ADDING AN INTELLIGENT TUTORING SYSTEM TO AN EXISTING TRAINING SIMULATION

Richard H. Stottler and Randy Jensen

Stottler Henke Associates, Inc.

San Mateo, California

Bill Pike

STRICOM

Orlando, Florida

Rick Bingham

MÄK Technologies

Cambridge, Massachusetts

Battle Command 2010 (BC2010) is a tactical decision game used by Command Prep Course students at the Command General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth to play battalion level tactical scenarios in a dynamic, 3-D environment. The use of this simulation, however, still required the effort of an instructor to observe the student's actions and provide an after action review (AAR).  It was determined that the addition of an Intelligent Tutoring System (ITS) to BC2010 would off-load the instructor from these duties and allow the students to execute scenarios without requiring an instructor for the AAR.  This paper presents the lessons learned from that experience.

In BC2010, students playing a scenario must first read the mission background, which includes the mission objectives and five paragraph order.  They then develop a plan and input that plan into each unit under their control.  They monitor the execution of their plan and the tactical situation in 2-D and 3-D views.  Enemy units are only shown when they are sighted by friendly units.  During the simulation the students can issue real-time commands.

The ITS is interfaced to BC2010 via the High Level Architecture (HLA.).  Initially the student's plans are transmitted from BC2010 through HLA to the ITS, before simulation execution begins.  These plans are critiqued by the ITS by comparing them to good and common bad plans for the scenario, as determined by a subject matter expert.  The student receives this feedback and corrects the plan.  Execution then begins.  BC2010, through HLA, sends to the ITS both the locations and actions of vehicles and the commands sent by the student.  The ITS evaluates the correctness of these actions, given the current circumstances, determines which tactical principles the student has correctly applied and which have been missed, and automatically assembles a debriefing.  It can then recommend further study and additional scenarios to improve the student's weakest areas.

This paper is available on the 2002 I/ITSEC CD ROM. Order it from I/ITSEC'S Website

EMBEDDED TRAINING INTELLIGENT TUTORING SYSTEMS (ITS) FOR THE FUTURE COMBAT SYSTEMS (FCS) COMMAND AND CONTROL (C2) VEHICLE

George M. Burmester

U.S. Army STRICOM

Orlando, Florida

Richard H. Stottler

Stottler Henke and Associates, Inc.

San Mateo, California

John L. Hart

U.S. Army STRICOM

Orlando, Florida

KEYWORDS

Embedded Training, Intelligent Tutoring Systems, Future Combat Systems, Command and Control, C2

The FCS is a radical departure from the previous Army concept of operations.  It is described primarily as a system of systems and is a new way to fight.  The new concept of operations is network centric, with information from a large number of different types of sensors passing through the network to the C2 vehicle.  This diverse information must be understood, situational awareness achieved, and, tactical decisions based on it must be made.  Thus, the new soldier manning the FCS C2 platform is given much more information, more diverse in nature; and therefore has a much more cognitively challenging job.

Embedded training (ET) seeks to provide effective training anytime, anywhere. “Embedded training must allow individual and collective training on a digital terrain representation of the mission area and permit mission planning and rehearsal in both stand-alone and networked modes while enroute."[FCS Mission Needs Statement (MNS) 2001]  Instructors are required to perform several instructional tasks, including instructing the student on relevant information, presenting appropriate examples, debriefing the student, and assigning remedial instruction.  However, an instructor will not usually be available in the field, anytime, anywhere. 

To realize the benefits of ET systems will require that these tasks, described above, be performed by software.  This is the realm of Intelligent Tutoring Systems (ITSs).  The ultimate FCS ITS would be interfaced to the ET simulation so that it could run the student through simulated scenarios and monitor his actions.  The ITS would be able to plan a tailored course of instruction for the student FCS operator which would include basic system operation, tactical decision-making, and the employment of FCS systems during combat.

This paper is available on the 2002 I/ITSEC CD ROM. Order it from I/ITSEC'S Website

AN EMBEDDED TRAINING SOLUTION: FBCB2/TACTICAL DECISION MAKING INTELLIGENT TUTORING SYSTEM

Richard H. Stottler

Stottler Henke Associates, Inc.

San Mateo, California

Bill Pike

U.S.  Army STRICOM

Orlando, Florida

We are developing for STRICOM an Intelligent Tutoring System (ITS) for tank and mechanized infantry company commanders that teaches tactical decision making and the tactical use of FBCB2, a C4I system.  These are complex cognitive tasks that normally require the availability of an instructor.  This prevents the effective use of embedded systems for training in the field, where an instructor is not typically present.  Our ITS interfaces to a tactical simulation and FBCB2 and assumes the duties normally performed by the instructor. 

Instructors and experts both agree that company commanders need to improve their tactical decision-making and that this requires more tactical decision-making practice.  Practice should include a mix of tactical planning and tactical execution in dynamic simulations that provide 3-D virtual terrain views.  Additionally, FBCB2 training decays very quickly so that an embedded, scenario-based training aid would substantially increase combat readiness.

The ITS addresses these problems by teaching tactical decision-making and the proper tactical use of FBCB2 by presenting course material and examples, then testing the commander in tactical situations simulated by OneSAF Test Bed (OTB) and displayed in FBCB2.  The ITS first evaluates the student's plan, entered as an FBCB2 overlay and provides an automatic critique.  It then monitors the student's actions in the simulated scenario, assesses their correctness for the current situation, and debriefs the student by automatically assembling an After Action Review (AAR).  It then infers the knowledge deficiencies of the student, and formulates a remedial instruction plan, which normally includes further course material, examples, and further exercises to practice and test the student's weaknesses.

