 20 different scenarios can be run at the same time and combined and coalition ops can be practised using the JMNIAN Link.

SDSR MCTS was, of course, developed before the Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR), and the RN has lost ships and personnel since then. Nevertheless, the system is running close to capacity; as Cdre MWS, Commodore Tim Lowe, pointed out. In the Cook simulators only 2 out of every 11 training weeks were dedicated to ship training; with MCTS, this has at least trebled, and there is now capacity virtually every week of the training year. The limitations of Cook meant that training was manpower-intensive,

Above Crew from HMS Diamond training on MCTS. Image credit: BAE Systems.

and less focused to the ship’s requirement; with bespoke training, demand almost exceeds capacity. As in every other field of military operations, the quest for budget savings will inevitably further increase the demand for costeffective synthetic, over expensive live, training. However, there are still many potential applications of MCTS which have nothing to do with saving money.

The threats and scenarios currently available during live training – such as Hawk and Falcon aircraft replicating a fast-jet and air-to-surface missile threat – are simply nowhere near taxing the capability of a Type 45; expanding MCTS to provide synthetic stimulation of systems in a live environment could help bridge that training gap. Planned links with the helicopter simulators at RNAS Culdrose, and with the Astute Class submarine simulators at Faslane, will allow more realistic collective training. Beyond that, the possibilities are, if not limitless, more than enough to be going on with.

If I have ‘waxed lyrical’ about MCTS, it is a fair reflection of the almost boundless enthusiasm for it which emanates from the MWS, BAE Systems and VT Flagship (Babcock) staff. In a period when there have not been many developments for the Royal Navy to rejoice about, the arrival of MCTS has been one. I will leave the last word to Cdre Lowe: “Today, with MCTS, we have moved to the next stage and... we have the ability to train, deliver and employ maritime effect in a far better and a far more effective way than we have ever done before.” ms&t

TrAINING TEchNoloGy

At Home on the (Virtual) Range Virtual technologies bring a host of benefits to small arms training. Robert W Moorman outlines the benefits and checks out the training devices.

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hen U.S. Army Lt. Kevin Dietrick learned to shoot in the mid-1970s, live fire small arms training was limited by the cost of ammunition, the inadequate access to training ranges and the logistics involved to run and staff a live fire exercise. These challenges still exist today; however, technology is making the task manageable, particularly in a time of shrinking defense budgets.

Advances in virtual technologies have helped change the mindset of traditional trainers — live fire only — toward the benefits of using technology in small arms training.

“The virtual (and constructive) environment should be viewed as complimentary to live fire training; both are important and add value to the training domain,” said Col. Dietrick, (U.S. ArmyRet), vice president of business development for Meggitt Training Systems, a leading provider of virtual small arms weapons trainers (SATs). To date, Meggitt has sold more than 5,000 systems and 40,000 simulated weapons worldwide.

Virtual systems are teachers that never get tired and school is always open.

“These virtual systems are designed to enhance, not replace live fire training,” said Army Major Robert DeGaine, assistant product manager for Ground Combat Tactical Trainers for the U.S. Army Program Executive Office for Simulation, Training and Instrumentation (PEO STRI). Example: “If you have a soldier that is having a hard time shooting, that soldier can go on the EST [Engagement Skills Trainer] and work on the fundamentals of marksmanship.” If you know the fundamentals – breathing, trigger control, grip, sight alignment and holding a stabilized platform, “you should be able to shoot,” he added.

Feedback provided by virtual training devices reinforces the learning experience.

The EST 2000, produced by Cubic Corp., provides initial and sustainment marksmanship, tactical and shoot/don’t shoot training. The virtual trainer supports three modes of training: marksmanship, squad/fire team collective and judgmental use of force.

The Army has procured 948 EST systems. Cubic has fielded another 100 systems to domestic and international

Above The Engagement Skills Trainer – EST 2000.

Image credit: U.S. Army PEo STrI.

users, and are under contract for another 100 systems.

Cubic also makes the EST DS (Dismounted Solution), a compact, singleshooter system that combines capabilities of the EST 2000 plus additional capabilities for dismounted warrior training.

On one point there is little debate among trainers. Virtual training systems make better marksmen. “It has been found that the initial pass rate of recruits on a live range can jump from 52% up to 98% when recruits first train on a marksmanship trainer, noted Dietrick.

The Laser Marksmanship Training System, a transportable device produced

by L-3, is ideal, the Army says, for initial and recurrent training in the field.

LMTS accommodates numerous weapons including the M9 pistol, the M16 and M4 rifles as well as M240, M249 and M2 machine guns.

Everyone is looking for ways to reduce costs – and the payoff can be large. Small

trainers have even been used as therapeutic tools for doctors to treat soldiers suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome (PTSD) by placing them in a real-like battlefield environment.

Environmental concerns over live fire ranges, encroachment of ranges into urban areas and the ongoing need to train soldiers and their civilian counterparts to a higher standard in the new reality of shrinking defense budgets has prompted several major trends in the firearms training business, according to several experts interviewed.

The use of virtual training devices as a way to deal with environmental concerns cannot be understated. “Live training ranges are becoming more expensive to operate and maintain due to increased environmental constraints and regulations,” said Mark Saturno, senior director business development with Cubic Simulations Systems, based in Orlando, Fla. “Simulators can reduce the negative impact on the environment by transitioning live training indoors.”

There are several trends in small arms training worth noting. Initial training is being used more as a “gated qualifier” and “re-qualification system in conjunction with live fire training,” Dietrick said.

Another growing trend, resiliency training, immerses soldiers in a war-like environment. The training is meant to help the soldier deal with the chaos of battle prior to deployment. While mainly a war-preparation tool for soldiers, resiliency training has value for their civilian counterparts, trainers say, and can act as way to reduce on the job training.

Small arms training is evolving as needs and equipment change. The primary drivers, are the modification of existing weapons, introduction of new ones and the “requirement to incorporate appended optics into training scenarios,” Saturno noted.

Another trend: The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have prompted a need to bring increased training capability to the squad-sized unit with the use of various training solutions.

Equally noteworthy, and not specifically directed at firearms training, is the trend toward augmenting or replacing task trainers with full spectrum operations trainers. In effect, this amounts to combining, say, a small arms trainer, a

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Challenges & Trends

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arms simulators save money on ammunition alone, as revealed by breakdown of EST 2000 simulated ammunition usage of 9 mm pistols from January to December 2009 at the Joint Training and Training Development Center at Fort Dix, New Jersey. The New Jersey Army National Guard saved nearly $12,000 by substituting 100 live rounds with 100 virtual rounds from the EST 2000 during one training exercise involving 844 soldiers.

Live rounds cost 14 cents apiece.

U.S. Air Force enlisted personnel receive eight hours of academic and live fire training on the M16A2 not long after induction. Officers get orientation training on the M9 pistol during summer camp for Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) or as part of their inductee training at Maxwell Air Force Base. Neither enlisted personnel nor officers have to qualify on small arms, but must complete the training program, according to Rolland Roth, program manager for U.S. Air Force Combat Arms, who has personally trained over 100,000 people on small arms during his 30-year career. The Air Force trained 402,000 people on small arms during 2011.

U.S. Navy enlisted recruits receive two-day small arms training on the 9 mm and shotgun at the Recruit Training Command in Great Lakes, Ill., the Navy’s only boot camp. Recruits that qualify on the weapons are given a marksman, sharpshooter or expert rating, according to Jeff Miller, public information officer.

Virtual devices help make the training program more efficient. At Ft. Hood, Texas, the largest active duty base in the U.S. Armed Services, the EST 2000 had a 72% usage rate during training, DeGaine said. With the increased use of simulators, come changes in the training regimen from long-range to close combat training. New courses on firearms and reflexive training are now offered.

Another change: soldiers are melding marksmanship training with decisionmaking and squad tactics, so the training emphasis is more on “shooting under pressure,” DeGaine said.

Virtual training devices have become an integral element of scenario based training, whether it is to train for a military policeman responding to domestic violence to infantry soldiers conducting operations at a vehicle checkpoint. Firearms trainers help in some not-so-obvious ways as well. DeGaine says these

Training Technology

tank trainer and forward observer trainer with a howitzer and aircraft simulators.

The end result is a more realistic training scenario for those on the battlefield.

On the Other Hand Virtual training devices are an integral part of small arms training, particularly for the military. But some trainers of law enforcement or related personnel, within the U.S. or other governments, whose classes tend to be smaller, believe there is too much emphasis on technology.

“The best simulator for small fire arms training is a real gun and real bullets,” said Adam Painchaud, director of the Sig Sauer Academy (SSA) in southern New Hampshire. The Academy, known for tailoring training to the needs of the customer, provides training on weapons other than just those made by Sig Sauer.

If not live fire training, then offer the next best thing, Painchaud recommended. SSA’s Force-on-Force training involves real people and real guns converted to fire projectiles. The handguns and rifles fire a special projectile produced

by Simunitions, which makes a training marking round. The projectiles travel at 375 feet per second and leave a paint spatter “that hurts like hell,” Painchaud said.

SSA students could spend a day of advanced live fire firearms tactics in

Above The SSA provides specialized small arms training for military and paramilitary forces.

Image credit: Sig Sauer Academy.

and around buildings. The following day instructors could simulate a live firefight with good guys versus bad guys firing paint-leaving projectiles.

SSA also offers three-day and fiveday executive protection courses as well as a close quarter pistol course. All trainthe-trainer courses have a pre and postshooting test as well as a practical exam.

SSA provides advanced training for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and its related organizations.

The Academy also provides recurrent small arms training for airline pilots, who have gone through DHS’s initial federal flight deck officers (FFDO) training in Artesia, New Mexico.

There are other training facilities throughout North America that provide small arms training similar to that offered

by SSA. Belllingham, Washington-based Cutting Edge Training provides three train-the-trainer programs worth noting. CET’s 80-hour Pistol Combatives Instructor course teaches troops or paramilitary forces combat-proven concepts and drills that will “prepare them for those times where only ‘Big Boy Rules apply,” according to a company backgrounder. The 80-hour M16/M4 Combatives Instructor course provides close quarters training as well as Airsoft forceon-force exercises. The 40-hour Shotgun Combatives course teaches instructors to train troops on the basics of the shotgun and how to fight with it.

Nevertheless, small arms training has become inexorably linked to the virtual training world. Simulators reduce training costs while maintaining training standards. This is a good thing in an environment of shrinking defense and law enforcement budgets, where trainers must deal with the reality of doing more with less. ms&t

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Some Additional Sources

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•Advanced Interactive Systems: AIS’s PRISim Suite simulators, introduced in 1998, provide realistic use-of-force training to develop the skills for using lethal and non-lethal weapons at fixed facilities or at any off-site location. The PRISim Suite platform features realistic video and CGI environments for marksmanship, tactical strategies, observation skills, scene assessments, interactive dialogue, problem solving and decision-making. An optional sixteen-hour training session is offered on all simulators. Judgment Trainer software for the PRISim Suite system is also offered.

•Baur SA: In the early 1980s, Baur SA introduced the CF target system. The Swiss army uses around 1,500 systems. About 500 systems were sold under licensing to the international market and most of the systems are used for urban fighting training. The CF3x target system, the last evolution of the CF product line, is the main component for firearms training for several infantry groups, special intervention units and police forces.

•Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW): KMW Training & Simulation (T&S) provides gunnery and combat simulator software for small arms training. Different types of pistols, rifles, machine guns, sniper rifles and recoilless rifles can be linked to KMW T&S combat simulation systems.

•Laser Shot: The product range encompasses the Thermal Shot Live Fire Virtual Targetry system and Running Man Moving

Target Simulator, to Quonset and Mobile Shooting ranges. In late November 2011, Laser Shot delivered a new 3,800 square foot Modular Indoor Firing Range facility to the U.S. Navy.

•Marathon Targets: The T20 Smart Target, a military version of the Segue battery powered vehicle with a bad-guy dummy attached to the steering bar, brings an “urgently needed new level of realism to live-fire training,” said Marathon Targets CEO Dr. Alex Brooks.

Marathon also produces the T40 four-wheel drive target for unpaved ranges. Marathon recently delivered its second-generation two-wheel smart targets to Quantico and received a followon contract from the Marines for its four-wheel smart target.

•Saab: Saab Training and Simulation provides live fire and laser based gunnery and combat solutions. Savit, the Small Arms Virtual Indoor Trainer and miniaturized laser transmitters for pistols and rifles, are a few of the training products Saab produces. The company also provides target and range equipment that is used in over 20 countries.

•Theissen Training Systems: This company makes fixedbase and moving target systems from small arms ranges (including marksmanship and deployable ranges to elaborate Combined Arms Live-Fire Exercise (CALFEX) Ranges. It also produces visible and auto-effect simulators to make live fire training more realistic.

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TrAINING TEchNoloGy

NGrAIN is providing interactive training solutions supporting canadian Forces' cc-115 Buffalo SAr aircraft.

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acknowledged as much during her discussion with MS&T at the 2011 I/ITSEC, but remained enthusiastic about this strategy and its outcomes because of the use of advanced virtual environments.

“We will not be able to simulate every single troubleshooting task. You don’t have the luxury or time. But if you learn how to respond to: if this happens I need to do that – how to diagnose something and how to use the fault isolation manual, then you will be better prepared to work in the field.”

