The Defense Ministry has pledged to spur the development and production of naval weapons by national defence firms in an effort to realise President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s vision of maritime power.

Speaking during the opening ceremony of the 2014 IndoDefense Expo and Forum, Defence Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu said the ministry was committed to advancing the country’s defense industry by promoting joint cooperation between local and overseas defense firms.

Through such cooperation, he said, local defense companies would gain essential knowledge and experience that would eventually help them to independently produce state-of-the-art armaments for the Indonesian Military (TNI).

“We have been able to build our own corvettes; we will soon construct three submarines. Two will be built through cooperation with South Korea and another will be made in Surabaya [in East Java],” he said at the exhibition venue at JIExpo in Kemayoran, Jakarta on Wednesday.

In December 2011, the ministry and Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME) signed a US$1.1 billion contract to manufacture three U-209 diesel-electric submarines.

Weighing 1,400 tons and measuring 61.3 meters in length, each submarine will be able to carry up to 40 crew members and be equipped with eight tubes for torpedoes and other ordnance.

Engineers from state-owned shipyard PT PAL Indonesia will be given a chance to take a close look at the construction of the first two submarines at a DSME plant in South Korea before they construct the last one at the PT PAL plant in Surabaya.

The project was initially expected to be completed by 2018, but a ministry official confirmed that the construction of the three submarines had experienced a significant delay.

“The first two will be done by 2019, while the completion of the third one will be in 2023. We hope to expedite the construction,” the ministry’s industry and technology director, Brig. Gen. Zaenal Arifin, said recently.

Obsolete weapons systems have hampered the TNI’s ability to guard Indonesia’s territorial waters. Among the security problems that have marred the country’s waters are illegal fishing and the influx of illegal migrants by boat, in particular from the Middle East.

In a bid to tackle the issues, the government has implemented a grand strategy to fulfill the military’s Minimum Essential Force (MEF) blueprint and to have an independent defense industry by 2024.

In the first phase of the strategy between 2010 and 2014, the government disbursed Rp 22 trillion ($10.02 billion) to procure new armaments, with Rp 19 trillion going to local defense firms, according to the ministry’s latest data.

By the end of this year, the country will have reached almost 40 percent of its MEF, exceeding its initial target of 30 percent. The three expected submarines, however, will not be enough to monitor and defend the country’s vast waters.

“With the addition of three submarines, we will end up with a fleet of five submarines. According to the MEF plan, the Indonesian Navy ideally needs at least 12 submarines,” Navy spokesman Commodore Manahan Simorangkir said.

In the second phase of its strategic plan from 2015 to 2019, the country aims to elevate the role of local industries in supplying weaponry for the TNI.

Vice President Jusuf Kalla said the local defense industry had the potential to develop arms technology.

“[Developing] technology is not an easy thing because it needs research, huge funding, good coordination and cooperation […] Indonesia has sufficient experience in technology,” Kalla said.

The Allied Joint Force Command (JFC) Brunssum has recently completed the main training event for this year’s NATO Response Force (NRF) headquarters. The exercise Trident Joust (TRJT) 2014 was conducted at the Joint Force Training Centre (JFTC) 13-23 October. 400 personnel of the JFC Brunssum arrived at the JFTC to undertake 11 days of intensive training.

TRJT 2014 was a Command Post Exercise designed to test the abilities of JFC Brunssum in leading the defence of an allied nation through the conduct of a NATO Article V operation. The training audience was supported by augmentees from member and partner nations and, in total, 23 nations were represented. The exercise scenario contained fictitious developments in the Baltic Sea region, but the chain of events has been scripted to reflect current challenges in modern warfare.
TRJT 2014 also served as a platform for developing a comprehensive approach at the operational level; eight non-NATO organisations (UNOCHA, UNDPKO, UNWFP, OXFAM, War Child International, World Vision International and the ICRC) joined the training audience to discuss ways of cooperating in potential future operations.

During the closing ceremony held on 23 October, Gen. Hans-Lothar Domröse, Commander Joint Force Command (JFC) Brunssum, thanked all who contributed to the success of the exercise and awarded several JFTC members with commemorative coins to express his gratitude for an extraordinary performance during the event. He also addressed Brig.Gen. Wojciech Grabowski, Joint Force Training Centre (JFTC) Commander, and thanked him personally.

Gen. Hans-Lothar Domröse, Commander Joint Force Command (JFC) Brunssum, and Brig.Gen. Wojciech Grabowski, Joint Force Training Centre (JFTC) Commander, during the closing ceremony of exercise Trident Joust. (Photo: NATO)

JFC Brunssum, based in the Netherlands, is one of two NATO Joint Force Headquarters (the other being JFC Naples) within Allied Command Operations (ACO) capable of deploying in command of a Major Joint Operation supported by ACO’s single service (Land, Sea, Air, Special Forces) commands. JFC Brunssum serves as the out-of-theatre Operational headquarters for the ISAF mission in Afghanistan. Other tasks include Contingency Planning, Military Partnership, and NRF leadership.

Curtiss-Wright Defense Solutions (CWDS) has received a contract from a leading international systems integrator to supply its modular and scalable electro-mechanical technology for use in a new ground combat vehicle programme. Under the contract, shipments are scheduled to begin in 2016 and are expected to continue through 2019. The initial contract is valued at more than $90 million. The potential value of the contract over the lifetime of the program is estimated well in excess of $100 million. Manufacture of the products covered by this agreement will be overseen by CWDS’ facility located in Switzerland.
In November 2014, the Government of Canada has awarded a CA$287 million contract to General Dynamics Land Systems-Canada for the provision and integration of an enhanced surveillance suite on to Canadian LAV III upgrade vehicles, known as LAV 6.0. The upgraded surveillance system will include a 10m retractable mast, an Operator Control Station and a surveillance suite inclusive of radar, thermal/day and image intensification sights, laser range finder and GPS mounted on a stabilized platform. Deliveries of LAV 6.0 vehicles equipped with the upgraded surveillance suite will commence in December 2016.
Harris has been awarded a four-year, CA$180 million ceiling, single-award IDIQ contract to supply the Canadian Armed Forces with Harris FALCON III tactical radios. Under National Individual Standing Offer (NISO), Harris will supply secure tactical radio systems including the AN/PRC-152A wideband handheld radio, AN/PRC-117G wideband MANPACK radio, as well as the RF-7800H high-frequency MANPACK radio to the DoND in support of modernisation programmes.
The Norwegian Armed Forces have awarded Intergraph a contract to produce unclassified topographical maps. Based on high resolution vector data produced through the Multinational Geospatial Co-production Programme (MGCP), the maps will cover different regions of the world. Intergraph will use Hexagon Geospatial software for the cartographic solution.
The BAAINBw tasked Diehl BGT Defence in mid-October with setting up a laser protection system for countering guided missiles. In close cooperation with Diehl’s industry partner Elbit Systems, the initial study “DIRCM (Directed Infrared Counter Measure) for Airbus A400M” envisages linking three Elbit Systems J-MUSIC (Multi-Spectral IR Countermeasure) type system units to a complete system ensuring comprehensive 360° protection for the A400M.
Air Force Security Forces to use Safariland Group law enforcement equipment, including 30,866 Monadnock DETECTIVE Series batons; 34,764 Safariland Model 6005 SLS Tactical Holsters, and holster accessories, and approximately 37,100 sets of SECOND CHANCE BV02 Level IIIA body armour packages for both male and female, supplied over the five-year contract period.
Elbit Systems was awarded contracts from an Asian country in a total amount of approximately $85 million for an F-5 aircraft avionics upgrade programme and the balance is for the supply of electro-optic and communications systems. The contracts will be performed over a three-year period.
Safran received the notification from <MBDA of the development and production contract for the IR seekers of the future anti-tank Medium-Range Missile (MMP) for the French Army. Safran also signed a contract with MBDA for the development and production of the IR seekers of the French-British anti-surface guided weapon (FASGW).
Following international RfPs, Sagem (Safran) has signed a contract with Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME) of South Korea, to supply the optronic surveillance masts for the ROK’s new submarines.
The US DoD and Lockheed Martin have reached an agreement in principle for the production of 43 F-35 LIGHTNING II aircraft (29 US aircraft including 19 F-35As, six F-35Bs and four F-35Cs; the production of the first two F-35As for Israel, the first four F-35As for Japan, along with two F-35As for Norway, and two F-35As for Italy, as well as the UK’s four F-35Bs).
The UK MoD has selected the Raytheon UK, Thales UK team to conduct a one-year study into upgrading existing IFF systems to Mode 5, which will address NATO's requirement for a new standard of IFF across all platforms. The two companies are offering the Thales BLUEGATE products, as well as, Raytheon UK's IFF4810 Mode 5 upgrade solution.
Saab has won a contract to deliver a Water Borne IED ROV (WBIEDROV) in cooperation with the US Underwater Hazardous Device Team’s (UHDT), Technical Support Working Group (TSWG), to deliver an increased capability that will tackle the growing threat from IEDs in the US domestic maritime domain.
Curtiss-Wright Defense Solutions has received a contract from Northrop Grumman to supply its COTS-based ruggedised DMV-186 single board computer (SBC), SMS-652 network switch, and XMC-715 graphics display module technology to provide a digitised cockpit solution for use in the US Army’s UH-60V programme. Shipments are scheduled to begin in 2014.
Sagem (Safran) has won the contract from the Norwegian Coast Guard, part of the Royal Norwegian Navy, to modernise the navigation system on six Coast Guard vessels (NORNEN-class and the KV HARSTAD) with Sagem's new BLUENAUTE attitude and heading reference system.
Raytheon was awarded a multi-year bulk buy contract totalling over $200 million to provide PHALANX Close-in Weapon Systems (CIWS) upgrade kits, support equipment and hardware spares to the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF).
Rockwell Collins Government Systems was awarded a $101 million IDIQ contract for the procurement of AN/ARC-210 electronic protection radio equipment in support of domestic and FMS aircraft. This contract consists of a maximum of 1,160 radios inclusive of potential FMS sales: 920 associated ancillary equipment; five training sessions; 15 FMS Have Quick software media downloads; 140 associated FMS license and royalty fees; 500 FMS standard commercial warranties; 250 receiver-transmitter conversions; 10 failure analyses; and one lot for data. Work is expected to be completed in September 2015
The USMC has awarded Northrop Grumman a $207 million contract for LRIP of AN/TPS-80 Ground/Air Task Oriented Radar (G/ATOR) systems (ground-based multimission AESA radar), to be delivered in 2016-17. G/ATOR's total program value could exceed $2 billion, as additional LRIP contracts are anticipated.
MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates (MDA), a global communications and information company, has been awarded a contract amendment valued at C$40 million by the Commonwealth of Australia to transition MDA's UAV services to Australia following completion of the currently contracted services in Afghanistan. MDA will provide the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) with UAV operations and related services within Australia through December 2017, with options for up to an additional three years.
KVH Industries has received a $4.3 million order for its TACNAV tactical navigation systems from a new customer who is a major defence contractor providing armoured vehicles for an international military client. With a short delivery requirement, shipments for this order are expected to be substantially completed in the fourth quarter of 2014.
Tatra Trucks has introduced the new TATRA PHOENIX Euro 6 vehicle, being a result of the recently signed agreement between Tatra and DAF Trucks, guaranteeing that all-terrain heavy duty trucks manufactured in Koprivnice, Czech Republic, will remain on the European market.
Airbus Defence & Space (DS) has signed a contract with the Polish MoD to provide a full flight simulator (FFS) for the Polish Air Force’s (PAF) Airbus C295 aircraft fleet. The FFS will be installed in the Krakow C295 Training Centre at the Balice Krakow Air Base, where the PAF´s 16 C295 are based – currently the world’s biggest C295 fleet.
The maritime wing of the Australian Army purchased and installed a VSTEP maritime simulator classroom, to be used for landing craft operations and navigation training. The simulator purchase was made following an enquiry from the Australian Defence Force (ADF) and Bohemia Interactive Simulations. The maritime simulator classroom delivered by VSTEP includes 12 NAUTIS Desktop Trainers and 2 NAUTIS Instructor Stations. The simulators use the NAUTIS Naval Task Force software module, a training module specifically designed to meet the training requirements of the military.
The US Army has placed its first order for the new 3M Canada’s M61 Respiratory Mask Canister through the Canadian Commercial Corporation, valued at over $3 million and was awarded under an IDIQ contract issued in December 2011. Deliveries under this order are scheduled to be completed by February 2015. In total, the IDIQ contract has potential value of over $100 million based on a seven-year performance period.
AAR has been selected by AMMROC (Advanced Military Maintenance Repair and Overhaul Center), the Abu Dhabi-based Joint Venture between Mubadala Development Company, Sikorsky, and Lockheed Martin, to support in the design, outfitting and integration of key areas of AMMROC’s state-of-the-art facility in Al Ain, UAE. The new facility will be one of the largest dedicated military MRO centres in the world.
The Polish Armed Forces plan to acquire cruise missiles for new type of submarines. The missiles are to be capable of striking ground targets at distances up to 800km, and the acquisition of these new submarines is to start later this year, with contractor selection to follow in 2015.
Cuts to the defence budget will harm the UK’s military capability, Armed Forces chiefs have recently warned. Senior military officials believe the next government in 2015 will not be able to maintain British deployments if current budget cuts are implemented. Military chiefs believe that current cuts to the defence budget would jeopardize the effectiveness of the Future Force 2020 plan, created to address the need for spending cuts in essential military capabilities, while maintaining an effective force.

Defence Ministers from the UK, Germany, Italy, and Spain today met in Edinburgh, Scotland, to witness the signing of a €1 billion contract for the development of an electronic radar system for the Eurofighter TYPHOON.

Eurofighter has signed a €1 billion contract with NETMA, the NATO Eurofighter and Tornado Management Agency (NETMA). (Photos: Eurofighter)

The contract, between Eurofighter Jadgflugzeug and NETMA, the NATO Eurofighter and Tornado Management Agency (NETMA), will enable the integration of CAPTOR E-Scan, one of the world’s most advanced Active Electronically Scanned Array Radar Systems (AESA) onto the Eurofighter TYPHOON. According to Eurofighter, the fighter’s large nose aperture, combined with the ability to move the antenna, will give the Eurofighter TYPHOON greater ‘vision’ than its competitors, delivering better operational performance to the aircraft and to its weapon system.

Alberto Gutierrez (CEO Eurofighter) and UK Air Vice Marshall Graham Farnell.

Alberto Gutierrez, the CEO of Eurofighter, described the occasion as “a pivotal moment” in the life of the Eurofighter Programme. He said: “The signing of this contract is a massive boost to all of us and is a pivotal moment. It enhances a weapons system that offers a mix of capabilities that is simply unmatched anywhere in the world. It is something that Europe should be immensely proud of.”

Air Vice-Marshal Graham Farnell, who signed the contract on behalf of the Partner Nations, said: “The Eurofighter TYPHOON lies at the heart of NATO airpower and will continue to do so for many decades to come. This new capability will ensure the fighter remains a vital component in the mix. It’s an historic day in the life of the Programme.”

The Eurofighter consortium, along with its primary supplier, Euroradar, and a range of other suppliers across Europe, will all contribute to the integration programme helping further sustain high technology jobs across the four nations.

Andrew Cowdery, the Chairman of Euroradar, said: “We have already been working closely with Eurofighter and the Eurofighter Partner Companies on this milestone development and we are delighted that the future of this key capability has now been secured. CAPTOR E-Scan radar builds on the best know-how, industrial expertise and collaboration among leading European defence electronics companies.”


This milestone confirms the commitment of the four Nations to provide the Eurofighter TYPHOON with the best capabilities to seize current and emerging opportunities in the export market.

Both Eurofighter and Euroradar have confirmed that the radar has significant growth potential and existing and new customers will be able to participate in tailoring the radar to meet their individual operational requirements.