This paper will first describe the requirements for an embedded training system, give the general capabilities of ITSs and explain why ITSs meet the embedded training requirements, describe the FBCB2/Tactical Decision Making ITS, list the lessons learned from this effort and conclude with work planned for the future.  The ITS description begins with an overview, followed by a description of the ITS's functionality, followed by a description of each component, and ends with a description of how evaluation is automatically performed and modeled.

This paper is available on the 2002 I/ITSEC CD ROM. Order it from I/ITSEC'S Website

NEW WINE IN OLD BOTTLES, THE CHALLENGE OF UPGRADING LEGACY SYSTEMS

CW4 Clifford N. Cox

Arizona National Guard

Western ARNG Aviation Training Site (WAATS), Marana Arizona

With the service life of many military aircraft exceeding 40 years, it is reasonable to expect that their associated training systems will require at least two major upgrades. Complementing, or competing with this process is the emergence of radically different simulation paradigms centering on distributed devices that facilitate the development of new hardware, tactics, training, and the final rehearsal of actual missions. Unfortunately, replacing obsolete computers and upgrading components to keep the simulator concurrent with the aircraft represent the most common concerns voiced when major upgrades are contemplated.  While these items are critical, they only scratch the surface with regard to the potential savings and readiness improvements available when training paradigms are shifted to account for the technical changes that have occurred in simulation and the cultural evolutions attendant in each aircraft community.

A simple flight in the high mountains of Afghanistan will illustrate the emerging simulation requirements associated with the demands now being placed on Army attack helicopter pilots. By looking at the limitations of the current Combat Mission Simulator (CMS) it is evident that significant opportunities lie ahead for the program.  Conversely, it is also evident that many compromises in the legacy design of the device must be accounted [and budgeted] for if the CMS is to maintain its reputation as a primer-training device.

This paper is available on the 2002 I/ITSEC CD ROM. Order it from I/ITSEC'S Website

SUPPRESSOR AND THE B-2 AIRCREW TRAINING DEVICE (ATD)–THE ENHANCEMENT OF A LEGACY MANY VERSUS MANY WARGAMING MODEL AND A LEGACY VIRTUAL SIMULATOR TO HLA AND DMT

Gregory L. Douglas and Joseph M. Sardella

L3 Communications, Link Simulation & Training

Binghamton, New York

Due to the changing training requirements of the B-2 Aircrew Training Device (ATD), the US Air Force has been upgrading their existing, legacy virtual simulator to be HLA compliant.  These devices provide individual and crew training, but do not provide interoperability with other devices to satisfy full mission rehearsal requirements.  Executing a strategic plan established in the late 1990’s to meet the Department of Defense (DoD) directive to become High Level Architecture (HLA) compliant, these devices are being upgraded to interoperate with other devices, both virtual and constructive.  The devices will then be usable for team training in a Distributed Mission Training (DMT) environment to support full mission rehearsal.

The B-2 Weapon Systems Trainers (WST) and Mission Trainers (MT) were created to support the individual and crew training of B-2 pilots.  They are large, high fidelity, multi-platform systems that simulate systems associated with the B-2 aircraft.  These devices all provide a simulation of the synthetic environment (friendly, hostile, and neutral forces).  The many versus many synthetic environment employed on the B-2 devices is Suppressor, a DoD, analytical, event-stepped, many-versus-many, threat model.  Its traditional use has been in the analytical world to support Analysis of Alternatives (AOA), weapon effectiveness, and survivability analysis.  It simulates human behavior, sensors (infrared, electro-optical, radar, and radar warning receivers), radios, jammers, weapon systems, and movement systems. The Suppressor model in place on the B-2 devices has been enhanced to run at a real time rate, interact with virtual devices, run under the simulator executive, handle Instructor requests to control/modify the environment and use no wait input/output (IO) mechanisms for file access during real time.

This paper will detail the stand-alone approach used to transform Suppressor into an HLA compliant federate.  This carefully planned approach will allow the HLA compliant Suppressor model to be used in a similar manner on other virtual simulation devices to provide a many versus many synthetic environment for simulation based acquisition (SBA), wargaming analysis and full mission rehearsals.  This paper also presents information detailing the modifications made to the existing B-2 devices to allow interoperability with the HLA compliant Suppressor model.  All of the stand-alone capabilities were retained with this approach for an HLA federation.

This paper is available on the 2002 I/ITSEC CD ROM. Order it from I/ITSEC'S Website

RE-PURPOSING LEGACY COURSEWARE WITH ADVANCED DISTANCE LEARNING TECHNOLOGY:   A CASE STUDY

Craig S. Mc Cue

International Simulation & Training Systems

Iowa Technology Center

Urbandale, Iowa

The Iowa Technology Center’s (ITC) research in learning, content and knowledge management systems has lead to a number of significant advances through the Consolidated Interactive Virtual Information Center (CIVIC) program. This system combines the best technology of wide area networks and knowledge management systems to form a comprehensive training environment, allowing the quick development and delivery-on-demand of enhanced education and training.

One of the significant benefits of this program has been the research conducted in converting and re-purposing legacy courseware. Since the early 1980s there has been a tremendous investment of capital in computer-based training courses. Most courses currently in use are delivered via CD-ROM or network server on individual computers located in special learning labs. Thus, while not obsolete technologically, they are not capable of interfacing with most web-based Learning Management Systems (LMS). The alternatives to this situation are few: 1) continue to use legacy software in centralized learning labs, at significant cost, 2) re-implement the courseware (also a costly option), or 3) convert and re-purpose legacy courseware to use the latest Advanced Distance Learning (ADL) standards and technology, at significant savings. Our research shows that conversion and re-purposing can lengthen the life of existing courseware.