Beyond Remove-and-Install higher order maintenance training devices are allowing the services’ maintainers to learn advanced skill sets on more complex weapons platforms and other systems, writes Group Editor Marty Kauchak.

T

he industry-government team is making rapid strides in delivering more capable maintenance training systems. More service men and women are learning and refreshing their maintenance skills for weapons platforms and other systems using mobile devices, 3-D imagery and other technology enhancements. While there is significant progress in the technology underpinnings of these systems – the maintenance community will continue to use them as part of a blended learning strategy – supplementing hands-on skills for tasks that technology still cannot adequately replicate.

ISSUE 1.2012

Evolving Trends

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Given NGRAIN’s expanding maintenance training support of military forces in Canada, the U.S. and other nations, and its growing list of supported equipment, Gabe Batstone, the company’s CEO, is well situated to discuss some of his international customers’ requirements in this learning sector.

“One of the trends I see is based on two questions that we commonly get asked: how fast can you do it; and for

how little.” This less than subtle development may be the start of a migration away from a need for elaborate technology underpinnings for training devices, towards more basic business requirements, in particular, in an era of declining resources.

At the same time, Batstone opined his military customers are expressing a need to go beyond “remove-and-install” instructional strategies into more complex learning scenarios for their aspiring maintainers. “They want to see if we can provide cycles of operations training. They ask us to provide fluid flows and delve into things that are beyond remove-and-install. We’ve built Producer 5.0 and the Virtual Task Trainer to meet these growing demands.”

For its part, CAE is putting additional focus of its supported maintenance training from the theoretical realm into the practical and troubleshooting environment. This is a significant undertaking given the increasing complexity of the F-35, DDG-51 class of ships and other weapons platforms. Michele Asmar, the company’s director of Training Solutions, Innovation and Solutions Design,

Underpinnings Damian Szigeti, engineering manager and spokesperson for simulation systems at AMERICAN SYSTEMS, remarked that his colleagues are meeting their government customers’ evolving requirements for training by delivering learning content by way of tablets and other mobile devices. Szigeti emphasized a number of technology developments are contributing to the popularity of tablets as mobile learning devices in this sector, including their portability and increasing power.

“Tablets are now getting to be powerful enough with respect to processing power and graphics. This was not the case a year or so ago. Now they can run very high-level simulations and certainly courseware.” This is keeping pace with the rigor of high level maintenance simulations which are built on complex C++ programs, with an accompanying high processing demand for data, graphics and other content.

Szigeti reflected on some of the military’s other recent requirements for maintenance trainers. At the top of his list was the need to increase speed of production of these devices. “We need to move up the speed so the customer can get reliable devices faster, and that can be accomplished using automated software conversion; for example converting 3ds Max graphics directly into operational code – some new products have this ability.” He noted that his company is also seeking to reduce production time by 20 to 30 percent.

What’s of particular interest in the IVEMT is one strategy the government-industry team used to help maintainers train as they operate. Tom Butryn, a systems engineer with the Boeing F/A-18 Total Training Systems Division, pointed out the fidelity of the trainer is enhanced by the addition of the supported aircraft’s actual mission computer and its software.

“That way if the maintainer goes out to the airplane, he will see no difference in responses and behaviors on the trainer than he would on the real aircraft.” The training device’s fidelity is further enhanced by its plug-and-play configuration, allowing the schoolhouse to add actual aircraft hardware – the cockpit for example. Boeing is on contract to upgrade U.S. Navy heritage maintenance trainers for various F/A-18 models to the IVEMT configuration.

Also at the last I/ITSEC, Santa Barbara, California-based WorldViz demonstrated a versatile, portable semi-immersive 3-D visualization solution system. Based on the VIZARD 3D content creation toolkit, the system allowed for extremely flexible adaption to any training needs. In Orlando, the WorldViz team demonstrated an interactive aircraft turbine assembly training simulation. The VIZARD software allows for easy, repeatable conversion of 3-D CAD designs into VR interactions.

Under the guidance of Matthias Pusch, vice president of sales at WorldViz, MS&T was able to disassemble the aircraft turbine in a specific sequence after learning how the parts, represented in real-time polygon-based data, could be removed from the engine block. Lightweight, specially configured glasses, allowed the author to “walk around” the engine in front of a wide 3-D projection wall, based on two consumer 3-D projectors. A WorldViz PPT real-time motion tracking system

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As part of NGRAIN’s business strategy to effectively and rapidly deploy any learning content, the company is also offering a number of mobile solutions. At I/ITSEC, the firm pointed to collaborative solutions that could operate simultaneously on Android, iPad tablets and similar devices. “We want to be platform agnostic. And we also want to ensure we have the right data on the right device to support that training event,” Batstone emphasized.

Aside from integrating more mobile devices into training systems, the tempo is quickening to immerse aspiring maintainers in 3-D learning environments. AMERICAN SYSTEMS is representative of vendors looking to increase their use of tactile gloves, 3-D goggles and other hardware and software to better support 3-D training tasks. While Szigeti noted there is a proliferation of vendors offering tactile gloves for virtual training, he opined while “the technology is getting better, it’s still not phenomenal with respect to maintenance training.” With respect to goggles and supporting equipment for 3-D simulation immersion, he added, “Same thing – a work in progress. The 3-D goggles still have a way to go to make a maintenance technicians feel that they are working on a vehicle, because vehicle maintenance is such a tactile, ‘in-your-face’ environment. We’re pushing the best technologies to operate in a blended training so that the student really feels connected to a comfortable, immersive environment.”

And as troubleshooting is becoming a more prominent underpinning in maintenance training, so too, is the accompanying technology. “You need to simulate the aircraft, tank or other weapon systems – simulate, simulate, simulate,” CAE’s Asmar emphasized. And as technology becomes more prevalent in maintenance training, there are two evolving trends to ensure a higher level of fidelity – functionality, where the simulated system functions like its real counterpart, and visualization, whereby the 2-D and 3-D content is rendered accurately. Asmar corroborated the trend by military and OEMs to migrate to 3-D visualization. “And this is where 3-D is becoming much, much more powerful.”

CAE’s most recent opportunity to use 3-D visualization came with the announced award in early 2011 of a contract from Airbus Military to design and manufacture an A400M cockpit maintenance operation simulator (CMOS) to support maintenance technician training for the new A400M airlifter. The A400M CMOS will be based on CAE’s Simfinity virtual maintenance trainer technology and will be delivered to the Airbus Military training center in Seville, Spain this year.

“This is all in 3-D. We are combining both the simulation and the 3-D environment,” Asmar added. And beyond the A400M project, CAE is beginning to transition other maintenance training programs to 3-D. Asmar continued, “A lot of the land activity, such as the Abrams tank virtual maintenance trainers for the U.S. Army, we’re doing in 3-D. Many of the new programs we’re bidding call for a 3-D environment. And our clients are asking for this.”

In another program, Boeing and its industry partner DiSTI delivered two F/A-18E Integrated Visual Environment Maintenance Trainers (IVEMT) to the Royal Australian Air Force last September. The IVEMT is a 3-D fully interactive virtual maintenance trainer that allows military personnel to navigate within an immersive virtual environment, interact with the virtual aircraft and support equipment, and perform more than 700 simulated aircraft maintenance procedures and faults.

1/25/11 3:58:15 PM

Training Technology

coordinated the trainee’s head movements with the engine imagery, presenting a constant realistic image of the engine “floating” in mid-air throughout the scenario.

Asked what sets this system apart from other training devices in the sector, Pusch emphasized that WorldViz provided a modular system that could be used to build any kind of training application. “It’s less specific than other systems, but places in the user’s hands an incredibly flexible tool usable in a wide field of applications, such as engineering, defense training or scientific research. Not to forget, it is the only low-price solution for this level of 3-D interactive trainer, with a cost between $20,000 and $35,000.”

One industry partner for the training system is Scalable Display Technologies.

The firm’s software effectively blended the scenery from two different industry projectors into one 3-D image.

Maintenance devices are also striving to better support team-training strategies.

Yoshi Tanaka, Boeing’s maintenance training integrated product team leader in the Training Systems and Services Division, highlighted another evolving attribute of his company’s devices – the ability for multiple trainees to learn and operate in the same environment. “For the Apache trainer, we are demonstrating that you can have a maintainer on one side of the aircraft, someone in the cockpit and it is all linked together. It’s just like you are actually working on the aircraft.”

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Downstream Developments

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Boeing reports progress on delivering the maintenance training part of its overarching P-8A Poseidon contract with the U.S. Navy. The Poseidon maintenance schoolhouse remains on schedule to open in 2016. The service’s organic instructional program is being developed to primarily provide blended learning, maintenance trainers supplemented with courseware, to aspiring maintainers. Jerry Bushue, a business development manager in the company’s Training Systems and Services division, reported discussions are underway to finalize a live training component consisting of a virtual maintenance trainer, which serves as the primary maintenance training device, supplemented with hardware devices to support critical hands-on skills that can be best

learned and refreshed by actually turning a wrench or other tasks. “Hardware devices will be the exception rather than the rule. That should be finalized sometime later this year.”

Last November, Oshkosh Defense expanded its use of the virtual domain to support its product line when it unveiled its first virtual training module for the Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck (HEMTT) M978 Tanker. In a pilot of the inaugural Oshkosh Virtual Trainer, the HEMTT Tanker module was shown to reduce training time by two days compared to the traditional classroom approach – an efficiency that equates to a 20 percent or more cost savings per participant. Another return on investment for the virtual module allows multiple students to simultaneously train with an instructor. HEMMT Tanker legacy training consisted primarily of static course materials and instructor demonstrations.

The Oshkosh Virtual Trainer HEMTT Tanker module is blended into the HEMTT M978A4 maintenance training curriculum offered by Oshkosh Product Training Center. The first course offered to the U.S Army is scheduled for this May. Dan Albrecht, the company’s senior training manager, noted that the outcomes and returns on investment related to the HEMTT training module are encouraging Oshkosh to expand virtual training for its customers’ maintainers with an important caveat – it will be part of its blended solution for training.

So, while new maintenance trainers will start to populate the company’s defense customers’ classrooms, live training

Above Screen captures from an Oshkosh Defense virtual training course.

Image credit: Oshkosh Defense.

strategies using instructor-led instruction, hands-on training, actual equipment and mock-ups will continue to support its learning continuum.

Albrecht added that decision is based on an analysis of learning tasks.

“You have to look at the best way to train each task. There are some tasks on heavy equipment that you just have to pick up and feel how that heaviness is. But there are other tasks from the virtual standpoint that are much more cost effective to train.”

Oshkosh’s industry partner for the HEMTT Tanker module is DiSTI, which provided its human machine software interface, Replic8, to develop the Virtual Trainer.

Potential areas of growth for virtual training in the Oshkosh Defense portfolio include training for crane operations on Oshkosh FMTV and FHTV platforms.

On the horizon for other programs under Boeing’s Tanaka’s oversight is the expansion of maintenance training devices throughout international CH-47 programs. “We’re also looking at other upgrades – the audio systems for example. The graphics will keep improving along with the speed and flexibility of those systems.” MS&T will publish a feature article on the CH-47 training system later this year. ms&t

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Training Technology

Maintaining Capability For US navy and Marine corps aviation, the challenge is to ensure and maintain aircrew readiness in the face of resource constraints. MS&T’s Chuck Weirauch updates aDVTe and naSMP.

iSSUe 1.2012

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he US Marine Corps is developing the Aviation Distributed Virtual Training Environment (ADVTE) to facilitate distributed mission training within the USMC Tactical Environment across nine USMC CONUS training sites. This effort began in 2009, with the US Navy's Naval Air Warfare Training Systems Division (NAWCTSD)’s award of the ADVTE contract to the Veraxx Engineering Corporation.

NAWCTSD and the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) Naval Aviation Training Systems Group (PMA205) at Patuxent River, MD are working together with prime contractor Veraxx to complete the first initial ADVTE implementation phase at six Marine Aviation Training Support Squadron (MATSS) sites by March 2013. Veraxx has provided contract support for Marine Corps aviation simulators and the Marine Corps Tactical Environment Network (TEN) since 2000.

In September 2011, phase one interoperability tests of the ADVTE system were performed successfully when AV-8B Harrier full flight simulators at the two first MATSS sites, Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Cherry Point and MCAS New River, both located in North Carolina, were linked together to perform a multi-ship training exercise. The initial ADVTE implementation phase under the contract includes extending the network to four other MATSS; at MCAS Miramar and MCAS Camp Pendleton in California, along with MCAS Beaufort in North Carolina and MCAS Yuma in Arizona.

Three other MATSS sites are to be added later. With ADVTE, each MATSS will have its own mission planning center, known as the Network Exercise Control Center, capable of developing, planning, rehearsing, executing, monitoring, controlling and reviewing scenario-based training sessions. The

above aDVTe, a system of local and wide area networks, will link most Marine corps aviation simulators in the continental U.S. image credit: U.S. navy.

ADVTE system links into the Marine Corps TEN. While the MATSS have been able to perform multi-ship training locally, up until now the Marines have not had a networked training capability for the command, control and planning for joint virtual training exercises, said Kent Campbell, Marine Corps Aviation Training Systems Lead at NAWCTSD. The Marine Corps Aviation Simulation Master Plan outlined part of the original requirement for the networking of the service's aviation simulation devices in order to conduct virtual training exercises. While both weapons systems and operational flight trainers will be

NASMP The anticipated success of the ADVTE program can in part be attributed to pioneering work in the analysis of simulator-based training effectiveness that has been conducted by NAWCTSD as a part of the Navy Aviation Simulation Master Plan (NASMP) initiative.