• CAPTOR E-Scan radar capability will further improve the Eurofighter TYPHOON's combat effectiveness, allowing TYPHOON to continue to maintain its superiority  over other available combat aircraft. 
• The radar will fit both Tranche 2 and Tranche 3 aircraft offering customers the freedom to retrofit their existing Eurofighter TYPHOON aircraft when required.
• CAPTOR E-Scan radar offers a variety of benefits over the mechanical M-Scan, including increased detection and tracking ranges, advanced air-to-surface capability and enhanced electronic protection measures.
• The new radar retains the key features of the existing CAPTOR radar architecture in order to exploit the maturity of the current much acclaimed system and will use latest generation technology to execute concurrently a full complement of air-to-air and air-to-surface tasks.
• Key discriminators of  CAPTOR E-Scan radar include: A very large antenna size and repositioner offering an extremely Wide Field of Regard (WFoR); the 200°  field of regard, giving TYPHOON a significant tactical advantage in air combat and great situational awareness; the larger antenna allows a greater number of TRMs (transmitter receiver modules) thus greater power and reception leading to earlier target detection and greater utility across the EW spectrum.

“I am particularly proud of the contract signed today,, said Finmeccanica’s CEO and General Manager, Mauro Moretti. “It is further evidence of how the products and services provided by Finmeccanica Group represent cutting edge technological solutions capable of guaranteeing high performance levels in line with the best market standards. The production of the new CAPTOR-E radar will be managed, in the role of project leader of the Euroradar Consortium, by Finmeccanica-Selex ES which, together with Finmeccanica-Alenia Aermacchi, will also jointly integrate it into the aircraft. Today’s signing represents an important step forward towards the future prospects of the EUROFIGHTER programme since the aircraft upgrade will enable it to compete more effectively on international markets.”

(left to right) Pedro Argűelles Salaverri (Spanish Secretary of State for Defence), Mr Philip Dunne (UK MP Minister for Defence Equipment, Support & Technology), Alberto Gutierrez (CEO Eurofighter), UK Air Vice Marshall Graham Farnell,  Dr Katrin Suder (German State Secretary for Defence), Hon. Domenico Rossi (Italian Under Secretary of State for Defence), Norman Bone (Managing Director UK, Finmeccanica – Selex ES), Fabrizio Giulianini (CEO – Finmeccanica – Selex ES).

The main advantage of the CAPTOR-E is its ability to perform several tasks practically simultaneously. This means that the pilot is able to scan a wide area in front of the aircraft or on the ground, while identifying ground targets or tracking individual flying objects at the same time. The new technology enables an increased range in target acquisition and target tracking and, thanks to the rotating antenna, a considerably larger field of view, compared to other state-of-the-art combat aircraft.

Airbus Defence & Space (DS) is playing a major role in the development and integration of the radar, via its Military Aircraft and Electronics business lines. “Together with our partners in the Euroradar consortium we are developing the world’s most powerful fighter radar,” said Thomas Müller, Head of the Electronics business line at Airbus DS. “This order will ensure ongoing development of radar technology, which is a core military capability in Germany.”

Berndt Wünsche, Head of Combat Aircraft at Airbus DS, stated in Edinburgh: “This decision ensures that the EURFIGHTER will continue to be the best combat aircraft available in the world. The CAPTOR-E radar will open up completely new options for deployment and will substantially improve the EURFIGHTER’s export opportunities.”

The main advantage of the CAPTOR-E is its ability to perform several tasks practically simultaneously. This means that the pilot is able to scan a wide area in front of the aircraft or on the ground, while identifying ground targets or tracking individual flying objects at the same time. The new technology enables an increased range in target acquisition and target tracking and, thanks to the rotating antenna, a considerably larger field of view, compared to other state-of-the-art combat aircraft.

The Euroradar consortium comprises Finmeccanica Selex ES (Great Britain, Italy), Indra (Spain), and Airbus DS (Germany). The consortium has already developed and produced more than 400 CAPTOR radars. Selex ES will produce the new radar at its facilities in Edinburgh and Nerviano (Milan) while Finmeccanica Alenia Aermacchi (Turin site), in the radar integration phase, will be responsible for the navigation systems. The Finmeccanica Group is responsible for over 60% of the electronics on board the Eurofighter TYPHOON, roughly 20% of the aerostructures, and for the training and simulation activities for both the four partner nations (United Kingdom, Italy, Germany and Spain) and for customers in its export markets. 

Algeria is turning its attention to its southern borders, as the growing threat of penetration by traffickers, as well as by terrorists from Islamic State (IS), the MUJAO, and other groups, spurred the heightened attention to the Niger and Mali frontiers. Algeria over the last few months bolstered its security presence along the borders with Libya and Tunisia, sending at least 3,000 additional soldiers to the east. This latest deployment, however, was to Adrar province, adjacent to Mali.  Military authorities sent 4,500 Special Operations and infantry forces to repel any infiltration attempts in Bordj Badji Mokhtar.

Islamic State threatens Algeria.

Army command also reportedly hired 218 Bedouin and Touareg trackers to support troops protecting the 1,800km long southern border between Mali and Niger, in Tamanrasset and Adrar provinces. This is in addition to flying night sorties to track terrorist movements. The decision was made after the army command received a report indicating an alarming increase of terrorism-related crimes. The report talked about violent, international networks engaged in smuggling arms and individuals along the Mali border, as well as in Tamanrasset and Illizi.  Army forces stationed on the borders recently thwarted infiltration attempts by terrorists.

The latest operation 8 November netted al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) figure Ouhli Abdurrahman, alias Abou Alqama al-Nidjiri.  During the action in Bordj Badji Mokhtar, ANP troops killed several terrorists. Dozens more have been eliminated in recent months.

The security measures implemented on the borders came in the wake of warnings about the possible infiltration of pro-IS elements into Algeria.  Several recent arrests indicate that the threat may come from anywhere. Algerian authorities recently dismantled a 15-member cell engaged in recruiting fighters for terrorist groups operating inside and outside Algeria.  Interpol warned Algeria to be on the lookout for suspected ISIS fighters that may cross international borders.  Unofficial estimates indicate that 200 Algerians have joined ISIS. Official figures put the number at 80.

Zimbabwe Defence Forces should be equipped with military technology to adapt to the changing warfare, Defence Minister Dr Sydney Sekeramayi has said at a ceremony marking the graduation of 52 officers of Junior Staff Course Number 62 at the Zimbabwe Staff College in Harare on 13 November. Dr Sekeramayi said it was important to equip the Defence Forces with military technology because of innovations in information technology. "Due to dynamic nature of technology, the emerging nature of conflicts and to a larger extent, innovation in military technology, the face of warfare in general is changing dramatically," he explained. "Asymmetric warfare is one such emerging new phenomenon that the big powers are using against developing countries like Zimbabwe. I am glad that the Zimbabwe Staff College takes into account all these developments when designing its curriculum in order to counter future threats."

Minister of State for National Security Sydney Sekeramayi

Dr Sekeramayi said training in military technology, military leadership and socio-economic issues would broaden understanding of the challenges in various parts of the world. He said professional training in the security sector had raised the country's image internationally. "Investments in professional training and career development activities over the years have seen the Zimbabwe Defence Forces an envy of many," Dr Sekeramayi said. "This is evidenced by the prestigious achievements made by our gallant uniformed forces both locally and internationally
Training programmes, especially in military technology would preserve the legacy of the founding fathers of the ZDF. Training is one of the pillars of success for our Defence Forces as it improves their efficiency and effectiveness in maintaining peace and tranquillity in our beloved Zimbabwe, SADC, Africa and beyond. I urge you to remain vigilant and patriotic as some elements bent on reversing the gains of our independence are always looking for the slightest opportunity to exploit. The defence of our sovereignty is not negotiable and it will never be bought or sold."


Troubled by the current wave of insecurity in the nation, especially in the North-east region, the Nigerian Navy (NN) on 15 November said it had begun continuous training for personnel to be better positioned in tackling such challenges. Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Admiral Usman Jibrin, made this disclosure at the closing ceremony of the Chief of the Naval Staff Annual Conference (CONSAC), held in Lokoja, Kogi State. Themed ‘Transforming for Enhanced Nigerian Navy Operational Efficiency’, the conference’s objective was to adapt and appropriately respond to current and emerging security challenges facing the nation. He said: “Modern trends require an adequately trained force and it is in this regards that we will continue to develop our manpower to meet the ever changing security challenges." 

"Training would continue to adapt to ensure that the NN contributes more to the development of the country by ensuring Nigeria’s maritime environment and other troubled spots around the country in line with my mission and vision statement," Chief of Nigerian Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Admiral Usman Jibrin said. "Efforts at ensuring an environment of peace and security will continue to be our focus and will be pursued with greater zeal."

At the end of the conference, the Chief of Policy and Plans, Naval Headquarters, R.Adm. Ameen Ikioda, however said the single most influential challenge to the smooth implementation of the NN transformation plan is funding.


Nigerian Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh met with his Cameroonian counterpart Lt.Gen. Meka Rene Claude at the Defence Headquarters, Abuja, on 12 November in a bid to work out modalities on areas of cooperation between the two Armed Forces to tackle the terrorism challenge faced by both countries.

Nigerian Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh Wednesday met with his Cameroonian counterpart Lt.Gen. Meka Rene Claude.

Badeh pointed out that in the interest of mutual national security of both nations, their Armed Forces needed to forge ahead together in order to harness available areas of cooperation for the protection of their people. He also called for regular joint military training exercises, which he emphasized, would be beneficial to both countries as it would avail them the opportunity to learn from each other, thereby improving their capabilities and relationship.

For his part Gen. Rene Claude called for collaboration between both nations’ military, stating that this collaborative effort should be a continuous process, since both countries have many areas in common. He pledged Cameroon’s support to the Nigerian Armed Forces in the war against terrorism.

Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh commended Cameroon Defence Forces for their support and commitment to the fight against Boko Haram and other criminalities. “This is clearly attested to by the recent success our two countries have recorded against Boko Haram in the past few weeks,” he added. While acknowledging and appreciating all that Cameroon and Nigeria have achieved so far, the Nigerian Defence Chief said “it is crucial that we consolidate on the gains made and enhance the level of co-operation that currently exists between our two militaries.”

At the meeting, the Ministers agreed that member states could conduct operations around their common borders even as the draft resolution for the legal framework is being worked out. In addition, the Ministers agreed to operationalize the Multinational Task Force which is to be headed by a Chief of Staff by 20 November 2014.


Veteran diplomat Michel Kafando, just sworn in as Burkina Faso's interim president to oversee a year-long transition to civilian rule, will on Wednesday appoint Army strongman Lt.Col. Isaac Zida as prime minister.  The deal has been agreed between politicians and Army leaders. Zida was put in power in the immediate aftermath of the uprising against longtime-leader Blaise Compaore last month.  Kafando was sworn in on Tuesday and pledged he would not let the country become a "banana republic." Poised to formally take over Friday from an interim military ruler, the 72-year-old emphasised his "humility" as a leader aware that he temporarily held "power that belongs to the people." Kafando, who served as Burkina Faso's UN envoy from 1998-2011 and as foreign minister in 1982-83, was chosen to head the transition after tortuous negotiations between the military, political parties and civil society groups.  He is barred from standing in elections scheduled to be held in November next year under the transitional deal.

Burkina Faso Army Leader Lt.Col. Zida to be appointed as prime minister.

Mass unrest erupted in late October over Compaore's bid to change the constitution, which would have allowed him to extend his 27-year rule of the former French colony.  Compaore was 36 when he seized power in a 1987 coup in which his former friend and one of Africa's most loved leaders, Thomas Sankara, was ousted and assassinated. He held on to power in the following decades, being re-elected president four times since 1991. His foiled attempt to extend his rule was closely watched across Africa, where at least four heads of state are considering similar tactics to stay in power, from Burundi to Benin and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Compaore has taken refuge in neighbouring Ivory Coast, where he is living in a luxury villa owned by the state.


One of Nigeria's most powerful Muslim leaders, the emir of Kano, has voiced support for vigilantes fighting Boko Haram, urging others to form civilian militias and questioning the competence of the military.  The comments were made by Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, who became emir earlier this year after being sacked from his post as the central bank governor, where he was one of the government's most high-profile critics. It is extremely rare for Nigeria's clerics to speak explicitly about political and military affairs, but many expected Sanusi to defy convention and inject himself into public debate after assuming the highly influential post.  He was sacked from his post and the subject of a government investigation, fuelled by allegations of misconduct, after he went public with charges that hundreds of millions of dollars had gone missing from the central oil fund and refused to back down in the face of threats from the president and the federal government. He called on people to be alert to the security situation and prepare to defend themselves.  While Sanusi did not mention Boko Haram by name, it was clear he was discussing efforts to resist the Islamist rebels.  He pointed out that those with special skills and tasks, such as hunters and vigilantes, should utilise it well in the fight.  Sanussi stated that the people should not wait for the military to come to their aid, as the military usually only arrives after the innocents have been slaughtered or they flee from the battle.

Nigeria's military has been cooperating with various vigilante forces in the northeast for more than a year, often relying on civilians to do the bulk of the fighting against the insurgents.  Witnesses said it was vigilantes who recaptured the symbolically important northeast town of Chibok from Boko Haram at the weekend, with troops staying clear of the heavy fighting. The military has repeatedly been accused of leaving civilians defenceless against Boko Haram attacks and failing to respond to distress calls made in advance of raids.

The Interservice/Industry Training, Simulation and Education Conference (I/ITSEC) promotes cooperation among the Armed Services, Industry, Academia and various government agencies in pursuit of improved training and education programmes, identification of common training issues and development of multiservice programs.

The Training, Simulation and Modeling Industry has a very important job to do in providing the very best of Training Equipment and Simulation Technologies for forces in the field and at home. I/ITSEC strives to meet these very important and ever changing needs. The attendees that are present at I/ITSEC understand that training is a core process in a successful and modern business. In these successful organisations, training is continuous, pervasive, and institutionalised. These organisations come to I/ITSEC to find the resources that they will need to adapt to the new tasks and threats of tomorrow.

Some of the most innovative companies in the MS&T industry are present each year at I/ITSEC. Previous exhibit displays have included: Computer-Based 3D graphics, Flight Simulators, Convoy Trainers, SCORM, Information Technology, Advanced Distributed Learning, Aerospace, Communications, Public Safety, and many more.  I/ITSEC is “Mission Critical” National Security in a global context.

For I/ITSEC 2014, MILITARY TECHNOLOGY has published various interesting topics in issue 12/14, available on booth #773.



Issue #12/14 includes opinions, news, C4I reviews, industrial and political news, spotlights on Pakistan’s Armed Forces and Industy, and a Look at USSOCOM’s Tactical Assault Light Operator Suit (TALOS) Programme. Furthermore the issue includes articles on Fuel Cells/Batteries/Alternative Developments (Personal), Biomechanical Developments, the Future Roles of GEOINT in Defence and Contingency Planning, Border Security in Difficult Terrain, and a Pistols and Handguns topic featuring the US DoD’s Modular Handgun System (MHS) Programme of Record, as well as a review of the current Handgun Market.

For I/ITSEC 2014, issue #12/14 includes an in-depth look at Simulation & Training for 2015 and Beyond, Augmenting Virtual Reality, and Combined Arms Synthetic Training, as well as articles on Training Systems Integration, Blast Simulation, and Simulation & Training News. Furthermore, this issue includes the Simulation and Training Bosses (SATB) Series - Selected Industrial Views with the following statements:

• Alenia Aermacchi
• Bob Gower, Vice President, Boeing Training Systems and Government Services
• Gene Colabatistto, Group President, Defence & Security, CAE
• Joe Swinski, President The DiSTI Corporation
• Christoph Weber, Executive Vice President Aerosystems Division, ESG Elektroniksystem- und Logistik-GmbH
• Cory Kumm, Worldwide Director of Military & Simulation, Havok 
• Dan Schimmel, CEO VT MÄK
• Ron Vadas, President of Meggitt Training Systems 
• Bob Williams, Vice President, Raytheon's Global Training Solutions
• Frank Thieser, Director Business Development & Strategy, Reiser
• Ir. Chris Haarmeijer, CEO RE-liON
• Ulrich Sasse, Managing Director of Rheinmetall Defence Electronics, President, Simulation and Training Division
• Oliver Meyer, Senior Vice President Simulation & Training, RUAG Defence 
• Jean-Jacques Guittard, VP Training and Simulation at Thales

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA ASI), a leading manufacturer of Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) systems, radars, and electro-optic and related mission systems solutions, yesterday announced two key technological advances related to its ongoing Sense and Avoid (SAA) system development efforts.