This paper discusses the lessons learned by the ITC while researching a significant re-purposing effort. The case study discussed involves the conversion and re-purposing of an extensive (>5,000 file) set of courseware to SCORM 1.2, containing 56 learning objects with over 500 sub-topics. Discussion points include: 1) how to determine the best approach for conversion to SCORM, 2) deciding what a SCO is, 3) advantages and limitations of different conversion strategies, and 4) lessons learned during the conversion, re-purposing and deployment phases of the project.

This paper is available on the 2002 I/ITSEC CD ROM. Order it from I/ITSEC'S Website

INTEGRATING TRAINING AND FIDELITY REQUIREMENTS IN SIMULATION SYSTEM DESIGN

Mark Hemenway, P.E.,

Dynamics Research Corporation

Andover, Massachusetts

and

Dr. Dennis Duke

Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division (NAWCTSD)

Orlando, Florida

Fidelity analysis is the means by which training requirements are translated to hardware requirements for training device design and acquisition.  However, there are few rigorous, analytical approaches to this important analysis step. Current practice is dominated by the engineering approach, which focuses on maximizing technology content based on the subjective inputs of subject matter experts.

This paper describes a structured methodology for linking training requirements developed through the ISD process with fidelity requirements in order to optimize hardware design for simulation systems. While new, it has proven its utility in applications to two aircraft mission crew simulators and is currently being applied in development of the Naval Aviation Simulation Master Plan. Lessons learned in these applications will be discussed.

This paper is available on the 2002 I/ITSEC CD ROM. Order it from I/ITSEC'S Website

USING QUALITY FUNCTION DEPLOYMENT IN TRAINING SYSTEMS DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT

Dr. Arthur B. Jeffery

University of South Alabama

Mobile, Alabama

and

 Dr. Mary F. Bratton-Jeffery

Headquarters, Navy Education and Training

Pensacola, Florida

Any training systems development effort must satisfy many needs, requirements and expectations.  The quality function deployment (QFD) technique offers designers, developers, managers, sponsors, and other decision makers a simple way to identify and track the accommodation of the all needs, requirements, and expectations throughout the entire development process.

Quality Function Deployment has its roots in manufacturing as a design quality tool.  Yoji Akao first conceptualized it in 1966 as an approach to new product development and concurrent engineering where customer requirements were integrated into product design (Akao, 1990).  John Hauser and Don Clausing of Harvard University brought QFD into the mainstream of the quality movement in the United States in 1988.  Hauser and Clausing used the phrase “House of Quality” to describe the modular building process for the QFD matrix in a manner similar to adding features to a house (Hauser & Clausing, 1988).  The procedure is extremely well documented in the literature.   QFD remains a mainstream quality technique as evidenced by the recent article in the Quality Management Journal by Ita Richardson, Eamonn Murphy, and Kevin Ryan.  These authors offer a generic QFD methodology for software process improvement (Richardson, Eamonn, & Murphy, 2002).

This paper is available on the 2002 I/ITSEC CD ROM. Order it from I/ITSEC'S Website

DESIGN CHARACTERISTICS OF EFFECTIVE, IMMERSIVE, LOW COST MISSION REHEARSAL SYSTEMS

Major David Putze USMCR (retired)

G2 Interactive

Keller, Texas

Scenario specific tactics affirmation and learning objectives associated with large force exercises can be partially realized by using multiple netted PC based mission rehearsal systems.  Current simulators that are effective for training specific individual aircrew tasks are impractical for operational level training and rehearsal.  Simulator complexity, operating costs and the difficulty to connect complex systems do not permit real-time, integrated, large force training scenarios to be run.  Alternative systems must not sacrifice the “operational fidelity” required to ensure realistic training.  The key to success when using PC based simulations to portray complex scenarios is through the use of “operational fidelity” as a central design philosophy during simulation development.  The result of this guided design principle is to allow multiple entities to credibly operate within a highly refined subset of entity specific scenarios and applicable Rules Of Engagement (ROE) issues.  The training performed through a multi-operator system that is capable of approximating weapon systems tactical parameters will allow the participant to develop a wider range of alternative models.

The paper will define the concept of “operational fidelity” and explore its application in a PC based mission rehearsal system.  The scope of ”operational fidelity” is to accurately model a wider range of tactical interactions between each entity within the scenario.  Mission success is based on realistic operational goals, and is achieved as a result of the individual operator’s training and tactical experience level.  The primary focus for “operational fidelity” will be the development of an immersive, theater sized, multi-entity mission rehearsal tool.  The final product will provide aircrews with unique tactical planning training in a complex environment that is difficult to replicate outside of actual combat situations.