The NASMP is a Navy-wide effort, which began in 2002, to consolidate its aviation programs and link their training devices together via a networked distributed training environment,. The NASMP network employs the Navy Continuous Training Environment (NCTE) for commonality in distributed training exercises.

According to Armando Davila, NAWCTSD Integrated Training Solutions Deputy for the division that pro-

vides support for the NASMP program, the NASMP Roadmap document calls for this networked readiness and interoperability capability to be delivered to all Navy aviation communities, with one exception, by fiscal year 2016. Currently the NASMP provides networked training capabilities with the Navy's E-2C Hawkeye, EP-3 Aries, and H-60 helicopter communities. These communities have participated in networked Navy Fleet Synthetic Training (FST) exercises.

Since its inception, the NASMP program has evolved into two groups, with one focused on synthetic training and interoperability. The other, referred to informally as NASMP 2, concentrates its efforts on upgrading aviation simulators to increase their capability for readiness.

The networking of training devices is also considered to be an upgrade that enhances readiness.

One example of work in the NASMP 2 area is a new visual system upgrade, developed by L-3 Corporation’s Link Simulation & Training for the F/A-18C Tactical Operational Flight Trainers (TOFT)s at Naval Air Station Oceana, VA. The FA-18C TOFTS are scheduled

iSSUe 1.2012

tually the ADVTE may be able to be used to conduct a complete Marine Air Ground Task Force (MAGTAF) exercise, Campbell said. Also ultimately it would be able to connect with the Joint Training and Experiment Network (JTEN) to allow Marine Corps aviators to train with the Air Force, and hopefully by March 2013, he concluded.

19 MS&T MagaZine

linked into the ADVTE, not every training device at the MATSS will have this capability, Campbell said.

"This is possibly quite a boon for Marine Corps aviation training," Campbell pointed out. "ADVTE will minimize the number of multi-ship live events the service needs to conduct with actual aircraft to perform training. They also will be able to bring many more training events into the simulators because they can do networked multi-ship training."

“The 2011 Marine Corps Aviation Plan called on us to arm our warfighters by developing a system of tactically relevant networked trainers,” said Capt.

John Feeney, PMA-205 program manager. “ADVTE will help achieve that goal. In addition, it will free up Marine Corps aircraft for operations while shifting more training to simulators to augment combat mission readiness.”

Besides linking together training devices for various Marine Corps aircraft types as well as weapons trainers, additional plans for the ADVTE system are to link unmanned aircraft systems 7” X 4.8”trainers into the networked training environment. Depending on how the Marine Corps intend to employ it, even-

Training Technology ISSUE 1.2012 MS&T MAGAZINE

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to be linked into the NASMP network by fiscal year 2013.

This TOFT upgrade incorporates the first HD 360-degree visual system for the F/A-18C platform and consists of new projectors, mirrors and image computers. Also included in the upgrade are new motion-cueing seats that will simulate the feel of the actual aircraft in operation, including G-force effects.

According to a NASMP requirements analysis evaluation, enhanced visual perception and motion cueing were top priorities to increase F/A-18 simulation training effectiveness.

“The goal at PMA-205 is to ensure our warfighters are proficient and effective before they even step into an actual aircraft,” Feeney said. “By implementing these advanced technologies into the F/A-18 trainers, our pilots and naval flight officers will be even better prepared for live-fly scenarios.”

The NASMP simulator analyses are geared to identifying training capability gaps and solving them by recommending the most cost-effective upgrades, Davila said. In this way, the devices can provide increased training and readiness capability for performing live exercises through the NCTE network, he continued. The early-on definition of a capability gap spurs the corrective action to close the gaps where there is the largest return on investment to actually gain readiness credit, Davila summed up.

"The NASMP effort is not about just connecting every training device out there, but connecting them with a purpose," Davila pointed out. "What we are trying to accomplish with the different Navy aviation communities is to establish training requirements so we can make our investments to meet those training requirements. This was a call for these training communities to understand that they have to adjust their concept of operations to include this networked training capability to give us a refinement so that we can train in the most cost-effective fashion.

As more of these communities are starting to use the NASMP network in their training events, they are beginning to realize the potential of this capability."

Critical Analysis According to NAWCTSD Commanding Officer Captain William Reuter, train-

ficiency over cost. That's what we have done with the upgrades for the FA-18 TOFTS that will be networked into the NASMP, for example."

The investments in the NASMP upgrades will begin this year, with contracts for the FA-18 and MH-60 simulator upgrades, Reuter said. Then that same type of analysis will be overlaid onto F-35 training devices so that NAWCTSD can assess just where the upgrades for that training program should be made, he added.

LVC Above The F/A-18 TOFTs received state-of-theart upgrades that include a high definition, 360-degree visual system and motion cueing seats.

Image credit: U.S. Navy.

ing device capability analyses such as those provided through the NASMP program are becoming even more critically important to the success of both the NASMP and ADVTE programs as defense budgets are reduced. Such analyses provide Department of Defense budget decision-makers with a better understanding of the training needs as well as the technology, making them smarter buyers of training systems, Reuter said. The NASMP analyses have aided NAWCTSD in helping Pentagon acquisition personnel "better understand how to place smart bets on technology," and the methods employed to formulate NASMP analyses are also now being applied to the ADVTE program, he pointed out.

"We have raised the scale of our front-end analyses to be able to help decision makers understand the value of modeling and simulation as being a sort of force multiplier on the offset of having to decrease so much out of the operations account," Reuter said.

"That's where most of the money is getting eaten up. We have gone through a very rigorous analysis of aviation to take tasks and skills that feed into aviators' readiness into account. Then we consider a return on investment if we were to make surgical upgrades to fidelity in aviation training systems that we have already assessed ahead of the game as to what their ROI is going to be in pro-

While both the ADVTE and NASMP systems currently can be employed for local training exercises (and the NASMP with FST exercises), neither is capable of performing true LVC training exercises at this time. However, that is the ultimate goal of each program, and Campbell considers the initial ADVTE effort as "laying the groundwork for LVC, but true LVC capabilities are few years out."

Currently ADVTE is able to link Marine simulators on the US East and West coasts together, but – make no mistake – LVC is a strategic imperative for Navy and Marine aviation training, Reuter emphasized.

"We have some capability now, but we are trying to move a lot of proficiency and readiness to the simulator,'' Reuter said. “And along with that comes the imperative that we increase the robustness of our LVC architecture.”

One major prohibiting factor in achieving true LVC training is the “L” element, because it requires upgrades to actual aircraft as the live assets, Reuter said. Another issue is how to pass all of the data from the live aircraft into the LVC virtual training environment when current data pipelines are too narrow, he added.

"If you have to make big investments in the L-side into aircraft programs, such as the Joint Strike Fighter, to make them capable to pass the volumes of information to make them players in the LVC architecture, maybe virtual is where you place your bets," Reuter said. "However, there is no question about it – we have to get there with LVC. There is no way that we will be able to allocate as much training to the simulator as we are trying to do and get that much more readiness from the synthetic environment without it. So we have to do it!" ms&t

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LEADERSHIP INTERVIEW

Helen A. Remily – TCM-TADLP. Image credit: U.S. DoD.

Helen A. Remily – TCM-TADLP Marty Kauchak, Group Editor, spoke with Ms. Remily on November 9, 2011.

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s. Remily was appointed as the TRADOC Capability Manager for The Army Distributed Learning Program (TCMTADLP) in December 2009. As the TCMTADLP, her duties include program oversight and integration of DL governance, plans, and policies. Prior to that appointment, Remily served as the Director for Education and Training, Army Training Support Center, Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC), Fort Eustis, VA from June 2008 through December 2009.

Ms. Helen A. Remily has worked for the Department of the Army for twenty-nine years in a wide variety of assignments to include Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence, Headquarters, Department of the Army; and Joint Task ForceFive.

MS&T: Ms. Remily, first thank you for taking time to speak with MS&T. Tell us about the demands that are prompting the Army to evaluate its learning programs.

Helen Remily: You’re welcome. The Army’s training and education programs

are in direct correlation to individual and unit readiness regardless of when and where the learning occurs. In order to ensure we remain competitive in a global learning environment, the Army of 2020 will distribute more training and education to Soldiers at home station [unit]. We also need to meet the needs of 21st Century Soldiers who expect learning content to be accessible at the point of need [whenever and wherever it’s required].

Moreover, this new generation of learners expects more from learning content than the traditional 120 PowerPoint slide-deck; they insist on interactive multimedia products that have relevancy in today’s operating environment down to the tactical edge.

Here’s our challenge: How do we design relevant formal and informal distributed learning content that captures the imagination of this new generation of learners and builds upon their operational experience? How do we leverage new technology to deliver this content to the edge? Our soldiers are seeking smaller packages of information such

as performance applications that can be delivered via mobile internet devices.

How does this change the way we design and deliver content?

MS&T: Beyond smartphones?

HR: Yes, learning content does not always lend itself to delivery on a mobile device. Even when optimizing playability and display for a smartphone, the content may require a different media to optimize learning. To meet our learners’ needs, we must consider all mobile internet devices, of course, that includes the smartphone, as well as tablets, netbooks, e-readers, and the like.

MS&T: And how do the dynamics we discussed shape the new TADLP’s vision?

HR: I’m glad you asked that. Here’s the Army’s Distributed Learning Program’s vision statement located on our website http://www.atsc.army.mil/ tadlp/about_us.html – Create an environment of innovation where risk taking for dynamic change in Army learning is rewarded, continuously responding to an era of unknown yet persistent conflict.

It’s a very broad and bold vision statement. Decreasing resources will make experimenting with new learning technology and methodologies ever more challenging. However, it is in direct support of our senior leaders’ major objectives of meeting the needs for the Army of 2020 and of the 21st Century Soldier. In fact, it parallels Secretary of the Army John McHugh’s number two top priority: transforming the institutional Army. In part, he’s directing us to do things better, smarter, and faster while taking advantage of the technology, knowledge and experience available to us as well as encourage innovation. That’s precisely the focus of modernizing TADLP – an Armywide program established in 1996 that requires revolutionary transformation of DL plans and policies.

MS&T: And there have been no significant policy or other programmatic changes in this period?

HR: There have been changes in the program; however, those changes were evolutionary and have not kept pace with learning technology. When General

function regarding everything else we’ve discussed during this interview. As the combat developer, we must actively listen to our key stakeholders, adapt, and execute smartly.

MS&T: Has that been a collaborative effort to include the rest of DoD? HR: Yes, we are working with the Advanced Distributed CollaborativeLaboratory under the direction of the Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense (Readiness) in testing content and assisting with the revision of the DoD instruction for distributed learning. We also participate in the DL Coordinating Council, which is the primary advisory body to the Military Education Coordination Council. And we continue working with the Joint/Interagency community to share best practices and establish collaborative partnerships to ensure we are supporting the Joint Force as we move the program forward.

MS&T: What are some of the program’s accomplishments you expect the Army learning community to see in the next year or so?

HR: A domain where learning content is easily discoverable, accessible, playable, and trackable. Our intent within TADLP is to establish a technology-enabled learning domain. This domain will support the rapid creation and delivery of rigorous digitized learning content and enable knowledge sharing and collaboration among learners. The domain will also facilitate interagency and intergovernmental training, education, research and communication. Without one the program falls short of its objective to empower the tactical edge.

MS&T: Is there anything else you would like to add?

HR: There is one important issue that we haven’t discussed and that’s the quality of life for our soldiers. The Army DL program supports the Total Force [active, reserve, and national guard]. We must ensure that our learners have relevant training and education available at the point of need that is easily accessible and playable via multiple delivery platforms.

This will enable soldiers and leaders to spend more time with their families at home station versus long-term TDY to schools. This efficient use of training time will provide a critical quality of life balance needed by our soldiers given the current and future demands of the operational environment. ms&t

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ing delivery and reliability of our content delivery capability.

MS&T: We’re also hearing more about the Army’s Integrated Training Environment.

HR: Yes, as mentioned, the Army has an effort underway to create and establish an Integrated Training Environment. It’s a concept that has tremendous potential of blending training domains and leveraging the common framework of scenarios. Implementing the technology behind the effort is a challenge. What I mean by that is pushing virtual worlds or virtual environments across the web. The gaming industry solved that issue long ago with massively multiplayer online gaming sites; however, pushing serious [learning] games across the Army network remains complex.

MS&T: Your help wanted list of support you need from industry and academia to further advance TADLP? HR: The Army must develop content that is platform agnostic. However, developing content to run properly on different operating systems is problematic – establishing interoperable standards is an area that industry partners can assist to ensure playability of content. Classroom technology has advanced considerably in the past few years; however, we need to continue looking at integrating learning technologies into future smart classrooms. We’re also interested in how cognitive neuroscience research is transforming learning and how technology has changed the way the new generation acquires knowledge and skills. Social learning is another area we are looking into – academia could further advance us in this area by researching the integration of social learning into curriculums of study.

MS&T: And we’re observing a huge increase in the use of apps in DL training – in medicine, aviation and other sectors.