GA ASI Advances Sense and Avoid capability onboard a PREDATOR B. (Photo: GA)

In collaboration with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Honeywell, GA-ASI tested a proof-of-concept SAA system, marking the first successful test of the FAA’s Airborne Collision Avoidance System for Unmanned Aircraft (ACAS XU). The company also performed the first flight tests of a pre-production air-to-air radar for SAA, called the Due Regard Radar (DRR), making it the first radar of its kind designed for an RPA.

“Our latest Sense and Avoid test represents a major step forward for integrating RPA safely into domestic and international airspace,” said Frank Pace, president, Aircraft Systems, GA-ASI. “Our proof-of-concept SAA system is now functional and ready for extensive flight testing with the FAA, NASA, and our industry partners.”

A functional flight test of GA-ASI’s SAA system—which includes automatic collision avoidance and a sensor fusion capability designed to provide the pilot on the ground with a clear picture of the traffic around the aircraft—occurred 4, 5, and 10 September at GA-ASI’s Gray Butte Flight Operations Facility in Palmdale, CA, onboard a PREDATOR B RPA. During the test, PREDATOR B proved the functionality of ACAS XU during collision avoidance maneuvers against ADS-B and transponder-equipped aircraft executed automatically onboard the RPA with the pilot ready to override the system. Automatically executing collision avoidance maneuvers will enable PREDATOR B to maintain safety in the National Airspace System in the unlikely event of a loss of the command and control data link. ACAS XU is specifically designed to be interoperable and backwards compatible with Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System (TCAS) II, which is the worldwide collision avoidance system used on most commercial transport aircraft.

GA-ASI is currently working with NASA to integrate the proof-of-concept SAA system aboard NASA’s Predator B, called Ikhana. Ikhana will serve as the primary test aircraft in a SAA flight test scheduled to take place this month and next at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, Calif. The flight test campaign will evaluate the SAA system in a wide variety of both collision avoidance and self-separation encounters and will include a sensor fusion algorithm being developed by Honeywell. (Photo: NASA)

Meanwhile, DRR testing has been occurring at various locations across Southern California this year onboard a Beechcraft King Air in an attempt to detect and track multiple test aircraft across the full Field-of-Regard, including General Aviation aircraft beyond ten miles. The tests are the first in an extensive flight test campaign designed to develop the Engineering Development Model (EDM) DRR fully and make it ready for flight testing on Predator B. The ultimate goal of GA-ASI’s SAA programme is to enable “due regard” operations in international airspace and routine access in non-segregated civilian airspace in the US and around the world. The company’s pioneering efforts commenced in 2011 and have included the successful demonstration and follow-on integration of Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) onboard the GUARDIAN RPA, the flight test of a SAA architecture and self-separation functionality on PREDATOR B, and testing of a prototype DRR on a TWIN OTTER aircraft and PREDATOR B. 

CybAero has been selected by the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV) to conduct test and demonstration flights from Sweden's VISBY-class corvette in Q3, 2015. It is estimated that the flights, which will employ CybAero's APID helicopter systems, are to be conducted by the Swedish Armed Forces over Swedish waters. The purpose of the flights is to test the strategic and tactical benefits of these systems onboard Swedish Navy vessels.

"We are, of course, very proud to have been selected, and this is a testament to the high level of confidence FMV has placed in us," says Mikael Hult, CEO of CybAero. "Now that we have been chosen by FMV to conduct the test and demonstration flights, we have a great opportunity to put our systems on display, and this will serve as a good reference point for potential clients in Sweden and abroad."

One of the most important applications of remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPA) is within maritime applications, and in recent years, CybAero has worked hard to establish its systems in this segment. CybAero will soon make its first deliveries to China Customs, which is the company’s first end client within maritime applications.

CybAero's APID helicopter systems.

The 25th International Training Equipment Conference (ITEC) and exhibition was held between 20-22 May 2014 at the Kölnmesse conference centre on the banks of the river Rhine, organised by London-based Clarion Events and the U.S. National Training Systems Association (NTSA).  Attendance was about 3,200, slightly more than last year in Rome, with people from 53 nations varying from Bangladesh and Bulgaria to Ukraine and Vietnam.  The increase in attendance was quite an achievement because the Berlin Air Show was in the same week.  An air show would not normally clash too much with a training conference, but at the Berlin venue there was also a training conference, and several key people went to Berlin rather than Cologne.

Keynote addresses – Multi-National is our strength – Network links in Training Exercises are the Future

The keynote ITEC speaker was Vice Admiral Heinrich Lange, Director of Forces Policy for the German Ministry of Defence, responsible for combat readiness of all three Services.  The ultimate object of training, he said, was to exercise in a full-mission environment.  He said that we need more multi-service and multi-national exercises and his keyword is "jointness".  We must overcome barriers in getting different nations together and co-ordinating all of the players.  "Multi-national is our strength and not our weakness", he said.  However, the same exercises should not be repeated unnecessarily, because we can be "over-exercised but under-trained".  He pointed out that in Afghanistan, interoperability has been the key, showing that we need to allow for different languages and cultures, both of the forces that are being trained and the people of the regions in which they are deployed.  He mentioned the Framework Nation Concept (FNC) where nations that had a comprehensive training framework were in a position to provide facilities to others.  He pointed out that simulation allows training goals to be achieved faster and without environmental impact.  This includes networking, and both military and civil players should be integrated, also senior management.  We should learn, he said, from recent crises in the Crimea and Ukraine, and consider how best to react and train for such events in the future.  We need to develop a "contingency posture" that allows for future situations including counter-insurgency.  The current climate of defence cuts favours training by simulation, which is much less costly than constantly using front-line equipment in a training mode.  In conclusion, he said that success depends on preparation, and an important part is the use of all types of simulation from simple to complex.
Following this address, a Senior Officer panel was chaired by Rear Admiral Simon Williams, RN (Retd), Clarion Events and Security Director.  MGen Richard Longo, Commander of the US Army in NATO, talked about the recent 8-nation exercise "Combined Resolve" held in Bulgaria.  Instead of transporting forces fto Bulgaria, US Army range and simulation facilities at Grafenwohr and Hohenfels were used, results being transmitted to ExCon in Bulgaria and used in an exercise scenario that combined live and virtual.  A Romanian unit of 700 personnel exercised at home, the interaction with ExCom being through network links.  This was said to have "saved a ton of money" compared to deploying to Bulgaria.  On the "political" side of the exercise, the role of an ambassador was played by the real US ambassador to Bulgaria. We should do more exercises like this, he said.  Another recent exercise was in response to the annexation of the Crimea by Russia and the increased threat to ex-Warsaw Pact nations.  This involved Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and the USA, and was set up in only 5 days.  This short timescale was possible because previous relationships had allowed the necessary links to created quickly.  He noted that some of these were small nations, but, he said, "small nations often have niche knowledge" that is useful to larger organisations such as larger nations of NATO itself.

Brigadier General Dzintars Roga, Chief of Staff for Training of the Latvian Armed Forces, mentioned the NATO Collective Force Initiative (CFI) that had been adopted at a recent NATO summit in Chicago.  This is for "smart defence" and as well as the military, includes civil organisations such as police, fire service, medical, and non-government organisations (NGOs).  We also need, he said, to consider cyber and energy security as well as conventional training of military forces.

Frank Thieser, Director of Business Development at Reiser Systemtechnik, said that interoperability needed standardisation, and both were important for modern training.  The modern training environment used networked devices, and more were needed.  "Which entity is responsible for ensuring standardisation and interoperability", he asked.  One answer is through the NATO Interoperability Group.  Some NATO Standardisation Agreements (STANAGs) are about simulation, for instance STANAG 4605 on simulator High Level Architecture (HLA).  Also, the NATO Interoperability Group works with world bodies such as the international Simulation Interoperability Standards Organization (SISO) (which had a seminar at the conference, see later).  Thieser referred to simulation and training developments in the civil world, and suggested that many could be applied to the military field.  He also said that "agility and readiness" were required to combat future threats, and a proper use of modern simulation technology was essential to achieve this.

RAdm Williams mentioned training at high and low levels of complexity, and posed the question "should we train to the lowest common denominator or strive for the highest levels?" In response, MGen Longo said that "we should train for complexity", because "if we can do complex we can do less complex".  There is also the cost factor, and simple training such as for basic checks and operating modes should not be carried out on an expensive full mission device.  The level of training complexity should reflect the relevant stage in the "training progression".  For complex military equipment this starts with simple laptop devices and proceeds through part-task trainers to Full Mission Simulators, each training aid being optimised for the particular stage of the training.

The limitations of live military ranges were discussed, including their limited geographical area and the inability to launch real long-range weapons due to cost and safety considerations.  These limitations do not apply to simulation, in which unlimited geographical areas can be used and synthetic weapons can not only be fired but their effects shown realistically.  Failure cases can be modelled including weapon hang-ups and misfires.

Military Procurement – how to speed up?

The final discussion was on military procurement and VAd Lange said that "we are way too slow".  However it is difficult to find a solution short of a complete re-structuring of the system, which would be very tricky while maintaining readiness against threats.  One difficulty, as Mr Thieser said, is "which agency is responsible?" In the 1980s in the UK we had the same difficulty, our Operational Requirements (ORs) were taking far too long from initial writing to equipment in service.  To speed this up, during the 1982 conflict between the UK and Argentina over the Falkland Islands (Malvinas to the Argentinians), the UK set up a process of what were called "Corporate Clearances" for rapid procurement or modification of weapons and other equipment needed for the conflict (the name came from the UK name for the Falklands operation, Operation Corporate).  I was a Squadron Commander at the UK aircraft test establishment at Boscombe Down and flew "Corporate" flight trials ranging from weapon firing to new modes of in-flight refuelling.  Examples included equipping and clearing several aircraft new to flight-refuelling, and clearing UK Harriers to fire the L model of the Sidewinder missile after a very limited number of live firings.  On the latter, we only tested for (1) that the missile launched with no damage to the Harrier, and (2) it would guide towards its target.  It was not considered necessary to carry out the usual extra firings to obtain the probabilities of damage and kill on a variety of targets at different firing geometries.  Afterwards, when in the Operational Requirements branch of our Ministry of Defence, I wrote a paper on how better to carry out such rapid Clearances of new equipment.  I was therefore asked to write a protocol for what we now call an "Urgent Operational Requirement" (UOR), to be used for future rapid procurements, and this is still in use today.

Returning to the question posed at ITEC, what is required is for something like the UOR system to be used also for procurement of simulators and other training aids as well as for bombs, missiles, electronic warfare and flight refuelling.  Rapid procurement can also be achieved by buying "off the shelf" rather than specifying bespoke equipment.  For instance, the civil "Level D" design of Full Flight Simulator.  This is a worldwide standard that all airlines use, with over 1000 in service and numbers increasing.  Fundamentally all you need to specify to the manufacturer is that he will deliver a Level D design that is tested and certified as such by the appropriate aviation Regulatory Authority.  In the simulation area there is so much good off-the-shelf hardware and software, that it is difficult to justify creating "special specifications".  One rather gross example was revealed at a previous ITEC conference, where we were told that the whole design for the visual systems for the F-35 Full Mission Simulator was constrained by a requirement for it to fit in old buildings that had originally been designed for F-16 simulators with much cruder visuals!  This led to a very small visual dome of unique design, into which the F-35 pilot and seat are motored on rails because the dome is too small for normal access.  This is a clear example of "the tail wagging the dog", when many dome-based visual systems were already on the market, and in use, at the time.  It would be interesting to know the additional expense compared to using an existing dome system.

The Exhibition.

On the exhibition floor there were 109 exhibitors from 18 countries.  These were led by host nation Germany with 27, followed by the UK and USA with 22 each, then Italy with 7 and France with 6.  Others ranged from Australia and Belgium to Switzerland and Turkey.  The usual array of stunning imagery was on display including I.G.s new to ITEC from bDesign (Israel), Diamond Visionics (USA), EuroSimtec (Germany) and IFAD (Denmark).  There were also a number of dome displays and complete Part-Task Trainers and Flight Training Devices (PTTs/FTDs).  At the compact display end, there was a resurgence of Head-Mounted Displays including from Cybermind (Netherlands), Selex (Italy) and, from the USA, Oculus, Rockwell Collins and Sensix.  There were three new types of motion platform.  Beck Engineering and Consulting (BEC) of Reutlingen demonstrated a cab on a moving arm that gave all six degrees of freedom and large motion throws; Project Syntropy of Magdeburg showed a model of a large 6-jack platform with an underslung cab, in service with DLR at Braunschweig; and Saab demonstrated a small platform with motion under two side-by-side seats.

The Conference.

In the conference, 72 papers were presented from 13 countries including Croatia, Latvia, Philippines and Singapore.  There were also 8 panel sessions and a full-day seminar from the international Simulation Interoperability Standards Organization (SISO).  As well as presentations on mainstream land, sea and air training, subjects included Augmented reality; cyber threats; haptics (touch-based systems); maintenance training; medical simulation; and military/civil co-operation.  Modelling is a large area and presentations covered models of behaviours, the environment, 3-D objects, terrain; and serious gaming.

The SISO seminar covered the Coalition Battle Management Language (C-BML) and the associated Military Scenario Definition Language (MSDL), Federation Object Models (FOMs), simulator High Level Architecture (HLA), and the SISO Common Image Generator Interface standard (CIGI).  The final session was on future SISO standardization efforts and included the use of JavaScript Object Notation (JSON), the Reuse and Interoperation of Environmental Data and Processes (RIEDP), WebLVC for linking virtual and web-based federations, and the US DoD Test and Training Enabled Architecture (TENA).  I apologise for using a string of abbreviations, but they show the flavour, also the trend towards future standards for networked training.

Conclusion

The above shows that the training and simulation area is expanding both in amount and capability.  Major advantages include that it costs less than constantly using live hardware for training, and that it can train for situations that are simply not possible using live vehicles and their weapons, before the conflict situation itself.  It is now recognised at all levels that the best way to achieve realistic mission training is by using network links between the various entities.  Such entities can include not only simulations but also live assets.  For such training, land, sea and air systems should be included, not only from one nation but from several nations.  Not only military systems but others such as police, fire, medical, local and central government, and so forth.  And as we saw in the Bulgarian exercise mentioned above, as well as networked links, other people can be involved such as ambassadors and politicians who may have to take decisions that affect the conduct of the exercise.

Looking to the future, the next ITEC will be at the Prague PVA Expo from 28-30 April 2015.  If you have any contact with the training and simulation area, and wish to save money in your training systems, you should plan to attend.  There is also the larger U.S. I/ITSEC event in Orlando from 2-4 December 2014.  See you either in Orlando or Prague, or both !

Simulation saves money by saving time, lives and resources. No virtual reality can completely live up to the effects of real life but even so, simulation systems play an irreplaceable part in the training and instruction of military and civilian personnel. They provide a 24/7 training capability that is fully flexible and weather-independent, with no risk of physical injury or material damage.

Ulrich Sasse, Managing Director of Rheinmetall Defence Electronics, President, Simulation and Training Division (Photo: Rheinmetall)

When looking at current military operational profiles, it quickly becomes clear that the focus today is on joint and combined missions that require maximum interoperability and communication between forces. Command and control of such missions requires superb leadership competence. Future training systems must also reflect the ensuing shift in tasks.

Mission training and rehearsal are now the most prominent imperatives in the military training domain. Current operational mission training and rehearsal scenarios need to be executed and trained for in a joint/combined context with a diversity of forces and entities, including air, land and sea assets.

The requirements for joint training are very complex and can only be met in an optimum training environment. First and foremost, training must always aim to provide soldiers with the multifaceted skills needed on the modern battlefield. Among the core competencies required for joint operations are the mastery of weapons systems, maintaining situational awareness, communication, teamwork, decision making, and risk assessment.