This paper is available on the 2002 I/ITSEC CD ROM. Order it from I/ITSEC'S Website

HUMAN-CENTERED DEVELOPMENT OF A HELICOPTER VOICE MARSHALLING SIMULATOR

Robert J. Stone and Sam McDonagh

VP Defence Limited and SARTU, RAF Valley

Sale, Cheshire, UK and Anglesey, North Wales, UK

Within the Royal Air Force, helicopter voice-marshalling (VM) aircrew play a vital role in search and rescue missions and in the delivery of military and survival resources to remote areas, often confined by natural features such as forests and mountains.  Located in the rear cabin of the RAF’s Griffin (Bell 412) helicopters, harnessed VM aircrew monitor the external environment through the open cabin door and verbally relay important flight commands to the pilot in order to guarantee an accurate and safe approach of the aircraft to a landing site or target object.  Following a development period lasting only 6 months, the RAF has taken delivery of a VR VM simulator designed to foster improved fidelity ground training techniques and to minimize costly “remedial” ground/air training.  This paper presents the findings of the initial human factors and training needs analyses, conducted with the support of RAF subject matter experts during ground exercises and flight trials.  These were conducted to define primary VM task components, helicopter features demanding physical and graphical reproduction in the final simulator and the specification of the sources of visual cues utilized during reconnaissance and final approach (land and sea operations).  The single PC-based, semi-immersive (head-mounted display) VR simulator and trainer interface is described, as is the development of the virtual environment run-time system, components of which (the dynamic seascape and environmental modules) were based in part on software modules extracted from a recent close-range weapons simulator developed for the Royal Navy.  Early results focusing on the first courses to benefit from the new the simulator are also presented.

This paper is available on the 2002 I/ITSEC CD ROM. Order it from I/ITSEC'S Website

EMBEDDED TRAINING FOR DISMOUNTED SOLDIERS (ETDS)

Paul Dumanoir and Pat Garrity

U.S. Army Simulation, Training and Instrumentation Command (STRICOM), Orlando, Florida

Van Lowe

Institute for Simulation & Training (IST)

University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida

Bob G. Witmer

U.S. Army Research Institute for the Behavioral & Social Sciences Simulator Systems Research Unit, Orlando, Florida

The U.S. Army STRICOM is researching technologies to embed advanced simulation and training capabilities in the Objective Force Warrior (OFW) system. The OFW is an individual soldier system of systems approach for mounted, as well as dismounted forces. OFW will be the Advanced Capability upgrade to Land Warrior (LW) which is the Army’s first fully integrated infantry fighting system.  This paper will describe the research that has begun at STRICOM’s Cross Domain Technology (CDT) enterprise to explore mixed reality technologies for dismounted soldier embedded training and simulation. The research is focused on the development and testing of simulation software that exploits rapidly advancing mobile computing platforms, 2D/3D graphics, interactive simulation models, and mixed reality technology. Commercial off the shelf (COTS) hardware, being used as surrogate OFW hardware at the CDT test bed, includes portable/wearable/handheld computing and display devices; video and optical see-through head mounted displays, and position tracking and orientation sensing devices.  The Embedded Training (ET) and simulation software being developed by the ETDS Integrated Product Team (IPT) is hosted on these hardware devices.  Various advanced simulation software programs and applications are being integrated with the surrogate hardware using augmented reality technology to support mixed live and virtual training and mission rehearsal. In addition to the application of mixed reality concepts – mixing live and virtual simulations - testbed research will address fully virtual embedded capabilities for dismounted soldiers to plan and simulate combat missions while in their barracks, en route to a mission, or in the field.

This paper is available on the 2002 I/ITSEC CD ROM. Order it from I/ITSEC'S Website

APPLICATION OF VIRTUAL REALITY TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF NAVAL WEAPONS SIMULATORS

Robert J. Stone and Captain John B. M. Rees, RN

VP Defence Limited and Naval Recruitment & Training Agency

Sale, Cheshire, UK and Portsmouth, Hampshire, UK

The Royal Navy’s Close-Range Weapons Simulator (CRWS) system entered service at the land base of HMS Collingwood in April 2001.  The PC-hosted, DIS-enabled simulators were developed over a period of 7 months and represent a blend of semi-immersive Virtual Reality technologies with inert 20/30mm weapons (made available when the original shore-based training facility – HMS Cambridge – closed down earlier that year).  The aimer’s task, under simulated conditions of variable sea state, precipitation, fog and time-of-day, is to engage surface and airborne threats under the instructions of a Weapons Director Visual, located on a raised platform in both the virtual and real environments (representing the Gunner Director’s Platform as would be the case on board an RN vessel).  This paper describes some of the design processes that were undertaken to ensure that the human-system interfaces for the Instructors and Students, plus the content of the synthetic naval environment, provided a training experience exceeding that previously delivered at HMS Cambridge.  The design process also demonstrated that an original plan, to deliver the synthetic images via a fixed video projection system (as opposed to head-mounted displays), would have seriously compromised the accuracy of the target engagement process.  The cost-benefit results of early assessments of what is the RN’s first operational VR simulator are presented.  The paper also evaluates some of the lessons learned in utilizing COTS hardware for naval defense training simulators and emphasizes the importance of using military hardware–in this case inert weapons–to augment the synthetic training experience

This paper is available on the 2002 I/ITSEC CD ROM. Order it from I/ITSEC'S Website

SCALABLE SIMULATION FOR BRIDGE OFFICER TRAINING

Garland Hardy

LANTEC Marine, Inc.

Dartmouth, Nova Scotia

The objective of this paper is to highlight the Canadian Navy’s progressive development of a scalable simulation training system as the primary tool to support all of its requirements for bridge officer training, from cadets to the ship’s captains. It will discuss how the addition of a suite of part task trainers, using a simulation engine common to the Navy’s established full mission simulators has afforded the advantage of compatibility of databases, models and training scenarios.  Additionally, it will explain how this new capability has enhanced the accessibility and flexibility of simulation training for bridge officers hence facilitating the blending of the training process with ship’s operational/ officer’s career cycles to capitalize on experience gained at sea, and more importantly the inverse.