HR: There certainly is. The Army is leveraging the use of this technology within the Medical Department Center and School; the Army Aviation Center of Excellence, as well as Intelligence and Fires Centers of Excellence all of which are building technology rich curriculums.

MS&T: Tell us about any accomplishments from the last six months the TADLP program can point to.

HR: The most productive accomplishment is the new governance and oversight for the program. This is the forcing

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Dempsey [former TRADOC Commander; Army Chief of Staff; and current Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff] chartered me as the TRADOC Capability Manager for TADLP, he said that the program needed to be modernized. He stated, “...the Army’s DL program doesn’t need more evolutionary change; it requires revolutionary change.”

MS&T: That solidifies our opinion of General Dempsey as being a proponent of learning technology and leading change in this area.

HR: Absolutely, he was and continues to be an advocate. This also explains why our office conducted a Lean-Six Sigma initiative to drive innovation and lead change in modernizing TADLP. MS&T: You’ve also talked about resources. So what is the Army’s commitment to fund this significant course change in distributed learning?

HR: A great question. This past fiscal year, we were successful in raising the awareness and significant importance of TADLP’s contributions to Army readiness through supporting the Army’s learning domains [institution, unit, self].

This led to an increase in our resourcing category at the Department level – we remain in competition for decreasing resources; however, we are now at an elevated level of probable funding.

MS&T: For a training program, that calls for congratulations.

HR: Thank you. The Army’s commitment on resourcing this program has increased—it’s an investment in innovation and technologies that will lead to resource savings. The new Army Learning Model challenges us to create more blended learning strategies. General Cone [Commander, TRADOC], continues this initiative under Army 2020 by expanding the use of synchronous and asynchronous virtual, constructive simulation, and gaming strategies into the integrated training environment. We also continue to support research into the use of intelligent tutoring systems as synthetic peers, facilitators, and mentors. The Army is similarly employing the latest technology in delivering learning content to the edge. We’re currently conducting a pilot, through the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA), to provide learning content to the total force via GIG Content Delivery Service (GCDS) technology. The GCDS is already exhibiting improvements in accelerat-

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TRAINING TECHNOLOGY

The original Taktisches Kriegs Spiel von Baron von Reiswitz presented to King Friedrich Wilhelm III. Image credit: Prussian Palaces and Gardens Foundation Berlin-Brandenburg.

Not Just a Game Two centuries after their conception, Kriegsspiele – Prussian serious games – seem eerily familiar. MS&T`s Walter F. Ullrich describes the evolution of the game.

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his is not just a game, this is warfare education! I must and I will warmly recommend it to the army!” Such was the enthusiastic reaction of General Carl Ferdinand Baron von Müffling, Chief of the Prussian General Staff, after he and his staff witnessed a presentation of a Kriegsspiel (wargame). That was in January 1824, when Lieutenant Georg Rudolf Baron von Reiswitz finally achieved the breakthrough for the Kriegsspiele his father, War Councillor Georg Leopold Baron von Reiswitz, had invented in the early 19th century.

It was not only the Prussian Army that introduced Kriegsspiele into its training repertoire thereafter; for many armies in the world these wargames became a valuable training tool.

Battle Chess Variants Of course, Kriegsspiele did not represent the first attempt to move warfighting indoors. In the 5th century BC, the Chinese general Sun Tzu, author of the famous “The Art of War”, is said to have invented the first wargame called Wei Hai. In this game, Sun Tzu demon-

strated the principle that encirclement was preferable to direct attack. Students of war had to move coloured stones that represented entire armies. Victory went to the first player who managed to outflank his enemy. Although the original rules of the game have been lost, Wei Hai is believed to be similar to the Japanese game of Go. The Indian board game Chaturanga – the forerunner of modern-day chess – is another ancient strategy game from which diverse variations on chess emerged in the early modern era.

Three German game inventors must be named in this context: In 1664, Christoph Weickhmann created Königsspiel (King’s game) that used a larger board, military terms and new chess pieces that represented the military entities of his era. In 1780, Dr Christian Ludwig Hellwig created War Chess, which had a 1,666-square, multi-coloured chequered layout in which each colour represented a different type of terrain. He also introduced aggregated components, so that one single piece represented an entire military unit. Georg Venturini, a military theorist who, in a very modern scientific

approach, categorised the tactics of warfare into logical categories, in 1797 published a meticulously detailed set of rules for a wargame that enlarged the chess board to 3,600 squares. He moved away from chess rules and integrated military necessities into the game, for example the establishing and securing of supply routes. For the first time the board represented a real world, namely the Franco– Belgian border. Similar to today’s Hex Games, the chess square had a specific spatial extent, in this case one square mile. The figures were not only soldiers, but bridges, depots, weapons and military materials. Rather than being mere entertainment, Venturini’s “game” was intended to educate military personnel. It marks the peak – and the end – of chessboard-inspired wargames. The game platforms that followed were realistic terrain tables and maps.

Von Reiswitz the elder’s Taktisches Kriegs Spiel During his younger years, von Reiswitz the elder spent a lot of time playing War Chess with the later Prince Friedrich Ferdinand, who had one of Hellwig’s famous games in his castle in Pless, Silesia. Von Reiswitz had already experimented with cuboids in place of the checkerboard pattern. His real challenge, however, was to build a device that could “conjure up other eternally memorable Silesian battlefields in one’s own living room.”

Von Reiswitz, who served as royal official in the civil administration, specialised in army logistic and initial deployment plans. This experience was most probably the reason why, in 1811, he was called to assist in the military education of the royal princes. In 1812, he was given the opportunity to present to the Prussian King Friedrich Wilhelm III an improved version of an educational instrument that he had used during his royal students’ lessons in tactics. However, the Taktisches Kriegs Spiel, which he dedicated to the King, no longer had anything in common with its sandboxlike predecessor. His new construct was

After the victorious Wars of Liberation against Napoleon in 1813, von Reiswitz the elder left the further distribution of his wargame to his son. Lieutenant Georg Rudolf Baron von Reiswitz was a member of a committee that examined the range and scattering of all types of weapons. He took the averaged values as the basis for his father’s wargame. However, in order to introduce the uncertainty of war, he systematically used the results of dice throws to create deviations from the reference value. Mobility, firepower and the level of protection mattered, but were not insurmountable. In urban combat, for example, those who occupied buildings enjoyed a clear advantage. Yet, had the attacker thrown two points more than the defender, he won the building; if he failed, he lost two men. Thus, the student officer learned to take unavoidable yet calculable risks in order to drive the battle forward and realise his commander’s plan.

It was this improved version of the game that von Reiswitz presented to the Chief of the Prussian General Staff in 1824.

General Müffling kept his word and significantly contributed to establishing the Taktisches Kriegsspiel as official training and

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A Military Education Tool

education aid in the Prussian army. The General, who was one of the most famous cartographers of the 19th century, had in the early 1820s initiated what was then the most complete cartographic survey of Prussia. The resultant 1:8000 original ordnance survey maps could be easily integrated into the game.

In fact, they thus became multi-purpose, serving traditional staff training, gaming and real war. The support of the Chief of Staff helped to popularise the younger von Reiswitz’s game within the Prussian officer corps in record time. Such was the enthusiasm that Kriegsspiel clubs were formed in which officers practised wargames after their daily duties – very much to the delight of their superiors. Rather than throwing dice for money, they were now doing so to practise war tactics. A lot of young officers improved their professional skills in these clubs; some becoming famous military leaders like Field Marshal Helmuth Count von Moltke.

In the years that followed von Reiswitz brought the marking of the game pieces in line with the official military symbols.

He also introduced the role of “confidant”, who was both umpire and game master and took decisions in unclear situations, sometimes even by throwing dice. Reconnaissance steadily gained in importance in Kriegsspiele. Screens that divided the playing field to simulate day and night, troop maskers, and troop pieces that were stacked on each other to hide the exact identity until own observers were close enough to find out, as well as realistically delayed release of reports, created a fog of war that was only penetrable by means of timely reconnaissance. By then, experts had also recognised the potential of using Kriegsspiele to replay former battles or to run multiple simulations to find battle variants and best solutions.

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a mighty piece of furniture topped by a rotatable plate that could be unfolded into a rasterised playing board twice the original size. The 1:2373 scaled playing surface had alphanumerical, addressable fields, 15 in width and 18 in length. Eleven out of the 12 drawers in the dresser were filled with wooden rectangles representing terrain features such as rivers, forests, fields and meadows or mountain formations that could be used to create fictive scenery or to reproduce an actual landscape.

In fact, putting together the landscape on the board proved to be much more time-consuming than playing the game itself.

The actual pieces represented different categories of weapons, for instance cavalry or artillery. The colours blue and green were used to distinguish the two parties, while other colours indicated the division they belonged to. Troop maskers hid the pieces from their adversary’s sight if distance, vegetation or built-up areas justified it. Up to 10 persons, one commander in chief and nine subordinated commanders could participate in a Kriegsspiel. Command and control was done using “signal cards”, which permitted commands, reporting or forwarding proposals for the on-going manoeuvre. If the situation on the board revealed that the deployment of troops no longer allowed the flow of command and reporting, subordinated commanders had to act on their own. Troops moved in paths every minute - at different speeds, depending on whether they were mounted or not. Von Reiswitz’s guidelines also stipulated that after a double-quick march infantry had to move slower on their next move. When the distance between the opposing parties fell below a certain distance, weapons could be used. Weapon effects were expressed in fractions of one; when the sum of one was exceeded for one piece, it was removed from the game.

That way, each military skirmish drained the strength of the unit involved.

The Prussian King was so enthusiastic about the Kriegsspiel that he immediately had it taken to Sanssouci, his palace at Potsdam near Berlin. When he learned about Napoleon’s invasion of Russia he invested a great deal of time in playing his tactical wargame together with his sons, the adjutants and other officers – often well into the night.

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TRAINING TECHNOLOGY

In later years, other experts improved and expanded Kriegsspiele. The siege game Festungskriegsspiel took into account the much more complex issues of attack and defence during the besiegement of a fortress compared to open field battles. In 1876, a navy wargame was developed at the request of the then Minister for the Navy, Albrecht von Stosch. Strategic Kriegsspiele, which were played on 1:100,000-scaled general staff maps, gradually came into use. From 1876 on, free-play wargames, which were ruled by the decisions of human umpires, began replacing von Reiswitz’s rigid, rule-based Kriegsspiel.

When in 1877 up-to-date statistical data from the Franco–Prussian war were incorporated, Kriegsspiele were increasingly used as a cost-effective test base to replace real field manoeuvres.

A Worldwide Success Many foreign powers attributed Prussia’s resounding victories in the wars of the 19th century more or less directly to Kriegsspiele. There may well be some truth in that claim. Why should those young officers not apply the knowledge

and experience they had gathered during intense yet playful game sessions to real battles? Why should they not take the initiative in combat with the same enthusiasm, energy and resolve they had previously shown in a simulation?

The Turkish government was the first to adopt Kriegsspiele. Von Reiswitz himself introduced the Turkish Minister of War, Chosref Pascha, to the game.

First Lieutenant von Reiswitz also went to St. Petersburg to teach Tsar Nicholas I how to play Kriegsspiele. Austria, Sweden, and almost all foreign powers took over von Reiswitz’s game. The United States learned about wargaming when, in 1867, a translation of a German game became available. England introduced Kriegsspiele in 1872. The free-play version of wargame was introduced in Japan in the late 1800s, where it was held in very high esteem by the Imperial Japanese Army War College.

Many credited Japan’s success in the Russo–Japanese War to the training Japanese officers had received playing Kriegsspiele. In fact, the Japanese military greatly relied on Kriegsspiele in preparations for their Pacific campaigns

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in World War II. Top naval leaders spent 11 days at the Naval War College in Tokyo running through the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor.

However, Kriegsspiele did not only enjoy widespread use. It also provided the basis for many modern games.

Today’s digital role-playing games very closely follow the idea von Reiswitz and his son conceived of almost 200 years ago – both in design and implementation: players have appropriate responsibilities; there is a realistic, measurable terrain; strict, but logical rules for gains and losses; fog of war; and good and bad luck based on randomness.

Von Reiswitz the elder considered his invention not as a game in the strict sense. He recommended it for educational purposes and exercises. However he explicitly included the aspect of entertainment. He had recognised that play is an integral part of human nature, as is competition – a truth that modern game designers continue to exploit.

While technology has changed, the basic principles of the ‘serious game’ used so successfully in Kriegsspiele, have not. ms&t

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TRANSFORMATION

The signing ceremony of the NATO Modelling & Simulation Centre Of Excellence Memoranda Of Understanding was held on December 14th 2011.

Image credit: NATO.

NATO’s M&S Centre of Excellence The mission - provide subject-matter expertise in regard to all aspects of M&S activities to help NATO and Nations in their transformation efforts. Colonello Francesco Mastrorosa reports on the state of this Italian led initiative.

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odelling & Simulation is high on decision-makers’ agenda; it provides benefits by mitigating risks, improving interoperability and the quality of products, ensuring those products more closely meet the needs of users, and helps save time when it comes to capability fielding. Since M&S spans many domains – such as capability development, education and training, and lessons learned – building a structured and collaborative framework to coherently employ it appears to be a difficult task. That is why it is important for NATO and Nations to establish and feed a particular mindset towards M&S and to take advantage of any opportunities and resources arising in the M&S environment.