More realistic than ever, modern simulation technology makes a major contribution to readying our soldiers for deployed operations – from individual instruction in equipment operation to tactical leadership exercises for major formations.

For more than 40 years, training systems from Rheinmetall Defence have helped to prepare troops for air, land and sea operations. Our spectrum of simulation products ranges from individual training systems to highly complex, networked systems for joint and combined operations training. Prominent examples include the Leopard Gunnery Skills Trainer, the ANTares mobile tactical training environment and, of course, our live training centres such as the GÜZ combat training centre we jointly operate with the German Army.

Visitors to I/ITSEC 2014 can learn more about Rheinmetall’s activities in the field of simulation and training at stand #2213.

Raytheon UK has illustrated a clear intention to further pursue the development of C4ISR technology in light of continuing counter-terrorism (CT) threats worldwide, it has emerged. Speaking at the company’s annual Technology Conference in London on 27 November, senior executives outlined moves being made in the counter-improvised explosive device (C-IED) and situation awareness (SA) domains in order to assist in CT operations.

According to David Richardson, business development executive responsible for the land environment, Raytheon UK is working up future options for London’s Metropolitan Police and Ministry of Defence (MoD) regarding its Soteria C-IED technology. Currently designed to be carried on board manned and unmanned ground vehicles, Richardson explained how potential customers were looking at the future of this radar-scanning technology in the dismounted or tactical area.

‘There is a “confirm” and “diagnose” capability gap in current C-IED concepts of operations, following the detection of an IED using all conventional IED detection methods,’ Richardson explained. Currently, there is no existing technology that allows the dismounted user to see under the surface and determine the positions, orientation, size and shape of all emplaced IEDs and IED components.

Traditionally, dismounted EOD operators have been forced to probe an area of interest manually before digging and brushing around the general area of a positive detection to determine the location of a device- a task that is both extremely high risk and also very slow and laborious.

Raytheon UK announced it is currently in the midst of conducting a variety of technical assessments in order to identify needs, issues and concepts of operations, with Richardson adding: ‘Soteria didn’t go to Afghanistan as a [vehicle-mounted] UOR as time was against us, but the MoD is looking at what they want for contingency operations and are discussing options in different forms with different sensors.’

Meanwhile, Raytheon UK also highlighted its People Tracker technology, designed in part on the back of the Boston Marathon bombing incident on 15 April, 2013. Tapping into LIDAR technology, the solution has been developed in collaboration with Velodyne to provide SA and force protection for forward operating bases, critical national infrastructure (CNI) as well as built-up areas including sports stadia and stations.

According to Richardson, the proliferation of existing 2D CCTV solutions can be affected by various limitations while LIDAR technology tracking is immune to varying lighting conditions; can provide more exact ranges and positioning data; as well as the possibility to create 3D models for post-mission analysis and pre-deployment intelligence requests for information.

The technology comprises a 360° field-of-view with a range of up to 120m and can be operated by a slue-to-cue mechanism, which can also provide facial recognition of suspected individuals.

LIDAR technology has previously been used by SOF units for covert operations to map out urban areas when mounted on board a moving vehicle. However, the technology came in for criticism when it was revealed a host vehicle had to move at speeds less than 30mph to generate accurate information. A static LIDAR system, observing CNI and other locations, would not have such a problem. Richardson announced that a dismounted version of this LIDAR solution would be used at the MoD’s URBEX trial on Salisbury Plain training area, Wiltshire, in December. Additionally, Raytheon sources said there was interest in Germany where CT units remain concerned about tracking high-value targets. ‘Traditional camera surveillance systems are subject to several shortcomings including lighting, shadows, colour patterns and darkness. Tracking with dense LIDAR provides real-time SA with significantly fewer false alarms, tracking people and objects in crowds or within boundaries, while also detecting changes in the environment,’ Richardson said.

Raytheon UK also took the opportunity to launch its RAVEN ISR search, visualisation and analysis platform, designed for the disadvantaged user in the intelligence domain. Comprising just a single laptop, the Raven software has been designed as an expeditionary alternative to the enormous ‘container cities’ seen at coalition bases in Afghanistan, driven by requirements for high levels of bandwidth, computer power, server centres and storage space.

According to Mark Lavis-Jones, head of information exploitation at Raytheon UK, ‘end users have been telling us for a while that they need that capability on a laptop which they can take into theatre as a deployable capability’.

‘Raven is a new field of technology that we’re using to address that intelligence market,’ he continued while describing how information in modern conflicts generally started with ‘near real-time media feeds.’

‘Immediately, assets will be deployed and individuals will be put on the ground to collect intelligence. They cannot be reliant on huge infrastructure,’ Lavis-Jones added.

Relying upon COTS systems architecture, a RAVEN-enabled laptop can be deployed as part of a two-man team deploying into a theatre. It can then tap into coalition ISR collection platforms almost immediately, it was claimed, compared to legacy systems which Raytheon UK claimed would take longer. ‘RAVEN has been designed to do that quickly and cheaply,’ Lavis-Jones continued.

RAVEN uses geo-location software such as TACITVIEW and allows an operator to introduce additional layers of geo-locating tools for capabilities such as electronic warfare, for example. 3D imagery is also compatible, it was added.

Raytheon UK also revealed that it had successfully completed an exercise to disseminate information around the world at a ‘Classified’ level for exploitation by various coalition partners. Furthermore, Raven has also proven interoperable with the UK MoD’s DataMan software which provides geospatial tools for troops at home and abroad.

About this time of year, with the annual jamboree of I/ITSEC in Orlando rapidly approaching from the near horizon, it has become traditional for observers of the military training and simulation (S&T) scene to reflect (and occasionally wax lyrical) on the issue of what has changed, how much remains the same and where the community is headed. Often this results in artificial ‘themes,’ some of which fail to stand the test of any time at all. Others reflect constant rather than incremental change and yet others are statements of the obvious. In an effort to break the mould and perhaps try to bring fresh perspective to the question ‘Quo Vadis Training & Simulation,’ MT looks at one of the pervading characteristics of the industry and the demand that fuels it – the issue of systems integration.

RUAG Simulation & Training offers a new range of deployable Combat Training Centres (CTC). Furthermore, GLADIATOR can be extended in three modular stages, starting from the Basic variant. A high-tech and cost-effective harness for day-to-day training deployments. (Photo: RUAG)

Defining ‘systems integration’ for this industry, though, is not as simple as it may at first seem. What, precisely, is an ‘integrated training system?’ Is it characterised by a cohesive, holistic approach to the training requirements for a particular training regime? Is it a system that consists of multi-disciplinary approaches to a single training need? Does it inevitably comprise a series of components ranging from hardware through middleware to software? Is it necessarily the ‘Silver Bullet’ – a panacea approach to providing answers to all possible permutations of training in a single domain?

The answer, inevitably, is all the above. Or, arguably, none of the above but an altogether different philosophical attempt to providing effective and meaningful training for a particular requirement. The problem is, fundamentally, that although there are broad similarities between national requirements for training systems and services, the minutiae of budget, technology, sovereign capability and doctrinal considerations means that almost every nation tackles the conundrum in a subtly different manner.

Through Endeavour to the Skies

Consider, for example, the issue of pilot training for the British Armed Forces. Recognising the existing system as fragmented and inadequate, the UK MoD took a bold step a decade ago and began to consider a radical overhaul of pilot training across the entire spectrum of requirements, seeking a fresh, innovative and infinitely more effective method of producing the end product – trained pilots.
Radical change entails strenuous effort over time and this issue proved to be no exception. It was not until June 2008 that a contract was inked with Ascent Flight Training, a joint venture between Lockheed Martin and VT Group (the latter’s share in the venture now belonging to Babcock as a result of subsequent merger and acquisition activity) to provide the UK Military Flying Training System (UKMFTS) with a new construct: The contractor was to provide infrastructure, simulators, aircraft in certain cases, instructors in others and an ‘integrated training system’ with the ultimate objective of turning out qualified pilots at the end of the training pipeline. Risk was removed from the MoD and transferred to the contractor; capital expenditure requirements by the MoD were radically reduced – disappearing altogether for some components. The system would engender close, not to say intimate, cooperation between contractor and user, resulting in ‘best of breed’ solutions in which multiple disciplines would be leveraged to provide a more integrated and cohesive solution to the question of providing qualified aircrew capable of being rapidly inserted into operational flying.
Overall, this approach has worked. There is certainly a degree of devilry in the details and there have been criticisms of the way in which certain aspects of the programme have worked. But, the programme is less than a quarter of the way through its 25 year implementation period and has successfully and flexibly answered the multiple unforeseen challenges it has had to face. Not the least of these has been significant change in the basis on which the entire contract was originally founded: At the planning stage, the assumption was there would be a community of somewhere around 300 pilots per year requiring training. Defence cuts, budget austerity and new doctrine have combined to reduce that number considerably – but then again, changes in perceived threat and the capabilities brought to operations by emerging technologies may well alter that equation again in the opposite direction in the near future, a strong argument for the establishment of a flexible ‘on-call’ system. As an integrated training system – inserting pertinent capability, technology, hardware and support into a cohesive and structured training pipeline – UKMFTS works reasonably well. As a model, it certainly demands serious consideration by other forces facing similar training systems issues.

Thales’ SAGITTARIUS Evolution is a small arms trainer that covers all areas of marksmanship training from law enforcement applications, close quarter combat up to full military battlefield engagement training. Using the latest CryEngine simulation technology, SAGITTARIUS Evolution provides both virtual and live firing training capability for individual and unit training. It can be linked to other systems and/or additional modules out of the SAGITTARIUS Evolution product line such as the Door Gunner, the Vehicle or the Boat Module. All modules can be provided with motion platforms. (Photo: Thales)

But the model does not necessarily work in all regimes. For example, an MFTS type approach would face major challenges in the US, where multiple year contracting is made very challenging by budget structures and procurement regulations. Equally important, the very broad range of requirements in aircrew training (not to mention the other domains in which such an approach might, on the surface, make sense) coupled with the scale of demand within US forces means multiple systems probably offer more graceful solutions than a single overarching construct. That said, there are broad similarities that demand careful consideration. For the forthcoming T-X trainer aircraft programme, the USAF is on record as emphasising it is not looking merely for an aircraft to replace the T-38 fleet, but an ‘integrated system,’ incorporating a comprehensive ground based training system (simulators, part task trainers, flight training devices etc.), an appropriate learning management system, and a host of bells and whistles aimed at providing a more effective and results-oriented facility.

“Training, Incorporated”

The net result of all this is that a change rumbling away beneath the surface of the industry will have immense impact over the next decade and more. There will be much, much more partnering between companies, large and small, endeavouring to bring a more holistic approach to bear on providing effective solutions. It will no longer be a simple case of providing a list of companies such as Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, CAE, Saab, Cubic, and others to answer the question “who makes integrated training systems?” The future lies in consortia, joint ventures, formal and informal partnerships and ad hoc groupings of industrial, intellectual and academic capabilities embodied in a host of industrial partners.

Canada provides a good example of where this approach might, in theory, be implemented in the near future. Canadian pilot training is currently provided under a number of contracts, each with a defined output focus, each with a different contractor and each with a different contract expiration date over the next decade or so. There are signs that the DoND is even now beginning to engage with industry in order to determine the potential benefits accruing from seeking to harmonise and possibly replace these contracts. And the list of companies that could make a major contribution to realising the Holy Grail of integrated pilot (and aircrew – not to mention maintenance crew) training right across the Canadian Forces’ requirements is quite considerable.

Canada is home to perhaps the preeminent company in pilot training, CAE. No solution to the potential requirement, given the new National Procurement Strategy, with its emphasis on Canadian content and Value Proposition as guiding principles in the acquisition decision process, is likely without some measure of involvement by CAE. The company has the technology, the industrial and financial muscle and the experience to address almost every aspect of the likely requirement as it emerges. But, even CAE is unlikely to try to go it alone, according to some observers. As the requirements increase for integrated systems, so the scale and value of potential solutions rises and the concomitant levels of performance and financial risk also increase. Spreading the risk among multiple partners and, at the same time, taking advantage of niche capabilities and institutional experience is a sensible and effects-oriented method of bringing potential synergies to the solution.

Already firmly embedded in the existing pilot training setup in Canada are companies such as Bluedrop Training & Simulation, which is part of the Allied Wings consortium, contractor for the Contracted Flying Training and Support Program (CFTS), which provides coordination and oversight for flying training and support services for primary and basic flying training, multi-engine and helicopter pilot training. L-3 MAS draws on a 25 year heritage of CF-18 HORNET fleet management and its expertise in conceptual training systems design to provide a broad spectrum of contractor support, including infrastructure, instruction, simulators, aircraft management and learning management system design for the NATO Flying Training in Canada (NFTC) programme. Companies such as NGRAIN have the capacity and expertise to bring all the benefits of virtual reality to the sometimes peripheral but always vitally important components of an integrated training system, such as maintenance crew training.

In parallel to the issue of risk management and the exploitation of niche capability lies another rationale for the consortium approach to major programmes. The benefits accruing to a multi-disciplinary approach can save time, effort and increasingly scarce financial resources when considering the design, development, manufacture, implementation and operation of a large scale integrated training system. Expertise in the development of submarine control room trainers, for instance, may well have intellectual if not operational application to the requirements for crew training for armoured vehicles, or the training of crews for maritime patrol aircraft. Synergies exist, potentially, across the grey areas that are now emerging to replace what were once defined inter-domain boundaries.

Earlier this year, Havok has expanded the extensive content library in its Havok Simulation Framework. The recent additions include a completely new Environment Library, which has representations for buildings, plants and environmental clutter. These models have been built by the Rocketbox Studios team to the same exacting standards as their industry-renowned Rocketbox Character Library. (Screenshot: Havok)

Joint Warfare, Joint Training

“The future is joint,” is a mantra often heard at conferences and symposia dealing with future military operations, threat perception and interoperability. Which is indubitably true. Logical extension of this thought process, though, indicates further possible consolidation and acceleration of the need to integrate training systems, rather than trying to ‘bolt on’ additional capability to existing systems.

As ISAF combat troops wind down their involvement and return home from Afghanistan, there will continue to be NATO and Coalition soldiers involved in the ongoing training programmes for the Afghan National Army and its sister services. Afghan troops train with some regularity at the NATO Joint Force Training Centre in Bydgoszcz, Poland. They train not only with Polish troops but with those from a dozen or more allied nations and one of the inevitable needs is for better language training and cultural awareness on the part of all parties concerned. Companies such as Alelo have made significant contributions to both aspects of what might be called ‘peripheral’ training needs throughout the Afghan conflict. Does this mean the company is a provider of ‘integrated training systems?’ Self-evidently not – but it does mean that Alelo is, potentially, part of the broader brush approach to the provision of such systems in the future.

Russia’s drive to modernise its Armed Forces – particularly its strong and rapidly re-equipping army – found part of its expression in an ambitious programme to establish four comprehensive combat training centres across the country, for which the chosen contractor was Rheinmetall, leveraging the company’s considerable expertise in live-virtual-constructive training for the Bundeswehr. Although political crises and the thorny issues of economic sanctions on Russia have currently stalled the programme, the fact remains that Russia seeks interoperability and commonality for its ground forces capabilities and the benefits of external expertise for the design and operation of its training systems.

Federated or Devolved Training?

At both international and national levels of iteration, the development of modern, integrated training facilities has assumed paramount importance. In Kenya, the British Army Training Team – which has operated in the country for decades – now uses the Saab Deployable Tactical Engagement System (DTES) to provide what the UK calls “hybrid foundation training” for small infantry units. But no small infantry unit operates in splendid isolation on today’s battlefield. Artillery and mortar fire support, combat engineering, close air support, tactical air transport, combat casualty treatment and medical evacuation – all these components and more have to be taken into account in order to ensure effective, realistic training. So is DTES a devolved, ‘stand-alone’ system – or should it be considered part of a broader, more comprehensive training facility that takes these issues and others into account. There are arguments on both sides, but viewing DTES through the prism of future requirements rather than recent and current experience, it is worth considering DTES as the core of a suite of capabilities that might, in some senses, be considered an integrated system.