On the topic of part task trainers the paper will focus on their use primarily in developing individual skill sets both in a single and limited multitask environment.  There will be discussions on the balance of self-study versus instructor assisted training, distributed versus centralized training programs, and evaluation tools and student progress tracked through a learning management system.

Finally the paper will address how simulation based training has been optimized to suit a bridge officer’s overall career training needs at various rank and experience levels, and how its various training programs can be easily adapted to suit specific performance standards.

This paper is available on the 2002 I/ITSEC CD ROM. Order it from I/ITSEC'S Website

MULTI-CONFIGURATION CONCURRENCY PILOT TRAINING USING

RE-CONFIGURABLE DESKTOP SIMULATORS

Doris Armour

Boeing Scientist, Airlift and Tanker Division

Long Beach, California

The present and future cargo transport and gunship fleet of aircraft will consist of multiple block configurations.  Once a conventional training simulator is modified to a new block configuration, the old block material that can be taught or simulated is limited.  Air Force and industry partners have developed a transportable PC and SUN based, real-time, Re-configurable Desktop Simulator to resolve this issue.  This paper presents RDS methods, technology and design features used to drive down cost and maximize functionality.  These include single and dual aircraft configurations that represent one aircraft with two pilots or two aircraft with each pilot flying separate missions using the same or different block configurations simultaneously.  This paper presents the method used to enable a Distributed Interactive Simulation environment for formation missions including the training and evaluation of formation lead using logging and playback feature.

The RDS is equipped with satellite imagery integrated with World Wide Digital Terrain Elevation Data level 1 for out-of-the window visual presentation of terrain and selected airfields.  A generic runway can be selected to represent any airfield that is not in the visual database.  This paper explains the technology and the methodology used for dynamically generating and loading out-of-window visual data during flight.   Pre-designed RDS training scenarios include flight profiles for airland, airdrop, formation and air refueling rendezvous missions.  System specific profiles are provided for Global Air Traffic Management with a Ground Earth Station, Traffic Collision Avoidance System, Terrain Awareness Warning System and future changes.  Free Play permits “what if” scenarios for all of the above listed missions.  This paper emphasizes the coordination and integration of the associated activities, and technologies applied to present and future flight training concepts.

This paper is available on the 2002 I/ITSEC CD ROM. Order it from I/ITSEC'S Website

SCALABLE FIDELITY COMPONENT-BASED SIMULATION SOFTWARE

Don Procuniar

L3 Communications, Link Simulation & Training

Arlington, Texas

and

Paul E. McMahon

PEM Systems

Binghamton, New York

Scalable Fidelity Component-Based Simulation Software (SEFCOBSS) is an approach for taking existing legacy systems and adapting them to work with new, as well as, other legacy software systems.  The SEFCOBSS method challenges a number of traditional notions of software development and maintenance.

Over the past 30 years the United States Government has made a significant investment in varying fidelity real-time simulation systems.   Until recently, it had been believed that many of these legacy systems were on the tail end of their life cycle and would need to be redesigned/rewritten to be effectively utilized. SEFCOBSS encompasses the principles, methods, architecture, and guidelines necessary to identify and effectively adapt legacy component software to meet a broad range of fidelity training needs.

Examples from the AVCATT-A project, where the SEFCOBSS method was first employed are included.  AVCATT-A employed legacy high fidelity man-in-the-loop flight simulation software adapted for use in a lower fidelity  collective training environment.

Key to the SEFCOBSS method is the ability to isolate legacy components from other legacy systems, as well as from newly designed software, while at the same time supporting effective communication among these systems.  Fundamental principles of the supporting SEFCOBSS architecture are described.

The paper asserts that legacy systems can be cost effectively maintained, but to do so requires a well-defined and disciplined process that must include guidelines for legacy candidate selection and management.   Included in the paper are guidelines for candidate selection, as well as guidelines for design modification, and software verification.

This paper tells you what you need to do to effectively leverage your legacy simulation assets when faced with new simulation requirements and/or changing fidelity requirements.  This paper also dispels the traditional software myth that old legacy software is too expensive to use and maintain.

This paper is available on the 2002 I/ITSEC CD ROM. Order it from I/ITSEC'S Website

HOLISTIC PERFORMANCE SUPPORT

APPLYING EPSS TO THE TYPE 45 DESTROYER

Lt Cdr Dave Joyce RN

Training Research Co-ordination Officer

Royal Naval School of Educational and Training Technology

Portsmouth, United Kingdom

Janet J. Cichelli

Chief Technologist

SI International, Inc.

Rockville, Maryland

Electronic Performance Support Systems (EPSS) have been demonstrated to reduce training time while increasing on-the-job performance in a number of different application areas.  This paper describes a major study, carried out by BAE SYSTEMS’ Prime Contract Office for the Royal Navy’s Type 45 Air Defense Destroyer, into the potential of EPSS techniques to provide a holistic whole-ship support environment for the ship’s company.  The study includes consideration of the applicability of EPSS to the variety of tasks carried out on board, the data structures required to provide seamless integration between varying types of material while maintaining their context, and the technical standards which are required to underpin this approach.  The paper will also discuss the prototype EPSS being developed for a major ship equipment in support of the study, and includes some early lessons learnt from the development process.