With the objective of providing such resources, the mission of the Modelling & Simulation Centre of Excellence (M&S COE), based in Rome and created on the initiative of the Italian Min-

istry of Defence to complement NATO M&S capabilities, is to help NATO and Nations in their transformation efforts by providing subject-matter expertise in regard to all aspects of M&S activities.

Given its place in the important reality of NATO Centres of Excellence, the Italian initiative for an M&S COE is growing and rapidly proceeding towards achieving fully operational capability.

The Present There is significantly more work to be done in the NATO M&S community than there are resources available. In this regard NATO, Allied Command Transformation (ACT) in particular, is keen to have the M&S COE in Rome as a fully participating and contributing partner in the M&S community. The M&S COE will be committed to M&S Education and Training, coordinating training and expert certification for M&S SubjectMatter Experts (SMEs) and organising

M&S courses, symposia and workshops.

The first Computer Assisted Exercise (CAX) Operator Certification Course in the M&S COE facility was held on April 11–15 2011 in cooperation with the NATO Joint Warfare Centre. The course mainly came about after ACT indicated that the M&S COE should become and act as an M&S education centre for NATO bodies and Nations.

In addition, the M&S COE recently organised and managed the sixth edition of the NATO CAX Forum (CAX ’11) on September 12–15 in Rome. A series of lectures and debates dealt with technical and operational CAX activities, the primary goal of the conference being to promote information exchange and the refinement of procedures among staff in NATO and national simulation centres. With 220 attendees, the conference almost doubled in size compared to last year. Part of the recipe for success of this year’s conference was that it teamed up with the 8th International Multidisciplinary Modelling & Simulation Multiconference (I3M) – with its own 300 mostly academic attendees – to hold joint meetings and demonstrations. With 18 industry partners also in attendance, the result was truly a success and demonstrated very well the COE’s ability to successfully operate within the triangle of government, academia and industry. Italian Army Brigadier General Giovanni Fungo, ACT Assistant Chief of Staff Capability Engineering, noted in his closing address to the Forum that attendees were not satisfied to allow CAX to continue using only time-honoured CAX methods.

A number of special items were also briefed and discussed, including the comprehensive approach, medical and pandemics, cyber defence, reconstruction and stability, and refugees. Both the CAX Operator Course and the CAX Forum will be held again and managed by the M&S COE in 2012 and beyond.

Further, a series of meetings and workshops were organised on the Centre’s premises or co-sponsored by it, such as

In the meantime, the M&S COE capabilities lead the Centre to contribute most to the development of concepts and capabilities through conducting experiments in the M&S COE test-bed and to provide assistance to NATO and national authorities in the area of M&S systems, interconnectivity and data transfer.

The M&S COE also aims to contribute to linking up the real world and simulation systems by defining interoperability testing requirements and running tests to assess and verify interoperability of M&S systems and architectures, supporting the development of scenarios for NATO and Nations. The Centre will also work on integrating existing NATO and national M&S tools and activities, as well as on developing future M&S capabilities. M&S verification and validation activities will be carried out concurrently to facilitate accreditation of models, simulations and data by performing basic and applied simulation research.

Operations in a net-centric world require a more collaborative environment in which to work and find the required solutions. Bearing this in mind, in addition to the aforementioned activities, the COE will seek very close interaction with national M&S agencies and institutions. Collaboration with academia and industry is a fundamental issue which ACT in particular has strived to develop through the Framework for Collaborative Interaction (FFCI) Initiative, the objective of which was to enable collaborative work with those entities to leverage the expertise which each community can bring to transformational efforts. The M&S COE will do its best to ensure that there is adequate representation, collaboration and support from industry, academia and other organisations. This could include any number of initiatives, including fellowships, liaison staff endowments and the sharing of equipment and facilities. One initiative has already begun cooperating with the academic world in Italy, namely by leveraging know-how, resources and capabilities, as well as enhancing the exchange of information.

Mutual expertise is another objective of this partnership, which also aims to ensure risk reduction and cost savings through M&S activities. One key means of achieving that is by providing a safe synthetic environment in which all or some activities are conducted. The creation of a distributed environment, with the M&S COE acting as one of the hubs, would contribute to networking among national resources and to the implementation of common test and experimentation activities. This networking might serve to create not only physical connections but also a social environment which can improve information-sharing, the development of multinational capabilities and lead to greater efficiency in the M&S field. The subsequent sharing of M&S data would result in the visibility and accessibility of all the information to members of the so-called M&S Community of Interest.

Establishing such an effective entity which can network and connect with national transformational work in the area of

About the Author Colonello Francesco Mastrorosa, Italian Defence General Staff, is Director of the NATO Modelling & Simulation Centre of Excellence in Rome. ms&t

Flight Simulation & Rotorcraft joint Conference

rotary wing mission training rehearsal and the role of flight simulation london / 29 - 31 may 2012 This conference brings together the rotary and simulation communities, with the aim of mapping out the way forward for civil helicopter mission training in light of recent accidents and incidents where more extensive training might have averted disaster. www.aerosociety.com/events Sponsored by:

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The Future

capability development and training will simultaneously pose a big challenge and be a great step forward when it comes to improving interoperability in current operational environments.

Further, developing the M&S efforts will help increase interaction with Nations, building a physical and social network of NATO and national facilities.

The Czech Republic has taken up this challenge and signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Italy, becoming the Centre’s first Sponsoring Nation and launching the process which will result in the accreditation of the M&S COE as a NATO COE some time in 2012. US DoD officials from the Joint & Coalition Warfighting Center, successor to the disbanded USJFCOM, repeatedly said that the M&S COE is the place to do technical testing in Europe, taking a lead role in follow-on onsite experiment and development testing and showing a strong interest in sponsoring the initiative as well. The test-bed would be persistent, allowing NATO and Nations to use the facility for distributed testing and experimentation of a multinational NATO Education and Training Network permitting the linking of live, virtual and constructive systems, and command and control systems of NATO and other nations.

The M&S COE will help to dramatically improve the efficiency of NATO’s use of resources, without duplicating national efforts. It presents a great opportunity. Yet there are challenges ahead – in terms of technology and human resources (education and certification of professionals). But international efforts will enable these challenges to be overcome.

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the NATO Training Federation Control & Configuration Board (NTF CCB), the MSG-Exploratory Team-30 (NATO’s Immersive Environments Interoperability Requirements) and the NATO Undersea Research Centre (NURC) Study Group Concerning M&S. These activities are designed to deliver insights and recommendations to clarify and define various issues, such as requirements and prioritised topics.

Show RepoRt

I/ITSEC 2011 the military and simulation industry returned to orlando’s orange County Convention Center in orlando to participate in this keystone event. MS&t’s editors report.

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/ITSEC 2011 again proved that it is the premier military simulation and training show and conference. According to the organisers, there were about 20,000 total registrants, including some 4000 conference delegates and an additional 7500 exhibit visitors; approximately 50% of the registrants were from government; and 2000 international registrants represented 56 countries. There were 590 exhibiting companies in 441 exhibits. MS&T editors and writers visited exhibits, spoke with exhibitors, and attended events. Even with five editorial staff we could not see everything, or every company, or attend every event.

But underneath the hustle and bustle was an undercurrent of uncertainty about the future. Everyone was certainly aware of the budget challenges facing, not only the DOD, but also many other militaries. Nevertheless, there are executives who still see lots of opportunities for their companies at a time when live is going more and more virtual. Boeing’s Mark McGraw, VP Training Systems and Services, sees a strong market in virtual maintenance training, while noting that

Boeing’s on-going programmes have largely remained unaffected.

Lenny Genna, president of L-3 Communications’ Link Simulation and Training said that 2012 will be spent watching the opportunities from the evolving training system requirements for the U.S. Air Force’s embryonic KC-46 tanker and T-X trainer programs. “As far as largescale programs, those are the major ones we are monitoring.” Link, as the current incumbent for the U.S. Air Force’s Predator Mission Aircrew Training System program, also intends to pursue the recompete of the program contract scheduled for 2012 On the other hand, some S&T product managers are increasingly translating the falling number of materiel and active soldiers straight into fewer simulators and fewer training courses.

Those who directly support the programmes may be particularly hit by the cuts. First impacts were visible in some smaller footprint booths with reduced crews. We also noted reports that some companies were reorganising - some well-known faces were missing at this I/ITSEC

Above An interview with an avatar.

Image credit: elke Ullrich.

In this type of business environment, McGraw emphasised that one should “think opportunities in the current budget times”. And thinking opportunities leads to “adaption”. “There is just one thing that remains constant – and that is change,” said LeAnn Ridgeway in her Industry Keynote. Industry has to adapt to the prevailing economic conditions like it has to adapt to new tasks and changing threats. But training providers also have to adapt to the technology applied by social networks. “We cannot expect a generation who grew up with constant connectivity, iPods, smartphones, Facebook and Twitter to adapt to or learn different cognitive skills for the battlefield,” the Vice President and General Manager, Simulation & Training Solutions at Rockwell Collins said. Dr Laura Junor, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Readiness, addressing the General and Flag Officer Panel, stressed the need for a scalable

Above Medical simulation had an increased presence at this year's show.

Image credit: elke Ullrich.

Issues and Themes There seemed to be a general acceptance that budgetary constraints and the priority demands of the new tanker and the F-35 would mean a slip to the right for the T-X program. Boeing, predictably, were of the view that this would mean that there would still be time for a new design, which would be low-risk and, therefore affordable. Lockheed Martin and BAE Systems, unsurprisingly, did not take this view. Alenia and the M-346/T100, as for other recent shows, were invisible. One issue of interest concerns meetings between ETC and T-X competitors BAE Systems and Lockheed Martin, to discuss the merits of including the Authentic Tactical Flight Simulation (ATFS)-400 in their ‘suites of training systems’. It may be that a high performance motion simulator could be considered a means of down-loading expensive and fatigue-sapping training, thereby reducing the overall costs.

Another emerging theme was the increasing use of simulation in training for disaster and terrorism response and emergency services training. Elbit’s Emergency Events Management Training System, concentrates on the command, control and integration aspects, and can simulate, in great details, the effects of several simultaneous events at separate sites. VStep’s RescueSim provides virtual training for first responders and emergency organisations in assessing situations, determining the best response strategies, and observing the

consequences of those decisions. NAUTIS Port Security Awareness addresses a more specific but no less topical threat.

In a related theme CAE demonstrated the Multi-Agency Situational Awareness System (MASAS), designed to dramatically improve information sharing for emergency management organizations.

MASAS is not just software, but rather a framework to support information sharing based on geography and interoperability standards.

3D is becoming ubiquitous in maintenance and other training domains. Gabe Batstone, NGRAIN’s new CEO, feels that it is an exciting time to be in the training and simulation industry, forecasting an unprecedented period of growth in the use of 3D models.

Finally, we noted the growing presence of medical simulation. The range included serious games applications for training young doctors to improve patient safety, robotic surgery simulation and hyper combat wound special effects.

As an aside, Halldale Media Group has just launched a new publication focussed on medical simulation – MEdSim. See it online at www.halldale.com

From the Floor BAE Systems demonstrated how the concept of Distributed Mission Operations (DMO) can be practiced by the T-X Trainer program by introducing both simple and complex DMO scenarios into training providing many learning points

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adaptive force and the way to do that is through placing increased weight on developing and maintaining human capital.

This was the sixth annual Serious Games Showcase and Challenge (SGSC) and MS&T has been present at and reported every event. The goal of the SGCS is to identify innovative game-based technologies and solutions that improve training across all segments for individuals, groups and systems. And this is a goal that MS&T, sponsor of the People’s Choice award, strongly supports.

The SGSC had a 45% increase in entries over last year. The committee received 54 submissions from serious game developers and selected 21 finalists to be showcased. This year the committee added two new categories: mobile games and adaptive force training. Dr James Blake, PEOSTRI, in his remarks, noted the impact of serious games on the training community and said he was “looking forward to how far serious games will take us”, a view shared by MS&T. The following teams emerged as winners: Best Serious Game Business Category was awarded to Air Medic Sky One by the University Medical Center Utrecht (Holland), Best Serious Game Student Category was awarded to Garden Defense by Katelyn Procci from the UCF Retro Lab, Best Serious Game Government Category was awarded to First Person Cultural Trainer by US Army's TRADOC-TRISA, Best Serious Game Mobile Category was awarded to EPP Operator Maintainer Course by C2 Technologies, Best Serious Game for this year's Special Emphasis Category of Adaptive Force Training was awarded to Bushudo: The Way of the Radical by Mr Kevin Harris of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and the MS&T sponsored Best Serious Game People's Choice was awarded to Quality Tycoon by Northrop-Grumman.

MS&T was intrigued by Foldit, a puzzle game designed to source a crowd to solve problems for science, rather than focusing on training. The puzzles address protein structure prediction and protein design, both key to solving problems like HIV/AIDS, cancer, and Alzheimer’s. See more at www.fold.it/ portal and contribute to science!

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Military Commands and Organisations Judging by the exhibits, there was more emphasis on emerging technologies in this edition of I/ ITSEC than ever before. We also noted a leaner presence - a harbinger of leaner times ahead?