British Army Training Team in Saab Deployable Tactical Engagement System (DTES) equipment in Kenya. (Photo: Saab)

Another approach to the issue is to have an overarching authority that generates and tries to implement a cohesive vision across the entire spectrum of training system requirements. Arguably that is the function of the PEO STRI on behalf of the US Army. The number of individual training programmes run by the Army that might justifiably be termed ‘integrated’ is, undoubtedly, legion. But, there is a strong argument to make that PEO STRI’s greatest legacy for future soldiers will be the attempt to integrate and consolidate training systems across the entire waterfront of current and future operational capability.

And the Winner is….

Whether one considers the Thales approach in providing the TACTIS tactical armoured vehicle crew training for the Dutch Army or the QinetiQ operation of the Distributed Synthetic Air Land Training System (DSALT) for the British MoD, there is a theme emerging from the continuing contracting activity in military training and simulation that speaks to integration becoming the new norm. At ITEC in Köln earlier this year a tiny but thought provoking demonstration of the benefits of integration leaped off the Ryan Aerospace booth, in which that company’s helicopter crew training systems were integrated with a battlefield navigation/C4I application from Italian SME Rebel Alliance. Is that an integrated system? By virtue of the fact that it integrates two separate capabilities from two separate providers – yes. What else could it be?
All this presupposes, of course, the reader’s acceptance of the supposition that the definition of ‘integrated training system’ is changing – or at least that it needs to change. It does not necessarily have to describe a large, ponderous, multi-faceted system that may try (and often fail) to address a very high-level requirement. An integrated training system can, undoubtedly, be a single-platform solution, as is the case with the Lockheed Martin F-35 maintenance training programme, which brings multiple disciplines and technologies to bear on a single issue. Alternatively, it might be a broad spectrum approach to engineering and technical training and education, such as that proposed by Raytheon and QinetiQ in its bid for the Defence Training Rationalisation programme in the UK, cancelled as a result of the 2010 Defence & Security Strategic Review process.
Integrated training systems are here to stay. Within a decade it may very well be impossible to find any training system other than the simplest that does not rise to the description ‘integrated.’ Technology will drive us in this direction, commercial logic will accelerate its development and the customer will inevitably demand a measure of integration in every system procured. It may well be, of course, that not every iteration of every training system will necessarily need to show evidence of being integrated. But, the choice needs to be there – analogous to dipping into a ‘trick or treat’ bucket of available goodies at Halloween.
The training and simulation community, globally, consists of about eight hundred industrial organisations that contribute in one way, shape or form to military training, simulation and education solutions, A decade ago, the description of an ‘integrated training systems provider’ might have been applied to less than fifty of them. A decade hence it is difficult to envision that description being applied to a number much less than one hundred per cent.

This article is an overview of the Modelling, Simulation and Training (S&T) industry in the wider European area, including Russia. This article will shed some light on the MS&T sector in Europe, focusing on the military training offered by their Armed Forces, and the organisations beyond them, which provide products and services, both to the domestic market, and to Armed Forces across the world.

Thales’ SAGITTARIUS Evolution is a small arms trainer that covers all areas of marksmanship training from law enforce¬ment applications, close quarter combat up to full military battlefield engagement training. Using the latest CRYENGINE simulation technology, SAGITTARIUS Evolution provides both virtual and live firing training capability for individual and unit training. SAGITTARIUS Evolution can be linked to other systems and/or additional modules out of the SAGITTARIUS Evolution product line such as the Door Gunner, the Vehicle or the Boat Module. All modules can be provided with motion platforms. (Photo: Thales)

S&T is a growing concern in the Armed Forces. The complexity of modern weapons systems and a wide spectrum of missions require well-trained soldiers especially in critical situations. Military operations in unknown territories and continually changing combat situations make extensive “train-as-you-fight” training more important than ever before. This also includes maintenance teams who must keep the great variety of today's complex weapons systems in operational condition.

Furthermore, asymmetric threat scenarios are becoming the norm. These conditions require an extension of the spectrum of S&T to adapt to an increasingly unpredictable combat environment. While available space prevents every S&T training product and service available from being described in detail, this article does, nevertheless, attempt to give the reader as comprehensive an overview as possible regarding the S&T state-of-the-art in Europe.

RUAG has at I/ITSEC 2013 exhibited Univisual Technologies‘ and Polar Simulation’s WALK MOUSE, giving trainees the ability to walk realistically in a synthetic environment without using a joystick. (Photo: Mönch / DPM)

Belgium 

The training efforts of the Belgian Armed Forces are reinforced by the provision of S&T from several Belgian companies including Leentjens-Boës, which produces the MINIDRA tactical engagement simulator product line that can be used for pistol, sub-machine gun and small rifle instruction. MINIDRA is currently in service with the Belgian land component.

CK Technology produces video and slide shooting simulation equipment, which can be used in conjunction with either live rounds or with laser shooting systems. CK Technology’s products are in service with a number of European countries. CK Technology’s training products are supplemented by FN Herstal. Unsurprisingly, given its accomplishments vis-à-vis the design of firearms, the firm has also developed weapons training equipment. This includes the company’s Training Outdoor Military (TOM) product, which can be used on live firing ranges.

Barco offers a complete range of products and services for the visualisation market. This includes projectors, but also auto-alignment suite, screens, display management systems and mechanical structures. All Barco systems are designed with SimCAD, Barco’s custom 3D software specifically developed for simulation. The acquisition of Norway-based projectiondesign proved to be successful. Barco’s high-end 3-chip DLP product range was complemented with mid-range 1-chip DLP projectors – resulting in one of the widest portfolios in the market and providing an answer to any projection need. The launch of the ‘Connect’ partner programme clearly shows Barco’s commitment to this market segment, and helped them double sales in this segment year-on-year.

Czech Republic

Bohemia Interactive Simulations (BISim) announced a strategic partnership with STE for business development and sales in Italy. This consists of an exclusive reseller agreement for STE which is the first of its kind executed by BISim anywhere in the world. They also recently introduced Virtual Battlespace 3 (VBS3). VBS3 offers a significant increase in capability, building on more than 10 years' experience delivering advanced simulation technologies to military organizations all over the world. VBS3 is a consolidated tactical training and mission rehearsal solution, combining flexible terrain and scenario editors, with a high-fidelity virtual environment for networked training and after-action reviews. VBS3 can also be used as an image generator in simulators, and can emulate a wide range of devices and weapon platforms. Its successor, VBS 2 has been the standard for military simulation across the majority of NATO partners for more than five years. VBS3 will be the new standard, as the US Army has selected VBS3 to be the flagship of their Games for Training programme.

Czech Army T-72M4 Cz Gunnery Trainer from E-Com, a Saab company. (Photo: Mönch / DPM)

E COM sro has about 120 employees, and produces training equipment for the military, civil and police markets. The company has delivered simulators to the Czech Army, and exported to Germany, Singapore, the UAE, and the USA. In February 2011, it was acquired by Saab.

Denmark

IFAD produces a number of training-related products, e.g. the IFAD Forward Air Controller Training Solution (IFACTS), a synthetic environment for Close Air Support (CAS) designed to train Forward Air Controllers (FACs) and pilots. Other products include the C-SIM naval tactical trainer, the IRAS radio communications trainer, and a trainer for management of emergency situations.

Metrik Simulation design and build multipurpose training facilities based on the latest advances in neurobiology, stress research, and didactics. At a time, where advanced 3D simulators and synthetic training environments have become standard equipment of any training ground, Metrik Simulation focus on mental pre-programming through strong sensory stimulation.

Estonia

ELI Military Simulations make the ALFONS Infantry Weapons Training Simulator, an indoor projection-based system, which presents imagery to soldiers who use laser attachments on their weapons to fire at the simulated targets. Battlefield sound effects are also produced.

Finland

Insta Defsec make simulator-based training systems for gunnery and the SIMCORE image generator, now in its "fifth generation" version.

Noptel systems will measure, monitor and record the whole aiming and shooting process in real time, allowing a full analysis of the shooter's performance. The immediate feedback received from each shot motivates the shooter and helps him to develop his shooting skills. The system transfers the burden of marksmanship fault identification from human instructor to the training system and helps the instructors to train recruits safely and efficiently to become skilled shooters within a short time.

Patria has reached excellent results in the elementary pilot training under contract for the Finnish Air Force (phase I - II training for conscripts, cadets and flight instructors). In the area of advanced military jet pilot training, Patria is giving HAWK simulator training in the Kauhava air base. Together with the Finnish Air Force and the MoD, Patria is developing Kauhava air base to become an advanced international military jet pilot training centre (phase III – IV training). The centre will be open to international customers with ample air space for tactical training and access to the training methods with proven track record.

France

France’s International Defence Council (DCI) coordinates the export of defence know-how from France to allied countries, often resulting from French defence equipment exports. The organisation notes that it provides: “<I>academic, operational and technical/operational training, as well as technical assistance and consulting services.<P>”

DCI- NAVFCO, the naval branch of DCI, continues to work with the Libyan Navy , as part of minesweeping training , to work underwater and on hyperbaric medicine for more than 70 future divers. The Libyan Navy, wishing to secure its maritime infrastructure, turned in early 2012 towards DCI- NAVFCO for training providing the same level of skills than the French Navy in the early cleanup actions. This training, which combines both theory and practice in real conditions, began in March 2012 and is spread over several sessions until 2014. It takes place at the school of diving DCI- NAVFCO based in Toulon, as well as the Navy diving school in St Mandrier .

MASA Group is a global company focused on the development of Artificial Intelligence-based modelling & simulation software for the defence, public safety, and other markets. Using MASA’s cutting-edge AI technology, MASA’s products (MASA SWORD and MASA LIFE) combine scalability, adaptability, and low cost of ownership with a strong standards-driven approach to technology. MASA Group is headquartered in France with offices in the USA and in Germany, and a worldwide network of value added resellers.

Thales is a major training services provider delivering training as a service to an international customer base, offering its training services through self-owned training centres and joint-ventures. The Thales approach to military aircraft training is to leverage maximum operational value from its broad experience as provider of real mission systems and aircraft systems. Thales delivers a range of training devices and services for civil and military helicopter training, from computer learning systems and cockpit procedures trainers (CPT) to full mission simulators (FMS). With its partners, Thales supports the Armed Forces with advanced training devices on NH90, TIGER, COUGAR and other military helicopters.

French robotics specialists ECA produce training simulators for piloting mine disposal vehicles.
The French shipbuilder DCNS is known for its surface and subsurface combatants, but it also provides a range of training and simulation tools to assist the instruction of sailors.
A number of French companies also provide training systems and products for land-based applications. For example, EADS (no news of a name change yet) GDI Simulation delivered 800 simulators for the French Army adapted to IFVs, APCs, MBTs, and sniper rifles.

Germany

Working directly with Eurofighter to manage the ASTA Programme is Eurofighter Simulation Systems (ESS), comprising simulation companies namely STN ATLAS, Indra, CAE, Meteor, and Thales. This team will subcontract the supplier of the visual systems package and will be partner with the Eurofighter Partner Companies (EPC) within an Integrated Project Team (IPT). This IPT will be responsible for integrating Weapon System Software (WSS) and Simulator Specific Software (SSS) to achieve a fully integrated ASTA package. ESS is a joint venture between the main National Simulation Industries in Europe. These Industries are ARGE comprising (Rheinmetall Defence Electronics and CAE) in Germany, Selex ES in Italy, Indra Sistemas in Spain, and Thales Training & Simulation in the UK.

CAE was the prime contractor responsible for the development of the German Army’s Night-Time Low-Level Flight Training Facility (NTF), which is Europe’s largest helicopter training facility. CAE designed and manufactured 12 full flight simulators (two UH-1D, two CH-53, and eight EC-135) that are used for basic flight training, as well as training in low level day, night, or instrument flight conditions. The NTF project features CAE’s roll-on/roll-off convertible full mission simulator design, where a common motion base can receive a variety of cockpit modules of different helicopters. All of the simulators can be networked to participate in the same flying exercise or tactical operation. CAE currently provides comprehensive training support services on-site at the German Army Aviation School in Bückeburg. (Photo: CAE)

Driving the TIGER combat helicopter project as another key programme in Europe and Australia, Reiser Systemtechnik has designed and manufactured various simulation equipment for the aircraft. Furthermore, the company has designed and manufactured various simulation equipment for the Eurofighter TYPHOON and PC-21.

The four full-mission simulators to be delivered by Helicopter Flight Training Services (HFTS) to the Bundeswehr's NH90 training centres in Bückeberg, Fassberg, and Holzdorf until at least 2022 will be used for comprehensive pilot training. HFTS acts as an industrial consortium comprising CAE Elektronik, Airbus Helicopters, Rheinmetall Defence Electronics, and THALES Deutschland.

Diehl Defence supports the military by supplying its ATLan-AS (Training system for land combat vehicles – Appended Training), a training system that turns any operational land combat system into its own simulator; HECTOR training equipment, a modular and autonomous on-board simulation system for training crews in electronic warfare, employed primarily for training in helicopters, may however also be integrated into military aircraft; and the Flight Profile Recorder (FPR) air combat training system.

To operate from naval ships in all weather conditions, German Navy Sea LYNX helicopters are being fitted out with new operating and display elements. To provide the necessary training on the new elements, ESG Elektroniksystem- und Logistik mbH developed a Cockpit Procedure Trainer (CPT) with touch screen monitors plus two extensive environments powered by STAGE Scenario from the Canadian COTS modeling, simulation, and embedded graphics solutions specialist Presagis. For pilot screenings, tactical training or simulator exercises before real operations directly in the assigned country ESG developed a portable helicopter simulator. Thereby 21 omniSHAPES form a configurable screen around a simulator cockpit. The flexible system can be adjusted according to different helicopter models and through its compact dimensions the assembled simulator can also be transported in freight containers in its entirety. ESG and eyevis present the mobile Helicopter-Sulator at ITEC 2014.

Telespazio VEGA Deutschland (a Finmeccanica/Thales company) owns a unique expertise in simulation-based flight training by using CPTs, technician training for land, maritime, and air vehicles as well as operations training for land and maritime applications. Airbus Helicopter, the main contractor for the German Army's CH-53 helicopter refit, contracted VEGA to develop the CPT for the CH-53GA and to deliver it in two versions, a PC-based mobile CPT and the replicated cockpit that is based on touch-screen technology.

The Virtual Ship Training and Information System (ViSTIS) developed by the ViSTIS team comprising ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS), KBR, and Crytek provides one of the first virtual environments where officers and sailors will be able to rehearse all individual, team, and teams of teams-based tasks.

CAE GmbH is considered a leading supplier of integrated training solutions and simulation technology for flight and land applications, and in the provision of training support services for European defence forces. CAE GmbH has a long history of supporting the Bundeswehr and currently provides maintenance and support services for most of the Bundeswehr flight simulators.

With the S&T network delivered by Rheinmetall Defence to the German Army's GÜZ combat training centre, it is possible to train up to 2,600 participants for military operations in urban terrain (MOUT). This also includes 300 weapons systems, 500 vehicles, and 70 command elements. With the equipment, the status, position, and activity of every soldier and vehicle can be tracked via GPS, transmitted via wireless data link, and depicted on a digital situation map.

The GLADIO small arms training system from eSigma Systems is being employed for different training needs ranging from civil law enforcement applications to full military battlefield engagement procedures. Based on its very exact aim point detection, the GLADIO simulator is qualified for sniper and Special Forces training.

Realistic S&T enables land forces to conduct training courses with abstract training aids in virtual environments and to gain knowledge and skills for their employment in real operational scenarios. For one of the German Army's key programmes, the PUMA AIFV, both Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW) and Rheinmetall Defence are providing state-of-the-art S&T systems, including EWES and SIAM. The latter making it possible to conduct training scenarios with this new-generation weapon system at any location with minimal preparation time on its own or combined with other weapons systems. Next to this, KMW Training & Simulation’s (T&S) range of products and services covers the design, development, manufacturing and software maintenance of the spectrum of land-based tracked, wheeled and rail vehicles in both the military and commercial market.

szenaris, a company specialised in Computer Based Training (CBT), Web Based Training (WBT), distance learning, virtual worlds (VR), team training systems, and simulation, received a contract from the Bundeswehr to develop classroom installations for the training with the tEODor and PackBot EOD robotic vehicles.