This paper is available on the 2002 I/ITSEC CD ROM. Order it from I/ITSEC'S Website

THE SUPERMANUAL INTERACTIVE ELECTRONIC  TECHNICAL MANUAL

Peter W. Foltz

Knowledge Analysis Technologies

and New Mexico State University

Thomas K. Landauer

Knowledge Analysis Technologies

and University of Colorado, Boulder

Maintenance of increasingly complex technological systems is a critical and difficult challenge for defense, government and private sector organizations. The quantity and technical complexity of systems is constantly changing and expanding. Increasingly, personnel trained or experienced on one system must quickly switch to working on another. The overall goal of the SuperManual project is to design and prototype better ways to dynamically organize, present, and customize information for particular tasks and individual maintainer knowledge and levels of expertise. The SuperManual is a personally adaptive electronic maintenance manual (IETM) that is designed to permit personnel to rapidly locate, learn and apply information from maintenance manuals.

SuperManual symbiotically combines the functionalities of two technologies.  One is the powerful capabilities of Latent Semantic Analysis (LSA), an automatic machine-learning technology that accurately simulates human judgment of the similarity of meaning of two texts. Among other things, LSA is used to improve search based on natural language queries and the semantics (not just the key-words) of target text, and for determining the optimum sequence of texts to provide just the right material for supporting a given task for a given individual. The other major technological basis is the usability tested and application-proven functionality and features of the SuperBook hypertext browser. Developed at Bellcore in the early 90s, SuperBook increased speed and accuracy on information-dependent tasks by large factors. The basic SuperBook has also been updated with other and newer techniques for presentation of text.

Because SuperManuals are produced virtually automatically from existing instructional and operations-support texts, they can be constructed much more quickly for new systems, and at much lower costs than current electronic manuals.

This paper is available on the 2002 I/ITSEC CD ROM. Order it from I/ITSEC'S Website

POCKET PC TECHNOLOGY IN AN ADVANCED DISTRIBUTED LEARNING ENVIRONMENT

Brent Smith and William Pike

Engineering & Computer Simulations, Inc. (ECS) / U.S. Army Simulation, Training and Instrumentation Command (STRICOM)

Orlando, Florida

A primary goal in an Advanced Distributed Learning system is to provide effective training anywhere and at anytime. One possible method of achieving this goal is to use Pocket PC technology in a stand-alone environment or integrated with PC-based and web-based training applications.

This paper will discuss the roles that Pocket PC technology may play in the military’s future. These roles will be discussed further to show the current state of technology in achieving these goals. The key challenges in developing secure wireless applications in an Advanced Distributed Learning environment will be outlined and the advantages and disadvantages of various hardware architectures will be discussed in great detail.

This paper will look in detail at the special operating capabilities required to meet the mobile computing needs of the military. At a minimum, it will address the core needs of security, reliable data transactions, scalability, manageability, usability and synchronization of data through wireless connectivity options such as 802.11x, GSM and Bluetooth. Software development architectures will be profiled to include client/server-based applications, integration with ODBC applications and web-based applications. 3D rendering capabilities and software tools to create 3D content will be investigated also, as the potential role of 3D applications for distributed learning on the pocket PC is explored.

There are a host of third party development tools, middleware applications and new software products that will play critical roles in promoting the rapid development of next-generation wireless training applications and services for the military’s ADL Program. These tools and applications will be surveyed to provide a quick roadmap to get information out of the classroom and into users’ hands, while allowing developers to incorporate third-party products as part of the solution, when they wish to do so.

This paper is available on the 2002 I/ITSEC CD ROM. Order it from I/ITSEC'S Website

SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF DISTRIBUTED

MISSION TRAINING

Peter Crane

Air Force Research Laboratory, Warfighter Training Research Division

Mesa, Arizona

Barry Tomlinson

QinetiQ, Ltd., Training & Simulation Group

Bedford, UK

Jeffery Bell

Simulator Technologies, Inc.

Mesa, Arizona

In November, 2001, engineers and researchers from the United States Air Force Research Laboratory in Arizona, the Defence and Civil Institute for Environmental Medicine in Toronto, Canada, and the UK Ministry of Defence, Defence Science and Technology Laboratory and QinetiQ Ltd, in Bedford, UK conducted a coalition, Distributed Mission Training (DMT) research event.  This international exercise supported development of alternative implementations and applications of DMT by the cooperating, partner nations.  The UK approach focuses on mission planning and coordination with only one mission engagement per day supported by a team of subject matter experts.  The US has focused on tactical execution by providing a large number of limited engagements with few supporting personnel required.  In the US, training events are conducted at individual operational units, which now have four-ship mission training centers.  The majority of training activities are conducted at these mission training centers with emphasis on four versus many, beyond visual range air-to-air engagements.  The US – Canada – UK coalition DMT exercise was based on two previous, RAF combined air operation exercises that focused on training coordinated actions of air-to-air, air-to-surface, and command and control entities.  The differences between US and UK implementation and application of DMT provide an ideal opportunity to examine alternative approaches for using similar training technology to fulfill different training objectives and current training methodology.

This paper is available on the 2002 I/ITSEC CD ROM. Order it from I/ITSEC'S Website

TRAINING TRANSFORMATION AND AIR COMBAT COMMAND’S DISTRIBUTED MISSION TRAINING PROGRAM

Robert Chapman

IIT Research Institute, Air Combat Command

Langley Air Force Base, Virginia

In 1997, the US Air Force’s Air Combat Command (ACC) embarked on a revolutionary path for operational readiness training of its combat crews, Distributed Mission Training (DMT).  In March 2002, the Department of Defense embarked on a training transformation.  This paper describes the relationships between the training transformation efforts and DMT.  DMT is not the complete solution to training transformation but can offer two important contributions:  a synthetic environment composed of live virtual and constructive components with wide area connectivity; and a framework for describing the readiness training skills that link individual and team skills to joint mission tasks.  The potential contribution of DMT, however, is not limited to creating the technical infrastructure.  Past and current efforts on the “soft” problems of creating operational training concepts and integrating them into training policies are perhaps even more important to the DoD training transformation.