Anchored by their announcement of awardees for their $2 billion Training System Contract III (TSC III) multiple-award, indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity (IDIQ) omnibus contract, NAWCTSD focused on the virtual. The Naval Air Warfare Center Training in 3 Dimensions (NAWCT3D) employs the Second Life virtual world to provide virtual access to its training products. The products included a virtual version of the Battle Station 21 simulator and the Multi-Purpose Reconfigurable Training System (MRTS) submarine undersea trainer.

Two NAWCTSD goals are to develop an Acquisition Integrated Product Team (IPT) Virtual World to enhance collaboration and a persistent virtual world for workforce training.

The Soldier Centered Army Learning Environment (SCALE), being developed by the Army Research Lab (ARL)'s Simulation and Training Technology Center (STTC) and the Army Research Institute (ARI), incorporates advanced training technologies to support the Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC)'s new Army Learning Concept (ALC) for 2015. SCALE system will deliver non-traditional learning content to soldiers via virtual worlds, Web browsers and mobile devices.

PEO STRI and the STTC displayed new jointly developed medical simulation products: the Standalone Patient Simulator (SAPS), HapMed Medic Skills training system, Hemostatic Agents Training Simulation (HemSim) and the Virtual Medic Simulation (vMedic). The latter, produced

by Engineering and Computer Simulations, Inc., is a spinoff of the

>>

for student pilots. The Joint Fires scenario demonstrated featured an operational mission carried out within the vicinity of Randolph Air Force Base in Texas.

Three Hawk aircraft (from the BAE Systems Hawk AJTS Demonstration Trailer) participated in the training exercise; one aircraft configured in the air-to-ground role supported by two additional Hawk aircraft in the Defensive Counter Air role.

The mission was orchestrated from the BAE Systems booth which provided a Joint Terminal Attack Controller (JTAC) to coordinate the strike and with preand post-strike reconnaissance undertaken by a Remotely Piloted Air System (RPAS).

Bohemia Interactive Simulation introduced VBS2 v2.0 and VBSWorlds, along with a wide range of partner products. VBS2 is an open platform that readily supports plug-ins through APIs like VBS2Fusion. VBS2 is ubiquitous – over 30 companies exhibited VBS2 in their booths.

Meggitt Training Systems unveiled its evolving FATS® M100 system architecture for next generation simulation and training systems. The new product has a number of hardware and software innovations, including the addition of Bohemia Interactive’s VBS2 virtual environment.

L-3 Communications’ Link Simulation and Training Division announced it will deliver the first SimuStrike full-capability flight simulator before the end of December to Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland to support F/A-18 pilot and weapon system operator training.

The product was developed to meet their customer’s requirement for a diverse, lower cost trainer, and to supplement Link’s F/A-18 Tactical Operational Flight Trainer product line. projectiondesign showcased their FL35 wqxga, the latest addition to the projectiondesign range. It combines 4.1 million pixel resolution and 2nd Generation LED illumination technology offering the benefits of low cost of ownership, operation for up to 100,000 hours, highly accurate color reproduction and unmatched reliability and system uptime. projectiondesign projectors were deployed across 8 partner booths.

Indra demonstrated its INVIS2, PCbased IG, available for both military and civil aviation applications. “In particular for civil applications, the IG has been cer-

tified for Level D trainers, the highest in this sector. INGRID, our Database Generation toolset, allows for simple modeling of the training scenarios,” Carlos Acosta, the company’s president and CEO said.

INVIS2 provides geo-typical and geospecific image generation capabilities.

Christie’s new product offerings and technology demonstrations included a 4K Resolution Virtual Sand Table, the EGG (Edgeless Graphics Geometry) concept, a Personal Immersive Environment (PIE), a Stereoscopic Collimated Display, and a 60 /120HZ High Speed Comparison. Dave Kanahele, director of simulation solutions, noted Christie’s PIE concept is a low-cost, faceted simulation display system that is perfect for deployable and scalable training systems such as aerial training systems, replicating the fidelity of ship bridges, air traffic control towers and other environments. Composed of Christie FHD551-X HD LCD flat panels, the Christie PIE concept features a three-panel arrangement in portrait mode for a roughly 90 degree field of view (FOV). Additional flat panels are added to increase the FOV up to as much as 270 degrees.

Quantum3D demonstrated its Mantis V3.0 software platform’s new capability to operate on standard PC platforms.

Instead of just relying on the IDX 7000 platform, Mantis is now available for multiple types of simulation and training environments, on standard PC platforms. Additionally, the company and CymSTAR LLC announced their Boom Operator Weapons System Trainer aerial refueling simulator has been declared ready-for-training by the U.S. Air Force.

This is the first KC-135R boom operator trainer to receive simulator certification allowing transfer of training credits from the aircraft to the simulator.

Rheinmetall’s ANTares modular tactical training system provides fully networked and interoperable air, land and maritime weapon platform simulators in a realistic, high-intensity virtual combat training environment. Using commercial off-the-shelf equipment and a common design for all simulated weapon platforms, the transportable ANTares system reduces lifecycle costs by minimizing maintenance needs.

Presagis’ new server-based SEGen Server provides the capability of automatically generating synthetic environment databases in minutes instead

CAE's exhibit featured the AT-6 Unit Training Device.

Image credit: Elke Ullrich.

of hours or days. By allowing users to quickly make changes or add data to the CDB repository organisations avoid timeconsuming recompiling of data. The SEGen Server can save the user valuable time, money and resources.

B-Design3D’s interactive 3D model of the city of Zurich in Switzerland created for security forces and immersive first responders’ training systems distinguished itself through exceptional visual appearance, size and complexity.

The same is true for the highly accurate reproduction of the city of Tel Aviv.

Night Readiness have adapted their low-cost aviation night vision goggle technology to ground forces training through the Virtual Terrain Board, and have enhanced the air training scenarios through the addition of surface-to-air threats and other effects.

CAE demonstrated a full spectrum of simulation and modeling capabilities.

Their exhibit featured technology and capability demonstrations of Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) mission training solutions, AT-6 Unit Training Device (UTD), Maintenance training for ground combat systems (Abrams tank virtual maintenance training), Operational Environment Scenario Generation Tool (OESGT), Multi-Agency Situational Awareness System (MASAS), and CAE Caesar trauma patient simulator. An interesting demonstration feature the incorporation of the AT-6 Texan Unit Training Device into the scenario for their UAS simula-

tor training demonstration, allowing Predator operators to practise integrating attack operations with their ISTAR activities.

Thales demonstrated their Sagittarius suite of small arms and tactical scenario trainers, comprising Land (driving, mounted and dismounted scenarios and weapon mount firing), Sea (as for land but dedicated to speedboats and offshore raiding craft) and air (mounted and unmounted weapon operation from a helicopter).

A Couple to Watch The Dutch company E2M, demonstrated a new electric extremely compact 6 degree of freedom motion base using a technique not seen before. The company’s eM6-ROT-1000 uses a curved pushpull arrangement to allow it to reach an unparalleled settled height of only 385 mm. With a payload up to 1000 kg, look for this technology to be featured in transportable vehicle simulators.

Fast growing CM Labs was showing off the latest versions of Vortex, their ground vehicle simulation tool. The latest wrinkle is deformable terrain technology.

This software accepts a mesh as a starting point, and at run time can generate additional data structures that represent earth volumes. Additionally the movement of the earth, and the interaction of the earth with mesh and digging tools, is calculated physically using the most advanced models. The system is scalable and may be tuned for increased precision or faster run-time rates, depending on the needs of the simulation. The effectiveness of this technology was amply demonstrated in the motion based back hoe excavator – it was realistic! ms&t

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Above

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Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TC3) Simulation. These medical simulations and others were demonstrated in PEO STRI's extensive Medical Simulation Training Center (MSTC) exhibit, which featured additional new medical training devices, including the Augmented Reality Intubation Trainer.

Air Force Agency for Modeling and Simulation (AFAMS) featured a new DMO Network online portal; the Air National Guard showcased its Distributed Aerial Refueling Trainer (DART) and the Micro Boom Operator Simulation System.

Combined they formed a capability for tanker aircraft refueling boom operators to refuel virtual aircraft in real-time and space.

The Marine Corps, PM TRASYS, featured the service's new Advanced Distributed Virtual Training Environment (ADVTE).

The ADVTE is a system of local and wide-area networks that will ultimately link together the majority of Marine aviation simulators located at Marine Corps Aviation Training System sites in the continental United States.

In the future, the system will train maintainers as well as aviators and discussions are taking place on how to connect Marine Corps simulators internationally. The Marine Corps also plans to expand the ADVTE to allow linking with its ground training systems and unmanned aviation training systems.

Other notable training systems displayed included the Air Force Synthetic Environment for Reconnaissance and Surveillance (AFSERS/MUSE) for training for unmanned aerial systems, NAWCTSD’s new 3D Weapons Launch Console Team Trainer for multiple classes of US submarines, and the Army Research, Development and Engineering (RDECOM)'s new virtual human-based training prototype for the instruction, practice and assessment of personnel leadership skills.

World NeWs & ANAlysis

Seen&Heard A compendium of current news from the military simulation and training industry, compiled and edited by news editor Fiona Greenyer and the MS&T editorial team.

For the latest breaking news and in-depth reports go to www.halldale.com.

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Helicopter Training

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Crew Reality Systems – The Defence Helicopter Flying School and its training service partner FB Heliservices have installed three new helicopter crew reality (HCR) systems from Virtalis at RAF Shawbury and RAF Valley.

HCR is built around a Virtalis ActiveSpace immersive display system.

The students' movements are tracked by a Polhemus Liberty motion tracker. In a physical mock-up of the cabin interior, they can move naturally and touch the real physical objects at the same time as they reach for them virtually.

NH90 Training Program – Rotorsim, the consortium owned equally by CAE and AgustaWestland, has inaugurated the Joint NH90 Training Program (JNTP) for the Netherlands Ministry of Defence.

Rotorsim, which serves as the prime contractor for the JNTP, took delivery of an NH90 full mission flight trainer (FMFT) that can be configured as the NH90 Tactical Transport (TTH) variant or the NH90 NATO Frigate Helicopter (NFH) variant.

The Netherlands Ministry of Defence and Netherlands Militaire Luchtvaart Autoriteit (Military Aviation Authority) recently qualified the NH90 TTH simulator variant to Level C. The NH90 NFH simulator cockpit, which will begin training in early 2012, is expected to be later qualified to Level D. Transportable Black Hawk Sims – The US Army has signed a $35 million contract for Rockwell Collins to provide additional Transportable Black Hawk Operations Simulators (T-BOS) by September 2015.

T-BOS is a high-fidelity flight simulator capable of being deployed to forward operating bases. The T-BOS is equipped with UH-60M avionics including Rockwell Collins' cockpit displays.

Upgrades

Above NH90 full mission flight trainer (FMFT).

H-60 Simulator – Indra Systems has delivered upgrades to the H-60 F/H flight simulator at US Naval Air Station North Island. The simulator now offers highresolution visuals, advanced acoustics and night-vision training.

Small Arms Sim – Meggitt will supply £13 million of upgrades to the dismounted close combat trainer (DCCT) for the British Army. This involves adding devices needed to support Future Integrated Soldier Technology (FIST) enhancements.

FIST enhancements to 59 of the MoD's 154 DCCTs include three simulators, an underslung grenade launcher sight, a thermal sight and a commander's target locator, for which Meggitt will provide associated ballistics and round effects for SA80/UGL rifle simulators, modifying them to accommodate new thermal sights.

F-15C Trainer – The Boeing Company has received a $20 million contract from the US Air Force to upgrade the visual systems in the F-15C Mission Training

image credit: AgustaWestland.

Centers. Twelve MTCs will be upgraded with Boeing’s Constant Resolution Visual System (CRVS). CRVS provides 360 degrees of immersive training and uses standard, off-the-shelf projectors. The Boeing CRVS reduces total system life cycle cost by minimizing the number of projectors by one-third to one-half the number of projectors used in competing systems. The system is compatible with a full array of fast jet and rotary wing cockpits. Installation will begin in October 2012 and will be completed by January 2013, allowing training to start by the end of that month.

Modernization Program – L-3 Link Simulation & Training (L-3 Link) has received a competitive award for the P-3C Tactical Block Modernization (TBM) program. L-3 Link will upgrade three P-3C Tactical Operational Readiness Trainers (TORTs) and three P-3C Forward Deployed Trainers (FDTs). The

Software Developing 3D Simulation – Havok is working closely with Lockheed Martin's Global Training and Logistics (GTL) business unit to integrate Havok's Physics, Destruction, Animation, AI, Cloth and Script technologies into its Scalable Advanced Graphics Engine (SAGE) capability. virtual Training Program – KBR has been contracted by BAE Systems to develop and deliver a virtual training program for the Royal Australian Navy's under construction Landing Helicopter Dock (LHD) ship. The real-time, 3D virtual training courseware will enable personnel to get a head-start on training to operate and maintain the vessel The project builds on the LHD 3D Ship Walkthrough Computer Model (SWCM) KBR developed using engineering data provided by BAE Systems. The SWCM is an exact-to-scale 3D replica of the ship inside and out - including every compartment on all 13 decks.

Courseware includes ship familiarization, high-voltage awareness, damage control and marine engineering systems.

It will also include a marine engineering part task trainer for the training on the forward aircraft elevator system. KBR will also develop more than 50 different virtual models of crew members, which will be used for individual and team training scenarios.

Above Upgraded CH-47 simulator at MsHATF. image credit: CAe.