Cost is always a factor. Highly specialised military simulation software is very expensive. In contrast, computer game technology can be brought in off the shelf at minimal costs. Innovative manufacturers like Crytek have now discovered the niche market of military simulation and license either their software engineering environments or individual components. Two examples are the ViSTIS team training system from TKMS and the SAGITTARIUS-Evolution small arms trainer developed by THALES Deutschland, for which Crytek delivered the CryENGINE gaming engine. With this solution, virtual ships and environments look and behave in a realistic manner. Instructors and trainees are represented by lifelike uniformed, ranked avatars, with hair, faces, and natural body shapes.

Theissen Training Systems (TTS) is one of the most significant companies in the live-fire training industry. TTS develops, produces and installs complete training range systems from Small Arms Ranges to extensive CALFEX (Combined Arms Live-Fire Exercise) Ranges.

21 eyevis omniSHAPES rear projection cubes, a simulator cockpit with pilot seat, an instrument panel on touch screen basis and control elements (cyclic, collective, pedals) including force feedback as well as an instructor station: That is everything the portable ESG simulator setup needs for authentic helicopter simulations. Thereby the simulator can be configured to resemble different helicopter models in their dynamic behaviour and the respective systems. Thus the switch between light and medium transport helicopter, or a combat helicopter including simulated weapon systems for instance is possible. (Photo: ESG/eyevis)

Italy

Alenia Aeronautica, part of the Finmeccanica group, has a Simulation Centre in the Corso Marche plant at Turin. This has a number of flight simulators, interactive pilot stations, a synthetic environment, and networking between units.

Selex ES brings together the activities of SELEX Elsag, SELEX Galileo and SELEX Sistemi Integrati to create a unified software, sensors and systems integration business uniquely positioned to address the rapidly changing high technology needs of defence, security, commerce, transportation and civil resilience. In the S&T world, Selex ES provides ATENA, an Advanced Test Environment for Avionics developed to satisfy modern requirements; SELEX Galileo's Concept-to-Capability (C2C) facility is a state-of-the-art synthetic environment resource where integrated sensor solutions can be developed and deployed; an EUROFIGHTER Full Mission System incorporating SELEX Galileo's Instructor and Debriefing Facilities; a TORNADO Full Mission Simulator; and much more, including UAS simulation.

The Netherlands

The Netherlands is also home to a number of firms specialising in the provision of ST products and services including Van Halteren Metaal BV, TNO, Siemens Nederland, Maritime Research Institute Netherlands, VSTEP, and re-lion.

Along with its military training infrastructure, the Netherlands is home to a number of companies involved in the provision of MST equipment and services These include Van Halteren Metaal, which provide howitzer crew trainers for gun crew instruction, and also for battery-level fire missions.
Netherlands-based firms are also involved in the provision of training equipment for Forward Air Controllers: TNO, produces the FACSIM (Forward Air Controller Training Simulator). In service since 1997, FACSIM has been used to train hundreds of student Forward Air Controllers from The Netherlands, Belgium and the US. Artillery delivery simulation is also possible, in addition to different terrain and weather conditions, while exercises can be recorded and played back for debrief.
The Netherlands subsidiary of German engineering conglomerate Siemens has worked with Simtech to provide a number of ground force training systems. These include the KMW LEOPARD I and LEOPARD 2 MBT Tactical Team Training Simulator.

Naval training can also be facilitated using VSTEP’s Ship Simulator Professional software which can replicate a range of vessels including surface combatants like naval frigates. The software can run on desktop PCs using either the Windows-XP or the Vista operating system, and several screens can be used to provide 360° of vision.

re-lion is a leader in intuitive Terrain Database Generation Systems (TDGS), and simulators for immersive Small Unit Training (for MOUT) – one of the most important and very complex aspects of the contemporary soldier curriculum. Creating a 3-D virtual training ground for teams and individuals in any space, re-lion continually evolves its technology and provides a stable and cost-effective platform that requires little or no maintenance. re-lion provides services independently or with larger organisations, such as: The Netherlands MoD, Thales , Boeing , and other undisclosed countries and prime contractors.

Norway

3D perception has a sales offices in in China, Japan, the UK, and the US; and specialises in visual display from design through installation to in-service support. Design of projector and screen layouts is through company software called nDesignerJ, which allows for optics, eye points, and screen surface.

Kongsberg Maritime specialises in ship-related electronics including training and simulation systems. The first training simulator from one of the predecessor companies was for an engine room and was made in 1978. Kongsberg Maritime make a range of martitime simulators ranging from full-size ship’s bridge trainers both on- and off-motion, smaller open-plan bridge trainers, engine room simulators and trainers for maritime electronic systems such as the Electronic Chart Display and Information System (ECDIS).

Kongsberg has been a supplier of simulators and trainers in the international market for the last three decades. The company has accumulated a unique experience across the complete spectrum of training systems, ranging from small simulators to complex military team trainers. Kongsberg trainers are based on an in-depth understanding of the learning process. Sophisticated pedagogic methods are used to support the instructors, thus ensuring maximum focus on achieving the training objects. Kongsberg has a wide range of world class products within naval and land systems: basic skills trainer, crew trainer, tactical trainer, eLearning/CBT, scalable classrooms, stimulated solutions, embedded training,

projectiondesign, now part of Barco, produces high-end projectors for simulation, medical imaging, scientific visualisation, e cinema and public displays.

Poland

Jakusz offers specialised within its EOD Technicians Training Centre, including Training courses on land clearance of UXO, IED identification and disposal, environmental hazards associated with  de-mil of munitions, and training dedicated for national security services in Poland and abroad.
PZL Aerospace Industries manufactures various types of simulators and training devices for the air and land forces of Poland and other countries. Simulators have been produced for the MiG 21, PZL 130 ORLIK, Su 22M4, and TS 11 ISKRA. The company together with Obrum manufactured the crew training simulator for the Polish Army PT 91 MBT.

Obrum, (part of PHO, formerly known as Bumar), the Research and Development Centre for Mechanical Devices, is the R&D centre for armoured vehicles in Poland. It has made a number of simulators, training aids and rigs for tanks and other military vehicles, mainly for the Polish Army.
Jakusz offers specialised within its EOD Technicians Training Centre,.including Training courses on land clearance of UXO, and training dedicated for national security services in Poland and abroad.

Romania 

Simultec has been part of Elbit Systems since 2009, and has made simulators for five types of fixed-wing aircraft, four types of helicopters, ground vehicles and ships.

Slovak Republic

VR Media - Virtual Reality Media (VRM) specialises in S&T devices for the air and land environments. Flight simulators have been produced for the MiG 21 and MiG 29 fighters, the Mil17 helicopter, L-39 jet training aircraft, and, on the civil side, the Cessna Citation business jet. In the land environment, a turret and gunnery trainer has been produced for the T-72 tank.

Spain

Indra’s S&T activities include Computer Based Training (CBT), Flight Navigation Procedures Trainers (FNPT), Flight Training Devices (FTDs), and Full Flight Simulators (FFS).  In the land area it produces simulators for training drivers, tank crews, and for small arms.

Tecnobit currently offers a wide range of training solutions for different aeronautical, naval and terrestrial platforms. It develops all levels of simulators, from teaching programmes, trainers, simulations and simulation centres, up to the duel simulators (which are the resources used by the Armed Forces for teaching, instructing, training and evaluating personnel and units). In the future, based on Tecnobit’s own research capability and its desire to meet the needs of its Armed Forces, the company aims to develop combat training centres and the resources required for computer aided exercises.

Sweden

MSE Weibull specialises in training and simulation systems for the land environment. Products include an anti-aircraft gun simulator, a single-seat flight training device, the LIMO light mobile target system for field firing ranges, a radar trainer, simulators for the RBS23 and RBS70 missiles, a tank turret trainer and weapon loading trainers.

Pitch Technologies’, part of BAE Systems, products include the Pitch Global Simulation BOOSTER that enables simulations to operate with “federations” of other models and simulations at other locations. Another product is the Pitch Web Services Connector that enables web-based systems to operate with other simulations over wide area networks (WAN).

Saab serves the global market with world-leading products, services and solutions ranging from military defence to civil security. Saab has operations and employees on all continents and constantly develops, adopts and improves new technology to meet customers’ changing needs. Saab Training & Simulation has supported global Armed Forces and Security Agencies with targets, laser simulators, instrumentation training products, and more for more than 30 years.

With less access to live air assets and increasing demand for professional JTACs and other roles in the Joint Fires capacity, there is a growing need for a cost-effective virtual training solution. Joint Fires Synthetic Trainer (JFIST) by Saab is in use today and provides training to customers in all phases, from basic training to mission rehearsal. (Photo: Saab)

Stapp EBC has been providing what is considered by many the world’s safest “environmental bullet catchers“ or “bullet collectors” for live fire training across Northern Europe and parts of the USA. The only “EBC” to have received accolades from the US EPA and DOD’s environmental branch, the globally patented Stapp EBC makes live-fire training safe by trapping bullets and their resulting contaminants (lead, copper, zinc, plastic, etc.) behind a thick mat in a bed of granulate

Switzerland

The S&T business unit of RUAG Defence ranks amongst the top providers in the world of live simulation. The company supports the military with virtual simulators for training of drivers, gunners, or complete crews as well as live training systems for realistic combat training in open and urban areas. One such example includes RUAG Defence's GLADIATOR that is a personal harness for realistic live simulation at up to brigade level without deploying live ammunition.

Turkey

Under its “Train As You Fight” training doctrine, the Turkish Armed Forces (TAF) have been utilising simulators since the late 1980s. Until the late 1990s, the TAF looked at foreign suppliers to meet its state-of-the-art simulator requirements and various simulation systems for land, air and naval applications were procured from foreign companies such as CAE, STN Atlas, and AAI.

As part of efforts to maximise its training capabilities, the TAF has been attaching top importance to boosting local simulation capabilities and since mid-1990s have been steering the capabilities of the Turkish Defence Industry to for establishing in-country operating and maintenance capability and to contribute to developing indigenous simulator solutions.

Havelsan holds the largest share in Turkish simulation market and mainly focuses on fixed and rotary wing aircraft simulators. Under the HelSim Project for example, Havelsan is working with a total of 45 local and foreign subcontractors and the local content share is amount to 70 per cent. Havelsan has passed n around 40% of the work share to the local subcontractors including Aselsan, TAI, KaleTron Software, IntaSpace Systems, ETA, Gate Electronics, Ayesaş, 2U Informatics Technologies, and MilSoft.

Meteksan Defence is the second leading player in the Turkish simulation market.

In the Turkish simulation market opportunities are also emerging for other private companies such as; STM, MilSoft, Gate Elektronik, Koç Bilgi ve Savunma Teknolojileri (KBST), as well as small and medium size enterprises (SMEs) such as SDT, BITES, C2 Tech and ETC.

Designed and developed by ETA, the Sonar Operator Training Simulator simulates an acoustic environment to provide sonar operators and supervisors with a unique advanced training platform. Also designed and developed by ETA, AN/APS143 Sea Surveillance Radar Simulator system simulates the APS143(V)3 Radar deployed on Turkish Navy’s S–70B SEA HAWK helicopters.
Designed and developed by MilSoft for the TAF, the Joint Electronic Warfare Training System is a computer-based education system in which the basics of Electronic Warfare information is given to the Armed Forces staff in an interactive environment.

Designed and developed by STM, the Vertical Wind Tunnel (VWT) is a closed loop tunnel, used for paratrooper training in free fall conditions for extended periods of time in a safe environment.

In May 2012, the Canadian government awarded Rheinmetall’s Bremen, Germany-based Simulation and Training division a contract to supply LEOPARD Gunnery Skills Trainer (LGST) and Driver Station Simulators (DSS) under the Canadian LEOPARD 2A4 Simulators and Trainers programme. In addition to the initial eleven plus two simulators, seven more LGSTs have now been ordered in 2013, plus optional loader stations. The simulators will be used to train Canadian tank crews in the operation and tactics of the Leo 2A4 CAN, which has recently been fielded by the Canadian Army. (Photo: Mönch / DPM)

UK

Looking at the list of exhibitors at the last ITEC and I/ITSEC events, no less than 50+ UK-based organisations were represented. With so many UK S&T organisations it is not possible to go through them all, so this paragraph can only include a few, starting with those that are involved with complete simulators rather than components.

The largest UK simulator manufacturing site is the Thales UK facility at Crawley, which used to be the Rediffusion Simulation company before it was acquired first by Hughes and then by the Thales Group.

As well as Thales, UK-based companies which have ready-made simulators include Agusta Westland (helicopter simulators), BAE Systems (military fixed-wing simulators), Equipe (flight simulators) , CAE UK (ex Invertron, AFV simulators), CueSim (flight simulators), Lockheed Martin UK (ex Solartron, land-based simulators), Merlin (re-configurable flight simulators), and XPI (Driver simulators).

The Rockwell Collins facility at Burgess Hill, is the ex SEOS company, specialising in visual display systems. Their Cross-Cockpit Collimated Display is named PANORAMA and has been fitted to many simulators built by other companies. They also produce multiple-projector dome-based systems with fields of view up to the full 360 degrees.

Equipe produce the Generation10 system, Thales produce the ThalesView series, and XPI the Fabriano, P-10 and Tempest systems.  XPI used to be the Primary Image company, the initials meaning "ex-Primary Image". Cranfield Aerospace and EDM of Manchester produce motion seats for fighter and helicopter simulators with facilities such as seat and back pressure pads, seat-pan lowering under computed G, vibration cues, and strap tightening and loosening.

The CAE Medium Support Helicopter Aircrew Training Facility (MSHATF) is a private finance initiative (PFI) facility on the RAF base at Benson, South of Oxford. As well as a suite of six Full Flight Simulators (FFS) for CHINOOK, MERLIN and PUMA helicopters, it has internal and external network links (LAN/WAN - Local Area and Wide Area Networks), and a Tactical Control Centre (TCC) for the management of multi-aircraft exercises which include other assets such as attack helicopters, ground attack aircraft, AWACs and so forth.

Although it must be said that the US is the Modelling, S&T capital of the world, the above selective summary of some European activities demonstrates considerable expertise, some in unexpected places.

On the occasion of I/ITSEC, MILITARY TECHNOLOGY publishes the Annual Simulation and Training Bosses (SATB) Series that conveys the thoughts and messages of the world’s defence simulation and training leaders, according to the question, “What is your view of the general theme 'Simulation Saves Money,' and that many sorts of peacetime multi-unit, multi-role and multi-national training can only be done by using networked simulation.”

Alenia Aermacchi

The In years flight simulators saved and save lives, time and, as a matter of fact, money. This is true for civil as well as for militaries flight simulators. As members of a top player aerospace defense company, our business and experience is mainly focused on military fast-jet pilot training. Full Mission Simulators, Flight Training Devices, Part Task Trainers, Procedure Training Devices, Computer Based Trainers all these devices, defined by different level of fidelity with respect to the real aircraft, support students pilot in their daily training tasks providing a remarkable level of realism.  

M-346 simulator (Photo: Finmeccanica)

Simulators make possible try, in a safe manner, costly and dangerous activities at an affordable cost.
Military organizations today are really sensitive to flight simulators since they understood the benefits of such fairly costly technological devices, capable to “replicate the response” of 5TH generation fighters which are typically very expensive to operate. In addition, modern concept of operations ask for airborne platforms interoperability. US and their NATO and non-NATO allies, spend huge amount of time and resources to train people in complex operations using real platforms.
In less recent past years, thanks to advancements in technology, military organizations established networked training centers to use in cooperation training resources (simulators), physically distributed over a territory, in order to simulate the modern complex scenarios without the costs and constraints of deploying physical units in the field. Even if a common standard in communication data exchange protocols between the participants is not been defined yet, nevertheless a good level of interoperability was already achieved.