This paper is available on the 2002 I/ITSEC CD ROM. Order it from I/ITSEC'S Website

NavAL Aviation Simulation Master Plan (NASMP):   The Training Environment

Gary  S. Kollmorgen

BMH Associates, Inc.

Norfolk, Virginia

Jonathan P. Glass

NAVAIR Training Systems Division

Orlando, Florida

The Navy has an effort underway to examine a Navy Aviation Simulation Master Plan.  Part of this plan will detail the Training Environment in which Navy Aviation Simulators will conduct training.  Although NASMP is still in it's early concept stages, this paper will discuss the notional architecture of this environment and some of the distinct advantages.

Traditionally, the services, including the Navy, have procured simulators that have been an "all-in-one" device.  That is, a "stove pipe" simulator/simulation designed to achieve training for aircrew in a single type aircraft/model.  For the Navy, and in particular the Fleet Replacement Squadrons (FRS), this procurement model was generally sufficient for basic procedure training and novice tactical training.  Post-FRS training is much more dependent on the trainer/trainee being able to interact with typical tactical environments (e.g., communications with E-2 and/or AWACS aircraft, tactics/communications with multiple "friendly" aircraft, etc.).  This capability has been extremely limited with current simulators.  The NASMP is working toward building an architecture in which possible legacy simulators and new simulators will be able to join to produce a rich training environment.  This architecture will allow simulator developers to concentrate resources on building a robust simulator with the ability to federate into a training environment that will be shared among all simulators.  This essentially gives the Navy the advantage of buying the best simulator while getting the simulation environment, networking, and training-control for "free."  While there will be a cost to develop this environment, it will not have to be developed each time a new simulator is developed. Furthermore, it will allow relatively easy and inexpensive updating as new threat scenarios and entities are discovered and implemented.

This paper is available on the 2002 I/ITSEC CD ROM. Order it from I/ITSEC'S Website

VISUALIZATION SOLUTIONS FOR AVCATT-A RECONFIGURABLE COCKPITS

Rita Simons

U.S. Army Simulation, Training and Instrumentation Command (STRICOM)

Orlando, Florida

John W. Schaefer

L-3 Link Simulation & Training

Arlington, Texas

Jim Melzer

Kaiser Electro-Optics

Carlsbad, California

The Aviation Combined Arms Tactical Trainer – Aviation Reconfigurable Manned Simulator (AVCATT-A) is the Army’s newest aviation training simulator.  It is a dynamic reconfigurable system used for combined arms collective training and mission rehearsal through networked simulators in a simulated battlefield environment.  AVCATT-A will provide training for both active U.S. Army and National Guard units.  AVCATT-A provides five functional cockpits.  These are the OH-58D Kiowa Warrior, the AH-64A Apache, the AH-64D Longbow Apache, the CH-47D Chinook, and the UH-60A/L Blackhawk helicopters.  To meet the visual needs of all these cockpits, AVCATT-A is employing state-of-the-art technology.  This includes the Image Generator, the Helmet Mounted Display, the Multifunction Displays, the Secondary Displays, Head Trackers, and reuse of the Close Combat Tactical Trainer (CCTT) terrain databases.  This paper will describe the AVCATT-A visual system and the challenges encountered in meeting the requirements for each cockpit.

This paper is available on the 2002 I/ITSEC CD ROM. Order it from I/ITSEC'S Website

COMPARISON OF DISPLAY SYSTEM OPTIONS FOR HELICOPTER AIRCREW TACTICAL TRAINING SYSTEMS

Dennis Joseph, Tom Burch, Richard Connolly

CAE  USA

Tampa, Florida

The paper presents considerations for determining the appropriate type of visual display system to support helicopter aircrew training with an emphasis on tactical military training. Main discussion points include: identification of tasks dependent upon out-the-window cues; display related performance necessary to support tactical training maneuvers; types of displays that are considered for helicopter training systems;  and further considerations including deployment, reconfiguration, acquisition and support costs.

The discussion of display related features is limited to those essential to support modern military tactical training tasks. Some of these tasks include nap-of-the-earth flight; confined area landings; formation flight; external load operations; shipboard operations; target detection and recognition; weapons operation; air-to-air refueling; fast rope operations; emergency/autorotation landings; and stimulation of night vision goggles (NVGs).  There are many additional tasks, but this paper will limit discussion to these. 

The discussion of the types of display systems used for helicopter aircrew training includes characteristics, performance, features, and benefits of several display types including dome displays, rear-projection mosaic displays, cross-cockpit collimated displays, and Helmet Mounted Displays (HMDs). Examples of state of the art helicopter displays are included for each display type.

The paper presents a high level summary of a training task analysis comparing the ability of each display type to support the previously discussed training requirements. A comparison matrix follows the discussion.

The paper presents a discussion of the acceptance of HMDs in helicopter aircrew training systems. These systems include the US Army’s BICEP and AVCATT systems. Factors affecting pilot acceptance including eyeglass compatibility, pupil size, ease of fit, and helmet weight are discussed. A comparison between leading HMD systems is presented.

Other factors in determining the appropriate display system for the training application are also discussed. These factors include forward deployment of the training system, support for re-configurable cockpits, and the effect on total cost of the training system.