Immersive Learning – Engineering & Computer Simulations (ECS) has received a five year contract from the NATO Allied Command Transformation (ACT) to develop its Immersive Learning Environment. This contract leverages the "Boarders Ahoy" prototype developed to support NATO maritime interdiction training. In partnership with Bohemia Interactive Simulations, ECS will develop a series of training scenarios.

3D Maintenance Training – The United States Coast Guard and United States Army have chosen NGRAIN’s to provide 3D simulation-based maintenance training for the Coast Guard's Honda® BF225 Outboard Engine, and expand the Army’s M1A2 Abrams Tank skill proficiency training. NGRAIN is also developing VTT solutions to support the Army's Master Gunners Course for the M1A2 Abrams Tank.

Canadian Forces Contracts – NGRAIN is developing virtual task trainer (VTT™) solutions for the Canadian Army and the Royal Canadian Air Force. The solutions, based on NGRAIN's 3KO® simulation technology, will aid instruction of complex theory of operations and maintenance procedures in addition to practicing procedures and troubleshooting on the CC-138 Twin Otter aircraft, Field Heater and Light-Armoured Vehicle III Differential.

ADMS-Airbase – Environmental Tectonics Corporation's (ETC) Simulation

issUe 1.2012

(ATS) II. The visual system and imagery databases in the weapons systems simulators will be updated. Work is scheduled to take place through 2014.

35 Ms&T MAGAZiNe

trainers will be upgraded as P-3C aircraft begin to receive major avionics modifications.

USAF T-38 Simulators – FlightSafety Services Corporation will upgrade the visual systems installed on 37 Northrop Grumman T-38 aircraft simulators for USAF Education and Training Command.

The simulators will be equipped with FlightSafety’s VITAL X visual system.

FlightSafety will also build and deliver a new high detail, high resolution, satellite imagery database specifically designed to support the T-38 aircraft’s mission.

F-16 Training Devices – The US Air Force has awarded L-3 Link Simulation & Training (L-3 Link) a contract modification to upgrade two Pakistan Air Force (PAF) F-16C Block 52 Aircrew Training Devices (ATDs) with the company’s new SimuSphere HD-9™ visual system display. This is the first use of SimuSphere HD-9 on training devices that will be delivered to a foreign nation.

High-definition databases, image generators and the SimuSphere HD-9 visual display will combine to create a highly realistic and relevant training environment over a geo-specific visual system database of Pakistan. The F-16C Block 52 ATDs are scheduled for delivery in 2013 and will be installed and networked at Shahbaz Air Base and will support new pilot, pilot conversion and advanced skills training.

Chinook Sim – CAE has completed a major upgrade to one of the CH-47 Chinook dynamic mission simulators at CAE's Medium Support Helicopter Aircrew Training Facility (MSHATF) in the United Kingdom, and the Royal Air Force (RAF) is now training its Chinook aircrews to the new RAF CH-47 Mk4 standard.

The simulator upgrade was done in parallel with the upgrades currently being performed on the RAF's CH-47 Chinook fleet as part of the JULIUS programme. The upgrade includes the addition of forward-looking infrared (FLIR), a new moving map, and digitized instruments. In addition, upgraded on-board and ground mission planning systems will allow CAE to deliver more comprehensive tactical training to RAF Chinook aircrews.

USAF C-130 Training – Lockheed Martin has received a $24 million contract to upgrade weapons systems trainers used in the C-130 Aircrew Training System

World NeWs & ANAlysis

Division has launched ADMS-Airbase.

ADMS-Airbase offers interactive, multilevel training for on-scene command, field unit response and off-scene strategic operations. Within the Airbase environment are incidents involving militaryspecific aircraft and helicopters. Airbase allows users to select and integrate event changing variables such as air crew, passengers and casualties, on-board weapons systems, and weather conditions.

Scenario-Based Learning Project – LINE Communications has been downselected by the DE&S Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance PSF (DE&S ISTAR PSF) to develop a scenario-based learning project entitled ISR CBT. Targeted at both senior and junior tri-service officers this programme steps-in and steps-out of e-learning and an immersive 3D VBSWorlds environment to deliver highly interactive and engaging intelligence gathering training. SCORM conformant, training will be available on the Defence Learning Portal (DLP), other network infrastructures and mobile devices.

Ground NvG – Night Readiness, LLC, is bringing Virtual Terrain Board (VTB) to ground forces training. The new NVG training capability provides specific curriculum with scenarios and tactics unique to ground forces training operations through a sequence of immersive NVG engagement scenarios set within varying illumination and environmental conditions.The VTB’s Ground Forces Training content provides photorealistic scenes for direct viewing by actual NVGs with full, look-under, unaided viewing capability.

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Acquisitions

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MASA Group – MASA Group has acquired key intellectual property rights and hired AI product development talent from Artificial Technology GmbH, a German developer of Artificial Intelligence middleware for the games industry.

This will allow MASA to integrate game-quality AI technology into the next generation of MASA LIFE, the company’s AI middleware designed to create advanced behaviors for a broad range of applications.

Gentex Corporation – Gentex Corporation has acquired substantially all assets of InterSense Inc., a developer of

MEMS-based hybrid motion tracking systems. InterSense, a subsidiary of Gentex Corporation, will be led by Ken Jones and several of the legacy business’s key managers, including InterSense’s founder, Eric Foxlin, which will help ensure a seamless transition for employees and customers.

URS Corporation – URS Corporation has acquired the assets of CATI Training Systems. CATI specializes in delivering advanced visual image generation systems and high fidelity visual simulation terrain databases for the simulators used to train civil, commercial and military pilots. The Company's expertise also includes the development of technologies that support aviation training and simulation systems for unmanned aircraft systems.

Cyalume Technologies – Cyalume Technologies Holdings, Inc. has acquired Combat Training Solutions, Inc. (CTS), a developer and manufacturer of non-pyrotechnic, proprietary battlefield effects simulator products and complementary training services. Together, the companies will continue developing new products that safely and realistically simulate non-pyrotechnic explosions for training and tactical applications.

Visuals 2nd Generation LED Projector – Norway’s projectiondesign® has launched its newest addition to its WQXGA 2,560 x 1,600 resolution projector. The FL35 wqxga is the world’s highest resolution LED projector for simulation and training applications. It is based on the F35 platform, and combines ultra-high resolution of 4.1 Megapixels with second generation solid-state RealLED™ illumination technology. In practice, it near doubles the brightness of first generation projectors, resulting in unparalleled performance and 100,000 hours of typical service life.

EP-80 – Rockwell Collins has unveiled the EP-80 image generator, which brings cost-savings by adapting COTS personal computer (COTS PC) and graphics technologies to provide scalable performance from desktop brief and debrief stations to aircraft simulators. The EP-80 employs breakthrough, second-generation EP2 (environment processor) real-time software to provide full functionality within a high-resolution, round-earth environ-

ment. Compatible across the complete line of EP image generators, the EP-80 enables customers to combine COTS PC training devices with high performance systems. visual Database – Presagis has been contracted by Elbit Systems Ltd. to build a visual database based on the Common Database (CDB) specification. The database will be used by Elbit Systems in its mission training center (MTC) for pilots of the Israel Air Force F-16C/D and F-16I fighter aircraft. The Elbit MTC display systems' image generator is based on Vega Prime, the Presagis off-the-shelf visualization software that offers support for the CDB visual database.

Ventures & Partnerships New Russian Training Centre – Rheinmetall has been awarded a 100 million Euro contract by the Russian Defense Ministry for an army simulation-supported training centre in Mulino, Russia. The training centre, jointly built by Rheinmetall Group and Russian partner JSCo Oboronservis, will serve 30,000 troops a year by 2014.

The company will develop and supply a live combat simulation system and cover the technical aspects of the project including commissioning and quality assurance. The company is expecting follow-on orders, with the Russian Federation planning to upgrade armed forces equipment.

Residential UK Military Academy – A unique residential Military Academy is to open at Bicton College, Devon in the UK, in September 2012. The Academy will be the first of its type within a publicly funded college of further education. The Academy programme has been designed in consultation with Commando Training Centre Royal Marines, Lympstone. The Academy will host a unique 25 week residential preparation course and will help provide young learners interested in a career within the Armed Forces with the essential skills, environment and resources, to better prepare them in being successful in the recruitment process and ultimately initial military training in any of the three single services.

Bidder Shortlist – The UK’s Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) has revealed the shortlist for a new national contract to manage its UK training estate.

n aT i o n a l T r a i n i n g a n d s i m u l aT i o n a s s o c i aT i o n T H e w o r l d â&#x20AC;&#x2122; s l a r g e s T m o d e l i n g & s i m u l aT i o n e v e n T

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World NeWs & ANAlysis

The National Training Estate Prime contract is worth up to £950 million, covers approximately 200,000 hectares, and will provide services ranging from managing air weapons ranges to providing laundry services or clearing snow and ice. Key sites will include Salisbury Pain Training Area, Catterick Training Area, Dartmoor, Sennybridge, and Otterburn.

The shortlisted companies are Babcock Support Services Ltd.; Kellow Brown & Root Ltd and Balfour Beatty Workplace Ltd; Landmarc Support Services Ltd; Serco Ltd, BAE Systems Surface Ships Ltd and Kier Regional Ltd. Partnership – Lattice Technology Inc., developers of applications for technical communication and digital mock up, and Tetra 4D, the exclusive provider of 3D PDF technology for Adobe Acrobat, have announced a partnership to integrate Lattice technical illustration authoring solutions with Tetra 4D's 3D PDF publishing solutions.

The companies will work to deliver a seamless integration enabling the use of Lattice Technology's XVL Studio product family for transforming 3D design data into interactive 3D documents and Tetra 4D's 3D PDF ConverterT software to publish to the ubiquitous 3D PDF format.

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Training Devices

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F/A-18 – L-3 Link Simulation & Training (L-3 Link) has introduced SimuStrike™, a low-cost, full-capability flight simulator to be used by the US Navy to support F/A-18 training requirements. The Navy has ordered four F/A-18 SimuStrike systems, with an initial delivery scheduled later this year to Naval Air Station (NAS) Patuxent River, Maryland. F/A-18 SimuStrike systems can be reconfigured within 15 minutes to support either pilot or weapon system operator training. The trainers are easily transportable, occupy a small footprint and operate with the same software release as full-fidelity TOFTs. P-8A Flight Trainers – Boeing has ordered six additional P-8A Poseidon operational flight trainers (OFTs) from CAE for the United States Navy. In addition, CAE will develop a suite of P-8A Aircraft Equipment enhanced Desktop Environment (AeDTE) trainers that will be used as role playing stations during training of P-8A aircrews.

CAE is already under contract from Boeing to design and manufacture four P-8A OFTs; this order brings the total number of P-8A OFTs that CAE will develop to ten.

Dauphin Sim Certified – The simulator cockpit for the Eurocopter AS365 N3 Dauphin helicopter at The Helicopter Academy to Train by Simulation of Flying (HATSOFF) has been certified to Level D

by India's Directorate General Civil Aviation (DGCA) as well as the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).

HATSOFF’s three simulator cockpits, a Bell 412, a HAL civil/conventional Dhruv, and the Eurocopter AS365 N3 Dauphin, have been certified as Level 2 (JAR)/Level 6 (FAA) flight training devices (FTDs) when used as fixed-base, non-motion simulators in the docking station installed at HATSOFF. An additional cockpit for the Indian Army/Air Force glass cockpit variant of the HALbuilt Dhruv is expected to be added to the HATSOFF training centre later in 2012.

Military Contracts for CAE – CAE has been awarded a series of military contracts worth more than C$100 million. Upgrades will be made to the Canadian Forces CC-130H full mission simulator and CH-146 Griffon helicopter simulator. CAE will upgrade the CC130H simulator with the addition of a new instructor operator station and Air Combat System Officer (ACSO) station, chin window displays and a new visual projection system. It will also make the simulator compatible with the common database (CDB) technology to support enhanced search and rescue and airto-air refueling mission training. For

Above dauphin simulator at HATsoFF, india. image credit: CAe.

the CH-146 Griffon helicopter simulator, CAE will update the computer systems and the instructor operator station.

CAE has signed a long-term contract with Professional Way Sdn Bhd, a Malaysia-based company, to provide comprehensive maintenance and lifecycle support services for the CAE 3000 Series AW139 full flight simulator CAE is currently developing. The simulator will be delivered later this year and CAE will provide on-site maintenance and logistics support services.

CAE is to design and manufacture two new Tornado maintenance trainers for the German Air Force and the Royal Air Force. The trainers will be delivered in 2013 and used primarily for engine overhaul training.

A CAE 3000 Series helicopter full flight simulator will be designed, manufactured and delivered for an undisclosed customer in Europe. In addition, CAE received a multi-year, comprehensive helicopter training services contract for an undisclosed customer in Asia.

Preferred Provider – Servo Kinetics Inc., (SKI) has been appointed as a preferred repair provider for the hydraulic motion systems components used on CAE Military simulators. The CAE and SKI agreement is expected to enhance CAE electro-hydraulic motion actuator repair and overhaul support for its worldwide customers, by providing fast response and short turn-around time, systems upgrades, longer warranties

The new CVTESS will replace most of the simulators for the Abram tanks and Bradley Fighting Vehicles (BFV) Saab provided in 1988 and this new generation of simulators is designed to connect seamlessly with the modern instrumented training sites.