In more recent past years, in order to improve training realism but keeping the costs still affordable, a new training concept has been developed: the Live-Virtual-Constructive (Several definitions are used to categorise LVC environment since the degree of a human participation in a simulation is infinitively variable. Here the following taxonomy is adopted: Live - involving real people operating real systems (e.g. a pilot flying a jet); Virtual - involving real people operating simulated systems. (e.g. a pilot flying a simulator); Constructive - involving simulated systems (e.g. CGF)). Basically, some live entities have been included into the virtual and constructive exercises. No doubts, even if the outcomes are preliminaries, about the training benefits achieved thanks to their presence and that is the reason in encouraging LVC (Live-Virtual-Constructive) further developments and tests.          
It is important to note that LVC scenarios are based on aerial network infrastructures, which must have performance, in terms of bandwidth and latency, adequate to support the huge amount of data the participants exchange among them, regardless the type, Live, Virtual or Constructive.
In this LVC field is where Alenia Aermacchi has performed in the last years big steps toward standard production and delivery, readily testing the technological integration and syllabus use cases to prove the new Training Paradigm.

Boeing

Bob Gower, Vice President, Boeing Training Systems and Government Services (Photo: Boeing)

The expense and complexity of large scale, real world training exercises can be prohibitive. That is why Boeing continues to invest in and deliver the technologies that make ground-based simulation of dissimilar-type, multi-force training routine for warfighters in the United States and around the world.
Simulator-based training has saved countless dollars for our customers by transferring learning tasks from live flights in real aircraft to equipment on the ground with far lower costs of operation. As we continue to inject new technologies into our systems, we expect it to become even easier to do more of that.

We have also made significant advances in the field of Integrated-Live, Virtual and Constructive (I-LVC) training. We demonstrated that technology internationally for the first time in October, building on several live flights that we had conducted previously. Our customers have shown tremendous interest in the ability to blend live flight training with synthetic and simulated threats. We expect I-LVC to be a critical part of future military training, including joint-force and mixed-fleet training exercises.

C-17 Weapon System Trainer used routinely by Boeing's customers for networked training operations. (Photo: Boeing)

In the meantime, Distributed Mission Operations (DMO) capability remains a workhorse technology for our customers at training centres around the world. Boeing has been delivering DMO expertise since 1997, and we are at the forefront of defining, developing and deploying distributed, joint and coalition training solutions for military customers worldwide.

Boeing’s training centres enable that kind of mission rehearsal for multiple platforms, including F-15, F-16, F-22, C-17, AH-64, and V-22. Boeing also provides networking capabilities for DMO-type training on other systems, including those for C-5, C-17, and KC-10, as well as the Finnish F-18 aircrew training systems and DMO-capable systems for the Royal Saudi Air Force. Boeing has also delivered the APACHE LONGBOW Collective Training System and numerous APACHE LONGBOW Crew Trainers equipped with networking capability in support of the US Army’s collective training initiatives.

Of course, the need for live flight training will never completely disappear, but ground-based training solutions – including networked simulation – are clearly valuable and cost-effective means of generating the readiness our customers require.

CAE

Gene Colabatistto, Group President, Defence & Security, CAE (Photo: CAE)

CAE firmly believes that the increased and more efficient use of simulation is part of the solution to lowering costs and saving money, and just as importantly, doing so without sacrificing readiness or capability for the warfighter.  The savings that can be achieved using simulation-based training has become almost self-evident, and I cannot think of a government or defence force anywhere in the world that would argue that simulation does not offer compelling benefits.  It is pretty well understood that it is much less expensive to put someone into a simulator than a real aircraft, tank or other weapon system. That being said, we fully understand that not all military training can be conducted in simulation, and part of the challenge for defence forces is finding the right balance of live and virtual training.  But, undoubtedly, that balance is trending to the increased use of simulation-based training because of its many advantages in terms of cost-effectiveness, safety, and ability to accelerate experience.

CAE recently networked the Royal Australian Air Force’s C-130J full-flight mission simulator and C-130J tactical airlift crew trainer so pilots and loadmasters could train in a common virtual environment. (Photo: CAE)

Simulation has proven itself to be very effective at developing proficiency for individual pilots, soldiers, and sailors, and it has become widely accepted for simulation systems to support crew training.  For example, CAE has developed a number of naval helicopter training solutions that include training systems for the pilots as well as rear-crew sensor operators where the training devices are networked to provide a common virtual environment for the mission crew.  But using simulation for large-scale virtual exercises involving multiple platforms, joint services and even coalition allies has been less commonplace, and we believe the networking and interoperability of training systems for these types of large-scale exercises will grow over the next five years.

Militaries understand that it is becoming increasingly important and cost-effective to have integrated, interoperable, and networked training systems so that collective, joint, and coalition training can be done in a virtual environment.  It is simply cost-prohibitive to bring together all the resources required for live exercises, which means the virtual world becomes necessary in order to train like you will fight.  One of the challenges then becomes a technical one in bringing disparate training systems together in a common virtual environment.  Integration, interoperability and networkability are much more difficult without open, industry standards, so we believe governments and defence forces should be continuing to demand non-proprietary systems moving forward.   CAE is a strong proponent of standards, such as the Common Database (CDB), which can help accelerate the use of virtual training for distributed mission operations.

The DiSTI Corporation

Joe Swinski, President The DiSTI Corporation (Photo: The DiSTI Corporation)

 For far too long hardware-based training solutions in the form of retired aircraft or purpose built hardware trainers were the norm for training maintainers. These training devices are expensive to procure, difficult to maintain, and diverge from the baseline aircraft as new blocks are fielded. Today’s computing power allows us to create compelling, immersive, and interactive 3-D maintenance training solutions that forego the need for an all hardware-based solutions. These virtual solutions are fielded at a fraction of the cost of the hardware-based counterparts and yield a much richer training experience if they are developed correctly.  Development of these environments entails much more than simply loading a detailed 3-D model of an aircraft into a game engine and rendering the output.

DiSTI F-16 VMT Demonstrator Pilot Avatar. (Screenshot: DiSTI)

For the past decade, The DiSTI Corporation has focused on how to create these virtual maintenance environments in an efficient semi-autonomous fashion with requirement traceability from the virtual objects back to the maintenance procedure that necessitated their development. The result is VE STUDIO, DiSTI’s new COTS packaging of our Virtual Environment Software Development Kit (VESDK). VE STUDIO encompasses DiSTI’s patented process for risk free development of virtual maintenance applications and associated productivity tools.

To date this tool chain has developed dozens of environments for maintenance trainers ranging across a variety of platforms including jet fighters, cargo aircraft, surveillance aircraft, attack and cargo helicopters, unmanned drones, naval vessels, submersibles, and tactical vehicles. Among the many benefits of these training devices is the ability for maintenance personnel to work in teams, just as they will on the flight line. The environments allow the maintainer to work with fully autonomous teammates or networked with other live maintainers. The success of this approach has proven itself time and again over the past decade, most notably in F-35 Aircraft Systems Maintenance Trainer (ASMT) where maintainers were learning how to repair the aircraft before the first squadrons were even fielded.

ESG Elektroniksystem- und Logistik-GmbH

Christoph Weber, Executive Vice President Aerosystems Division, ESG Elektroniksystem- und Logistik-GmbH  (Photo: ESG)

Against the background of stagnating budgets or even budgets cuts and the decreasing numbers of available weapon systems, the importance of innovative and efficient simulation and training solutions is increasing rapidly.

In order to fulfil our customers` needs regarding efficient and effective training as well as continuous practice of basic operations and mission procedures in challenging multi-national deployments ESG counts on innovative and trend-setting technologies.

Based on our competencies and fifty years of experience in civil and military business, ESG is the reliable partner to support its customers in all areas of simulation and training with sophisticated services and solutions ranging from the development to the operation of mission-oriented simulation systems.

Helicopter Pilot Screening System. (Photo: ESG)

ESG´s portfolio covers computer-based and web-based training, part-task trainers, procedure & maintenance trainers and flight training devices as well as engineering simulators. The trendsetting element of our simulation solutions is the integration of virtual and augmented reality into established network centric warfare systems and the networking of different simulators for joint & combined missions to achieve highest training efficiency. This enables ESG to create made-to-measure solutions and capabilities for the sensor-to-shooter and troop support network. By using the most modern multi-media technologies available, we achieve a methodological diversity and user-oriented flexibility. ESG employs modular and scalable systems that can be adapted easily and flexibly. These are based on comprehensive experience gained during operations. Commercially available and proven components and technologies are one key for success in this area. The simulation framework developed by ESG, for example, offers a huge advantage regarding future solutions.

Examples of ESG’s capabilities include a Joint Fire Support Procedure Trainer, a Helicopter Pilot Screening System, a Cockpit Procedure Trainer for MK88A Sea Lynx marine helicopter, Cockpit Procedure Trainers for the upgraded version of CH-53 transport helicopter, a training system for fuel operator of the A310 MRTT tanker aircraft as well as simulators to accompany and support the development and improvement of the UH-TIGER, CH-53GA, TORNADO, A400M and the C-160 TRANSALL.

ESG is the reliable partner of the armed forces for efficient and sophisticated solutions in training and simulation.

Havok

Cory Kumm, Worldwide Director of Military & Simulation, Havok (Photo: Havok)

It is commonly understood in the defence community the key benefits of using simulation for training. Safe training environments, an ability to train more frequently, and cost savings compared to live training are all clear benefits of digital training environments. Yet there are also additional benefits and experiences that would be impossible without modern simulation technology.

There is a rising trend of video game based technologies being adopted by the simulation community. These solutions can provide highly realistic and immersive physics-based training while running on standard PCs, even for multi-channel environments, allowing users to train on a variety of platforms including sophisticated simulators. Due to the consumer focus of such software, tremendous numbers of very demanding end-users continually push for the addition of new yet robust graphical features, which inherently keeps these technologies at the cutting edge of development solutions. The nature of videogame development also mandates that these technologies be open and modular with effective workflows using standard file formats. These result in simulation developers now having options for the development of high quality and high performance simulations at ever decreasing costs from both a software and a hardware perspective compared with traditional simulation technologies.

Screenshot of the Havok Simulation Framework in action. (Screenshot: Havok)

There are also instances where the use of flexible multi-user simulation technology is really the only practical method of training. Consider an example in which multiple nations with multiple roles aim to prepare for a multinational incident. Flying a large number of multi-nationals to a single location for training can be a logistical burden making such an event an infrequent and expensive undertaking. Simulation technology however can increase the training frequency, which increases the level of preparedness. This is especially true for those technologies that can be used in multiuser (player) types of environments or technologies currently being adapted to function on today’s myriad selection of portable devices, realising the potential of on demand training literally anywhere.

Simulations already save money, but the right simulation technologies can allow for even greater cost-savings compared to traditional methods, as well as increased quality, capability and flexibility that our end-users demand.

VT MÄK

Dan Schimmel, CEO VT MÄK (Photo: VT MÄK)

Simulation absolutely saves money - it always has and always will. “Faster, better, cheaper” is one of the oldest mantras for military procurement and it has never been more relevant to military training and simulation than right now. Additionally, state-of-the-art simulation offerings must not make significant compromises when it comes to high-fidelity realism, extensibility, and adaptability. The bar is high and the challenge is great.

The very nature of new battle preparation requirements suggests that a well-architected networked simulation is not only the most cost-effective, but often is the only realistic solution to this challenge. Standalone and part-task trainers for individuals in singular domains are mature technologies. These are proven time- and money-savers compared to the high cost of live training.

(Photo: VT MÄK)

However, the environment in which these solutions must deliver is now much more complex. Threats in emerging theatres of battle are ever more sophisticated, requiring an integrated and coordinated plan of attack across units, domains, roles, and national borders. At the same time, global budgets and timeframes for training results are shrinking. There are fewer personnel in all branches of the military, meaning all forces must be more cross-trained and multifaceted in preparation for more rotation and joint operations.

Much of this burden has traditionally fallen on simulation staff at standalone mission training complexes. The number of resident technicians and support personnel at these training centres is shrinking, sometimes dramatically.

A well-designed, compelling network simulation is a great answer to these challenges. A more open, plug-and-play interoperability model offers the lowest-cost, highest-productivity approach to doing more with less. The advantages are numerous:  each individual trainee or small unit retains the convenience and efficiency of training at their home station, regardless of their role or domain. The architecture scales beautifully across regions and national boundaries. It allows all participants to become quick learners and efficient instructors or role players. It requires a leaner hardware, software, and staffing footprint. And, it is especially suited to more complex joint operations with all the required synchronisation and coordination.

There is more upfront system-of-simulation-systems planning required for these complex training scenarios. But, with current open standards for how applications connect, and decreasing costs for underlying technology and networking, it is an achievable reality; the total simulation costs will be far lower with much more bang for the buck in the end training product.

Meggitt Training Systems

Ron Vadas, President of Meggitt Training Systems (Photo: Meggitt Training Systems)

Global defence budgets continue to shrink, yet demand for personnel and equipment grows. This fact alone will force defence agencies to train more efficiently.

Utilising a combined weapons, virtual simulation strategy, soldiers can train on small arms up to crew-served weaponry. Meggitt’s BLUEFIRE wireless weapons meet the form, fit, function and accurate ballistics of live weapons without the full burden of maintenance and ammunition costs. Not only is there a benefit from cost savings, but multiple studies have shown the value of marksmanship and full immersion training where personnel experience the same stress realized in theatre, all within a simulated training environment.

Meggitt Training Systems’ FATS® M100 virtual system provides a flexible, configurable platform, which can be easily adapted to suit the company’s global customers training needs. (Photo: Meggitt Training Systems)

The procurement cost of simulated training systems and translation to savings can be amortised in a period of as little as one to three years, depending on the size of the force, frequency of system usage, and policies to ensure their usage in support to training. In fact, studies verify simulator training costs can be one-tenth of the investment of actual field training exercises.

Research demonstrates that the degree of fidelity in a simulator is closely linked to training effectiveness.  Additionally, the transfer of training from a simulator to a real-world task is greater when simulation conditions effectively match those of the actual task. The more similar the stimulus and the corresponding response elements, the greater the potential for the positive transfer of training, in the form of what is often referred to as muscle memory.

Manufacturers and trainers agree that virtual training will continue to grow given the costly alternative of live-fire training and the continuous improvement of simulated training.

“Multi-unit, multi-national training within a globally-networked simulated training environment will be the operating standard within the next five years,” according to Larry Raines, Vice President Virtual Systems, Meggitt Training Systems. “Live-fire still will remain a requirement, but networked simulation training allows large-scale, highly targeted training in a cost-efficient, non-lethal environment.”

Raytheon

Bob Williams, Vice president, Raytheon's Global Training Solutions (Photo: Raytheon)

In this time of constrained defence budgets, virtual, constructive, and gaming become more and more important as they save money, can be safer than live training, save equipment, and can provide scenario development for large, multi-role and multi-unit exercises more cost effectively than live training.  This is not to say that the other domains can fully replace live training, but they can be effective and efficient adjuncts.

Virtual, constructive, and gaming technologies allow the soldier to train in environments that can’t be performed live.  A good example is a vehicle or aircraft rollover trainer.  In the virtual environment, soldiers and airmen can be safely trained on how to react in a rollover situation.  Gaming can also be used very effectively for mission rehearsals in denied or high-threat environments.

Military equipment also becomes more expensive as it increases in capability and age.  The main battle tanks of today are far more sophisticated than those of sixty years ago, and commensurately more expensive to maintain.  Weapons systems are being held in service for far longer; many front-line aviation assets such as the B-52 have been in service for more than 50 years.  Simulation saves these systems from additional wear and tear as well as on fuel, transportation, and additional maintenance personnel costs.

Simulation can also be used to develop scenarios that tie multiple simulation systems together. Raytheon's work on the US Army's Warfighter Field Operations and Customer Support (FOCUS) contract makes full use of simulation in multi-role, multi-unit exercises.  Raytheon has supported live training at the U.S. Army’s combat training facilities since 1994 by helping to create realistic battlefield conditions and live-fire exercises that simulate what soldiers can expect to encounter on the battlefield. Simulating large, multi-unit engagements and linking those with supporting fires, other maneuver elements and red force actions both expands the range of scenario options available to test the units and adds realism to the live training.

The future of training must blend live, virtual constructive and gaming technologies in similar fashion.  Leveraging technology in ways that save scarce resources, maximize creativity by re-creating the chaos of the battlefield, and networking allies, coalition and joint forces will both enhance readiness and ensure best value.

Reiser Simulation and Training GmbH

Frank Thieser, Director Business Development & Strategy, Reiser Simulation and Training GmbH (Photo: Reiser)

When our forces deploy to operations, they need to be prepared for any situation they might encounter. The variety of situations faced during training, will determine the efficiency and effectiveness during operations. Simulation based training is answers this need. In addition to substituting live training, simulation technology enables us to immerse ourselves in situations, which are impossible to train live.

G120TP Cockpit. (Photo: Reiser)

When it comes to cost and saving money, the method of calculation first comes into question. While comparing e.g. real flight hour prices with simulator hourly rates for a specific type of aircraft suffices for a civil aircraft operator, this method alone is not appropriate for military or other governmental entities. Looking at the specificities in the military domain, the added value of being able to train scenarios which are impossible to train in reality have to be part of the equation. The calculation actually ends after the real mission is accomplished – not just by looking at the training part.

As almost every military operation is different, training for the unknown is key. And for these various types of possible scenarios, we need scalable and dynamic simulation environments. If multinational teams have to succeed together, they must have the chance to train together. A simulation environment which can be created on demand by linking individual systems is one possible answer.
In order to develop the required technology for secure networks, robust simulation hardware and software, as well as common interfaces and standards, we need smart engineering and software development skills. But more importantly, the engineers involved in creating this technology must understand the entire operational context in which our customers operate.

RE-liON

Ir. Chris Haarmeijer, CEO RE-liON (Photo: RE-liON)

The air domain has always been a pioneer in the use of simulation: flying an aircraft is not cheap, and in freedom of movement in operating the aircraft, pilots are so limited that the use of simulation is almost a no-brainer. Essentially the same goes for vehicles though operating vehicles is less expensive, and simulation therefor is not always a – direct – money-saver. No doubt, in also in the manufacturing on these platforms, important money-savers are to be gained with simulation.

RE-liON Small Unit Immersive Trainer (SUIT) (Photo: RE-liON)

In the dismounted area, the domain of infantry and Special Forces, live simulation has been there for some time. Virtual simulation has been considered too difficult and too expensive: The freedom of all movements of the trainee is impossible to simulate and hey, what are the costs of a pax running in the bush, right? Well, if you look at the 'total cost of ownership' of an operator, the costs do add up quite rapidly, e.g.:

• Assessment, 
• Education,
• Training,
• Deployment, and
• Treatment in case of mental or physical disease.

As shown in the simplified equation below the (dismounted) human platform is one of the most valuable, but often undervalued, assets of Armed Forces:

Force = (A * Trained Soldiers) + (B * Proper Equipment)

Every soldier leaving the service too soon means a loss of a major investment. To prevent this, soldiers deserve to get both the best training and care possible. Simulation in education and training is part of this. If looked at in a wider context, it always is a money-saver. And such savings will grow exponentially provided you make the right choices between individual and team training, as well as live, virtual and constructive training. Let us talk about it.

Rheinmetall

Ulrich Sasse, Managing Director of Rheinmetall Defence Electronics, President, Simulation and Training Division (Photo: Rheinmetall)

Modern simulation and training systems play an indispensable part in preparing military and civilian personnel to perform critical tasks. Even if virtual reality systems can never completely match the effects of real life, the great benefits of simulation training systems are undeniable. They provide a 24/7 training capability that is fully flexible and weather-independent, with no risk of physical injury or material damage, resulting in better trained and educated soldiers and cost savings in terms of time and resources.

When looking at current military operational profiles, it quickly becomes clear that the focus today is on joint and combined missions that require maximum interoperability and communication between forces. Command and control of such missions requires superb leadership competence. Future training systems must also reflect the ensuing shift in tasks.

Rheinmetall is responsible for providing contractor support for the complete exercise and training operations of one of the world’s most advanced military training facilities, the German Army Training Centre (GÜZ) in the Altmark region of Saxony-Anhalt. (Photo: Rheinmetall)

Mission training and rehearsal are now the most prominent imperatives in the military training domain. Current operational mission training and rehearsal scenarios need to be executed and trained for in a joint/combined context with a diversity of forces and entities, including air, land and sea assets.

The requirements for joint training are very complex and can only be met in an optimum training environment. First and foremost, training must always aim to provide soldiers with the multifaceted skills needed on the modern battlefield. Among the core competencies required for joint operations are the mastery of weapons systems, maintaining situational awareness, communication, teamwork, decision making, and risk assessment.

More realistic than ever, modern simulation technology makes a major contribution to readying our soldiers for deployed operations – from individual instruction in equipment operation to tactical leadership exercises for major formations.

For more than 40 years, training systems from Rheinmetall Defence have helped to prepare troops for air, land and sea operations. Our spectrum of simulation products ranges from individual training systems to highly complex, networked systems for joint and combined operations training. Prominent examples include our advanced tactical training environments like ANSE, TacSi and the ANTares mobile tactical training system and, of course, our live training centres such as the GÜZ combat training centre we jointly operate with the German Army.

RUAG

Oliver Meyer, Senior Vice President Simulation & Training, RUAG Defence (Photo: RUAG)

That on the whole simulation saves money is  for me quite clear. However, there are certain initial costs in the establishment of appropriate equipment and infrastructure and not all types of simulation can provide the same savings over the same period. In virtual simulation especially, savings are established through training multiple crews simultaneously, saving real ammunition and fuel, plus wear and tear on costly vehicles. In addition virtual simulation allows users to train across extensive terrain on multiple continents at the flick of a switch. This substantially reduces the need for large areas of land for manoeuvres or high logistical costs.

Simulation and training virtual Advanced Driver Training Simulator (A-DTS) training centre. (Photo: RUAG)

The goal of all training and simulation is naturally to improve users readiness for the situations they will encounter when in the field. Some of this situations can only effectively be trained through simulation giving S&T a relevance that surpasses cost. The impact of weapons on participants and through buildings in MOUT live simulation scenarios is one example of a situation that can only be experienced through simulation. And, with the development of mobile MOUT training this high fidelity training is becoming increasing affordable. However, simulation in the future must be seen in a broader context. Today simulation is mainly used for training purposes, in the future simulation could also be used during missions - to help commanders make the right decisions. In my opinion the next generation simulators will not only help achieve high readiness for mission, but also support during the mission to ensure mission success. With these Simulators cost savings can be achieved because training becomes more efficient delivering high readiness for an upcoming mission in a very short time.

The increasingly complex and digitised nature of warfare means that we as S&T providers, who strive endlessly for high fidelity solutions, are developing more complex and digitally savvy simulations. This ultimately relies on a large amount of data needing to be created, exchanged, stored and analysed – in order to get effective results. Networked simulation and the ability to be interoperable is therefore a necessity for our customers to maintain, heighten and speed-up their readiness.  

Thales

Jean-Jacques Guittard, VP Training and Simulation at Thales (Photo: Thales)

Thales has a strong heritage in providing the best-in-class training solutions designed to deliver mission-readiness for the armed forces around the globe and enhance their operational effectiveness. Moreover being part of a large Group that manufactures real mission equipment with access to operational experience and knowledge, training and simulation activities of Thales have developed a deep and comprehensive understanding of armed forces needs for multi-unit and multi-role military training, as well as their new requirements for interoperability across armies and nations.

Modern warfare is forcing the Armed Forces around the globe to increase their military capabilities, and to train collectively more and more, as well. As a leading partner with defence organisations, we firmly believe that effective training is critical to ensuring military operations’ readiness and success. It is about making the best use of limited resources to train forces to become consistently high performing personnel.

TIGER simulators. (Photo: Thales)

Thales’ integrated product policy approach aims to achieve greater commonality of solutions between our different products, to maximise reuse, to drive costs down and to benefit from economies of scale. Hence Thales simulation products and training solutions are fully interoperable, thanks to their architecture which is based on Thales’ common simulation core.

Whether targeting individual, crew, collective or commander training, Thales offers versatile and modular solutions to accommodate our customer's own training rationale, and adapt seamlessly to evolving training syllabi. This built-in adaptability enables our training solutions to deliver maximum training and operational benefits even when the mission, tactics or theatre change.

Mastering the latest networking technologies, Thales solutions support connectivity allowing the combination of various types of simulation to perform complex mission training, such as tactical, command and technical training simultaneously. This provides our customers with distributed training capabilities, for enhanced multi-level collective training and rehearsal.

For instance, thanks to our training solutions with real C2 and battle management systems, our military customers can combine live, virtual and constructive assets to take part in the same exercise. This is the reason why we now see our customers mixing simulated assets (such as helicopters or armoured fighting vehicles training devices) with constructive assets (combat staff training system) or even live training assets.

Simulated Training Will Help Modernise Force to Accomplish Missions, Win in a Complex World

As Army forces modernise to project power from the land into the air, maritime, space and cyberspace, the joint force will experience increased freedom of movement and action. Integrating special operations and conventional forces with joint, interorganisational and multinational partners across the air, land, maritime, space, and cyberspace domains presents multiple dilemmas to an enemy.

Maj.Gen. Jon Maddux, Program Executive Officer, US Army Program Executive Office for Simulation, Training and Instrumentation

While ensuring the US Army remains ready for current missions while preparing for future, the modeling, simulation and training domain stands as the modernization forcing function given the operational climate and fiscal constraints. Now and into the future, the training needs of US Soldiers and that of our allied and coalition partners drive everything we do at the Program Executive Office for Simulation, Training and Instrumentation (PEO STRI). Our warriors deserve the most up-to-date, high-fidelity training devices to ensure they are trained and mission ready for any contingency. They have our full commitment.

Due to the high-tech nature of the training devices we field, we are carefully assessing the current and future state of our portfolio. As an example, the Multiple Integrated Laser Engagement System (MILES) has been around since the early 1980s. Simply put, the system is to Soldiers what laser tag is to civilians. While originally developed to identify Soldiers who had been “hit” by simulated ammunition during training exercises, it has evolved to include weapons, vehicles and equipment feedback. We now have 13 MILES systems in the Army training inventory. The number of systems makes it very expensive to maintain.

Because MILES relies on lasers, there could be negative training associated with using this dated technology. Lasers won’t go through trees, but bullets will. When we use lasers in training, Soldiers get a false sense of cover and concealment security. A laser may not hit them in training, but a bullet will take them out in war!

We will continually seek technology upgrades to existing training devices or get them out of the inventory if they don’t meet the training needs of the Soldiers. With MILES, for example, we need to look at collapsing those 13 legacy programmes into one future programme that will not be based on yesterday’s laser technology.

We are strategically assessing our entire portfolio to instill the utmost level of interoperability into our wide range of training devices to support the modernisation of Army training, a concept called the Synthetic Training Environment.

For the last two years we have been fielding the Live, Virtual, and Constructive - Integrating Architecture (LVC-IA) using just a few of our training devices that are interoperable such as the Aviation Combined Arms Tactical Trainer (AVCATT) and the Close Combat Tactical Trainer (CCTT). Besides adding Army Games for Training to LVC-IA, it is imperative that other training enablers are part of the Synthetic Training Environment so we can meet commanders’ training objectives under as many realistic operational conditions as possible.

After achieving the tenets of the Synthetic Training Environment, we will continue to play a major role in the Army’s modernisation effort called Force 2025 and Beyond by implementing the Future Holistic Training Environment/Live Synthetic. The concept will be similar to what viewers have seen on shows like Star Trek where Soldiers can be virtually transported to an environment to engage in a battle with their enemies or perform a peacekeeping mission. The types of missions and level of operations will be endless. This is the type of immersive environment that we are marching toward. It will connect live, virtual, constructive and gaming environments with augmented reality that will provide our US and coalition partners a first-rate training experience.

Now and into the future, PEO STRI stands as the center of excellence for acquiring, fielding and sustaining training and testing solutions for the US Army so that our troops remain trained and mission ready to win in a complex world.

Presagis will formally launch the latest version of its premier modelling and simulation software suite, M&S Suite 14, on booth 1920 at I/ITSEC 2014 in Orlando on December 1.
Taking a full year to develop, M&S 14 is a mjor upgrade to the product line, with hundreds of product enhancements enabling systems integrators and manufacturers to add game-quality 3D content (the Holy Grail of many training application developers) to existing simulation solutions at a fraction of the cost required to date – not least by obviating the need for large art teams, which also reduces lead times for scenario development and generation.
Individual components of the suite feature a wide variety of enhancements and upgrades:

• Creator 14 (simulation-ready 3D modelling) adds new lighting and surface effects, model fracturing, and physics simulation tools that allow content creators to easily define damage states and rapidly optimize simulation models. 
• Terra Vista 14, now a 64-bit application supporting very large-area correlated terrain databases, adds integrated material classification tools to streamline the generation of sensor-ready databases. 
• STAGE 14 now allows users to dynamically add cultural features such as trenches, fences, barbed wire, and concrete blocks to simulations, delivering highly realistic results without the need for frequent database regeneration. 
• New additions to HeliSIM 14, including support for up to eight rotor platforms, make it ideal for UAV/UAS simulation. 
• Vega Prime 14 now offers striking, high-quality visuals through features such as Normal and Light Maps, non-uniform terrain shading, Ambient Occlusion, Narrow FOV (field of view) support and much more – at a new, lower price point that makes it affordable for all budgets. 

''With M&S Suite 14, system integrators and manufacturers will benefit from important gains in visual fidelity and can reduce development risks and costs by using platforms that have been field-proven by customers for over 25 years,'' said Stephane Blondin, Presagis Head of Product Management and Marketing. M&S Suite 14 provides an open-standard simulation development framework designed to support a full range of simulation applications across the air, land, sea and public safety market segments.

For more than 20 years, MÄK has been committed to open standards and interoperability. Since the modelling and simulation (M&S) community is now embracing web and mobile technologies, MÄK at I/ITSEC presents web technologies to help build interoperable, easily accessible, rapidly developed, and highly deployable training systems.

MÄK’s Training System Demonstrator combines lightweight web technologies with its complete line of simulation software to create a training system environment to suit both student and instructor training scenarios. Innovative applications for Command Staff Training focus on open standards and interfaces, allowing integration into existing and future systems — both operational and simulated.
Web interfaces help the instructors setup and run MÄK’s first person player stations.

Learn how one can incorporate state-of-the-art technology into training environments at MÄK's complete line of simulation software on booth #1225 and learn how to use state-of-the-art technology to enhance training environments:

When Your Eyes Aren’t Good Enough: Simulating Sensors with VR-Vantage and SensorFX
Tuesday, December 2, 9:00am - 9:45am; Rosen Centre, Salon 1
Presented by Jim Kogler, VT MÄK Director of COTS Products, and Russ Moulton, Founder of JRM Technologies

Simulating the Upper Echelons with VR-Forces 4.3 — Aggregate Level Simulation
Tuesday, December 2, 10:00am - 10:45am; Rosen Centre, Salon 1
Presented by Nathan Kidd, Lead Architect of VT MÄK Simulate Products

Intelligent Human Behavior with DI-Guy
Tuesday, December 2, 11:00am - 11:45am; Rosen Centre, Salon 1
Presented by Alex Broadbent, Director of DI-Guy at MÄK

Innovation Showcase: The Emergence of Web & Mobile Technologies in Modeling, Simulation, and Training
Wednesday, December 3, 11:30am; Orange County Convention Center, Booth #2287
Join Dan Brockway, VT MÄK’s Vice President of Marketing and Innovation, as he presents what lessons learned from web & mobile customer use cases and discuss the challenges still facing the M&S community.