Arms Training

elbit will provide a forward observer trainer to the israeli Ministry of defense.

Army EW Training – SELEX Galileo has signed an agreement to provide Electronic Warfare (EW) training for Greek Army technicians and flight crew operating out of the Hellenic Army Aviation base at Megara.The training will be delivered at the company’s purposebuilt EW Operational Support centre in Lincoln, UK. This follows the recent contract award by the UK MoD that will see UK Air Warfare Centre personnel trained at the same facility for up to four years.

High Impact Operational Training – Explosive Training Solutions (ELS), a specialist in Countering-Improvised Explosive Devices (C-IED) training, has designed a C-IED training package which is now part of the Mandatory Annual Training Tests (MATTs) for the British Army. The "course in a box" includes all the lesson plans, presentations, DVDs and other instructions and aids required to deliver the training. Over 1000 of these packages have been produced and distributed worldwide.

Army Maneuver Training – The US Army Program Executive Office of Simulation, Training and Instrumentation (PEO STRI) has awarded Lockheed Martin a $6.7 million contract to support live maneuver training. Lockheed Martin will provide up to 20 variants of its Instrumentable Multiple Integrated Laser Engagement System Shoulder Launched Munitions (I-MILES SLM) training devices.

image credit: elbit systems.

Vehicle Driving/FOT – Elbit Systems Ltd. will provide armored driving trainers (ADTs) to the Israeli Ministry of Defense (IMOD) for several Israel Defense Forces combat vehicle types and a forward observer trainer (FOT) for surveillance and observation of Israel's borders. Mounted on a motion platform, the ADT allows six degrees freedom of movement. The forward observer trainer was developed especially to suit the unique needs of border protection scenarios and is already in use. The FOT is a combat support and field intelligence trainer, providing a full simulation of real-life battlefield situations for FOs posted along all types of terrain, performing border control and protection.

Laser Based – Saab has been awarded a S17.2 million, multi-year contract for the next generation of laser-based training systems for the US Army’s armored combat vehicles. The contract has options that can be exercised over the next five years with a potential value of $90 million.

Saab’s Combat Vehicle Tactical Engagement Simulation System (CVTESS) provides accurate laser-based replications of the combat vehicles’ weapons that will initially be used on all variants of the M-1 Abram’s Tank and M-2 Bradley Fighting Vehicles.

Arrivals & Departures vT MÄK – Warren Katz, CEO and cofounder of VT MÄK (MÄK), retired effective January 20. Katz founded MÄK in 1990 with John Morrison and has acted as COO and CEO during his 21 years with the company. Katz and the MÄK board of directors named Daniel J. Schimmel as the company’s new CEO. Notwithstanding his retirement as a CEO, Katz will remain a consultant and advisor to the company.

Presagis – Jean-Michel Brière has been appointed vice president of Sales, Marketing & Client Services. Mr Brière's responsibilities will include management of global sales for the Company, in addition to overseeing worldwide marketing, alliances, and the Presagis customer experience.

issUe 1.2012

Above

Gunnery Training Solution – QinetiQ will design and deliver a new training environment for close range gunnery training for the Royal Navy. Miles Adcock, managing director of Training & Simulation Services at QinetiQ said: "… with VBS2 (Virtual Battlespace 2) and current gaming technology, QinetiQ will deliver an updated 3D virtual environment along with adapted ship mounted weapons to deliver an immersive and operationally current series of weapons training platforms which can be quickly configured to meet future user requirements."

Middle East Training Contract – Cubic Corporation has signed a prime contract with a major Middle East customer to provide comprehensive marksmanship and small arms training capabilities at more than 20 sites.

The capabilities include a wide range of tactical requirements including sniper, mortar and close air support. Worth more than $120 million including various options, it is the largest single contract ever awarded to Cubic's Simulation System Division, based in Orlando, Florida.

39 Ms&T MAGAZiNe

and other customer conscious benefits.

Munitions Trainer Contract – SDS International (SDS) has been awarded a contract to complete development of a Munitions Storage Virtual Trainer (MSVT) to support the Conventional Munitions Maintenance Officer Course (CMOC) and the Nuclear Maintenance Officer Course (NMOC) taught at Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas.

The current contract modification will shift the system baseline to the Air Force Munitions Command and Control system baseline, a SharePoint based system known as AFMC2 SharePoint, or AFMC2, ensuring students experience virtual training based on the most current, main application used by Air Force Munitions Control personnel during normal operations.

issUe 1.2012

World NeWs & ANAlysis

IQPC

Rheinmetall Defence – Pietro Borgo is taking over chairmanship of the Executive Board of Rheinmetall MAN Military Vehicles (RMMV) in Munich, and will simultaneously serve on the Executive Board of Rheinmetall Defence.

Quantum3D – Johnson Yan has been named as vice president of engineering. He will be responsible for providing technical direction and guidance, as well as hands-on project management, for all product development within Quantum3D including immersive training, real-time visual simulation and embedded visual computing.

QinetiQ – QinetiQ Group has announced that Sir David Lees, who has been deputy chairman and senior independent director of the QinetiQ Board since 2005, has announced his intention to retire from the Board on 31 January 2012. Michael Harper has joined the QinetiQ Board as a non-executive director. Following Sir David's retirement, Michael will become the Group's deputy chairman and senior independent director.

Indra Systems – The Orlando company’s new president and chief executive officer is Carlos A. Acosta. Acosta is a former engineering division head of the Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division (NAWCTSD) in Orlando.

His 22-year Naval-civilian career includes working at Patuxent River, MD, in addition to Orlando in the fields of test and evaluation, program management and systems/project engineering.

Eurofighter – Bernhard Zellner has been appointed as Chief Operating Officer Capabilities. He takes over from Volker Paltzo, who left the company on 31st October 2011. Zellner joins Eurofighter after a career of over 22 years in EADS after different project management positions, including such roles as project engineer Eurofighter, Chief Engineer EF 2000 and Technical Director EF 2000.

Polhemus – Skip Rodgers is to take the helm as president of Polhemus. Most recently, Skip has focused on leading the company's military market efforts, serving as vice president of Programs. He has been the primary liaison with the US Military for the last five years.

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Where We’ve Been 3rd Annual SMi Joint Forces Simulation & Training Conference This year’s conference, in London on

24th and 25th January, 2012 attracted some 85 delegates from 13 nations, with significant representation from the UK and the US; there was, as usual, a good mix of military, industry and academics, albeit most of the last category embedded in one or other of the first two.

The conference was welcomed by Stephen Ball, Chief Executive (UK) of the lead sponsors, Lockheed Martin.

The programme ranged from the practical to the ethereal. At the latter end of the spectrum was a dissertation on the Virtual World Framework – A Fast, Lightweight Web-Based Architecture for Creating and Distributing Secure, Scalable, Component-Based Collaborative Virtual Spaces. I was delighted to discover that I had made some progress since last year in understanding the language and principles; this time, I could actually hear the words whistling over my head. Thankfully, it was apparent from the subsequent pertinent questions and learned discussion that I was in the minority.

Closer to my comfort zone were some very interesting presentations on specific training issues and problems. The Commandant of The Baltic Defence College spoke about the challenges associated with developing a joint institution representing 3 countries – Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia - which are surprisingly different in outlook although close neighbours, and which have limited experience of independent military operations.

A speaker from the European Defence Agency, tasked with improving the availability of qualified helicopter crews for operations in Afghanistan, but given no staff, budget or plan with which to do it, has devised and implemented a low-cost generic simulator-based tactics course, designed to familiarise crews from many nations with the operating environment before deployment, thereby better equipping them to deal with it.

Budgetary constraint is now regarded as the status quo, rather than something new to be faced; low-cost training solutions, many using gaming technology and meeting a specific need extremely effectively, rightly occupied the thoughts of many. However, this tended to marginalise the more sophisticated FMSs – referred to, somewhat disparagingly as ‘heavy metal’ – which not only have utility, but are in increasing demand for their ability to augment and in some cases replace, costly, environmentally negative,

and tactically impractical live training.

The trick is still to get value for money, but the full potential of such a system can only be realised by ensuring that use of it represents a full mission rehearsal; such was the presented aim of the support helicopter training facility at RAF Benson.

Lastly, and definitely not low-budget, a presentation on the King Abdullah II Special Operations Training Center, a joint Jordanian/US venture, at which special operations personnel of many nations can hone their skills and exchange views and experiences, proved both informative and entertaining.

In sum, JFS&T provided an interesting 2 days; in a programme which had something for everyone, an enthusiastic and knowledgeable audience discussed a wide range of topics of mutual interest.

– Dim Jones

IberSim 2011 After success in 2010, this third edition of IberSim, 26 and 27 October 2011 in Madrid, Spain, did not meet the high expectations of organisers and observers. This outcome was largely attributable to the insufficient support it got from domestic S&T players.

For three years now, the IberSim Training & Simulation Consortium has tried to develop collaboration between Iberian training and simulation actors.

The result – the IberSim conference – was meant to represent the appropriate forum in which to share experience and to talk about projects and technologies available on the market. The speakers and audience included local system integrators, technology companies and public institutions. International visitors were warmly invited to present their products and ideas to the mostly domestic participants; and, for their part, they went home with a better knowledge of the Iberian S&T complex.

However, for professional visitors from abroad the presentations provided only little or no new information. Some key presentations were in Spanish since last year’s very efficient simultaneous translation service had fallen victim to a cost-cutting exercise. It was foreign companies – Antycip Simulation, Di-Guy, DiSTI and projectiondesign – that helped to keep IberSim afloat. Apart from Tecnalia, a private, applied research centre, not a single Spanish company set up their booth at the conference. The number of

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World News & Analysis ISSUE 1.2012 MS&T MAGAZINE

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visitors also left a lot to be desired: 150 participants from 15 countries registered for the event, but between 30% and 35% were no-shows. More commitment from government/military authorities would have been helpful, all the more so since participation was free.

IberSim 2011 was a missed opportunity for the Iberian S&T community! – Walter F. Ullrich

Eighth I3M Conference The International Mediterranean & Latin American Modelling Multiconference (I3M), held from September 12 to 15, 2011 in the Ergife Palace Hotel in Rome, surpassed expectations. More than 500 delegates from 54 countries came to this s event encompassing 12 different conferences and workshops. Integrating the 6th NATO CAX Forum into the event added to the success of the event.

With more than 300 selected papers, the 2011 I3M multi-conference was one of the largest M&S events worldwide.

Twenty-four companies, among them CAE, Presagis, Aegis Technologies, Cal-Tek and Mast, took the opportunity to present their solutions to this largely expert audience.

I3M provides good reasons for people to attend; the multi-event always addresses several new and different topics related to Modelling & Simulation, each one with its own specific workshop or conference. This time I3M comprised EMSS (the European Modelling & Simulation Symposium focused on M&S Methodologies and Techniques), MAS (the International Conference on Modelling & Applied Simulation), HMS (the International Conference on Harbour, Maritime & Multimodal Logistics M&S), IMAACA (the International Conference on Integrated Modelling and Analysis in Applied Control and Automation), and DHSS (International Defence and Homeland Security Simulation Workshop) – to name just the most important. Several joint sessions were organised together with the CAX Forum (Computer Assisted Exercise Forum.

Led by general chairman Professor Agostino Bruzzone, Director of M&S Net, I3M was a product of joint cooperation among major international research and development centres such as DIPTEM University of Genoa, University Autonoma de Barcelona, MIK Riga Technical University, LSIS Marseille, MSC-LES,

FCEIA from Argentina, GrVA Lamce from Brazil and Esisa from Morocco.

In addition, the organisation includes excellence networks and societies, i.e.

I M CS, Liophant, M&S Net, MIMOS, McLeod Institute of Simulation Science, as well as the M&S Center of Excellence located in Rome. Participation of the latter helped to attract high-ranking Italian MoD representatives.

Given that attendees travel to the event from across the world and new scientific societies have joined the organisation (e.g. the Russian Society for Modelling & Simulation), the long form of the abbreviation I3M was officially updated during the opening session. I3M now stands for "International Multidisciplinary Modelling & Simulation Multiconference".

The next I3M will be held in Vienna in September 2012. – Walter F. Ullrich ms&t

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IFC

Military Flight Training 2012 www.militaryflighttraining.com

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Simulation and Training Events MS&T Magazine: Supporting Media

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focus

It’s true… there is only one truly global company focused exclusively on modeling, simulation and training. In fact, CAE trains more than 80,000 crewmembers each year at our military and civil aviation training centers.

We are the prime contractor on the USAF’s KC-135 Aircrew Training System program, providing turnkey training services to more than 3,500 pilots, co-pilots and boom operators annually. We have delivered state-of-the-art training systems for Australia’s new tanker, and are now providing classroom and simulator instruction to the RAAF. And did you know…CAE has designed and manufactured more 767-based training devices than any other company and has already developed a suite of 787 training systems?

The USAF’s new multi-mission tanker is based on a proven commercial platform that offers low risk, best value and the latest technologies and capabilities. The same will be true for the KC-46A aircrew training system. Trust a company with the focus, experience, and expertise in simulation and training to deliver proven world-class simulation technologies, best value and low risk.

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CAE is a world-class training systems integrator and aircrew training system provider for tanker aircraft, offering expert instructors, high-fidelity maintenance and aircrew training devices, and comprehensive training services.

one step ahead

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