This paper is available on the 2002 I/ITSEC CD ROM. Order it from I/ITSEC'S Website

COMBINING 2D AND 3D VIRTUAL REALITY FOR IMPROVED LEARNING

Larry McMaster, George Cooper, David McLin, Donna Field

Robin Baumgart, and Geoffrey Frank

RTI International

Research Triangle Park, North Carolina

Maintenance training for modern weapons systems requires learning procedures that integrate diagnostic skills with remove and replace skills.  Modern weapons systems such as M270A1 MLRS, M1A2 tank or the M2A3 Bradley Fighting Vehicle are complex systems, employing multiple computers, sensors, and displays, linked by networks of digital buses.  These weapons systems make use of this digital equipment to provide extensive on-board diagnostics.  Maintainers also use Electronic Technical Manuals and advanced Test, Maintenance, and Diagnostic Equipment (TMDE) to troubleshoot these weapon systems.   But there is still the need at a certain point in the diagnostic process to find and disconnect cables and check for damaged connectors on the equipment or the cables using basic tools like multimeters, break-out boxes, etc.

Army maintenance training is adopting computer-based virtual maintenance training as adjunct to more expensive constructive and live hands-on training.   The virtual maintenance training is used as a prerequisite for constructive and live hands-on training.   Key to the success of computer-based virtual maintenance training is appropriate use of 2D and 3D virtual environments, and how the vehicle, the Line Replaceable Units (LRUs), the displays, and the TMDE are presented to the learner.  This paper describes lessons learned in the use of 2D and 3D virtual environments for maintenance training on the M1A2, M1A2 SEP, and M270A1 MLRS, and on-going development of these approaches with the Web-based Interactive Motor Pool.

This paper is available on the 2002 I/ITSEC CD ROM. Order it from I/ITSEC'S Website

ADVANCED DISTRIBUTED SIMULATIONS EFFICIENCIES AND TRADEOFFS DVTE,

DMT AND BFTT EXPERIENCES

Dr. Michael Page Bailey                      Dr. Dutch Guckenberger

    USMC/TECOM                                SDS International Inc.

            Quantico, Virginia                             Orlando, Florida

“Kill More, Die Less!” was coined by an active duty F-16 Pilot about his descriptive thoughts on the Distributed Mission Training (DMT) System. Reactions from Marines utilizing the Deployed Virtual Training Environment (DVTE) similarly expressed such positive enthusiastic comments and perceptions.  The potential benefits of such Advanced Distributed Simulation (ADS) systems such as DMT, DVTE and Battle Force Tactical Training (BFTT) point the way ahead for more effective training of combat teams. The aims & opportunities of this publication are to:

1)Identify and codify advantages & costs/benefits tradeoffs of such ADS systems intuitively and graphically via the widely utilized “Miller’s Curves” (Miller 1953); 2)Outline DVTE innovation successes of evolving interoperable federates into a merged training federation via  “common shared components” with associated lessons learned;  3)Posit an innovative “common shared components” fusion training evolutions of DVTE, DMT and BFTT.

Specifically, a framework utilizing Miller’s Curves constructs are presented to illustrate graphically the unique attributes of such ADS systems costs/benefits tradeoffs.  These Miller’s Curves constructs are then discussed from the multiple perspectives of DVTE, DMT, and BFTT ADS Systems.   Rather than argue the plethora of merits and disadvantages between fidelity and basing options, the authors posit the best course may be to fuse the three ADS systems and perform further training research as to costs/benefits tradeoffs to the warfighters.  Multiple levels of benefits may result from merging the lower-cost, lower-fidelity deployed DVTE system with the higher-cost, higher-fidelity DMT and BFTT systems so as to provide for the full spectrum of ADS training requirements.

The initial DVTE successes associated with evolving new ADS training features are presented including the implementation of several innovative “common shared components” concepts.   Additionally, several of the “common shared components” concepts are discussed from the context of providing startling new directions which in some cases mitigate and eliminate long standing problems that have plagued interoperable ADS systems since their inception.   Of note, the scientific findings directly include the warfighters themselves determining best utilization and evolution of DVTE features and operation via User Scrutiny Events (USEs).  

This paper is available on the 2002 I/ITSEC CD ROM. Order it from I/ITSEC'S Website

DISTRIBUTED MISSION BRIEFING/DEBRIEFING

FOR SIMULATED MISSION TRAINING

Eric J. Seeger

Space, Air, Information Group, SAIC, SIMTools Division

Sterling, Virginia

Christopher “Jugs” Jergens, David “Devo” Devol,

Chris “Buck” Owens

BGI, LLC F-16/FA-18 Subject Matter Experts

A long-standing vision of the U.S. Department of Defense concerning the warfighters training objectives have been, “Train the way we fight”, “Train with our allies and joint services”, and “Train to develop the readiness to deter war and win any conflict”. With the technological advances that have taken place over the last decade, areas of these training objectives are increasingly being accomplished today within the world of simulation.  With the standardization and maturation of distributed simulation protocols, weapons and platform modeling, and network infrastructure buildup, distributed human-in-the-loop mission training is becoming an ever-increasing activity of the air warriors training regime. The ability of the air warrior to interact with multiple-operator or semi-autonomous-force-based simulators exposes the trainee to combat-like scenarios for the development of the skills necessary to survive in real-world air combat.

With the advent of Distributed Mission Training (DMT), capable Mission Training Centers (MTC’s) within both U.S. and allied services, mission simulations have expanded from a localized training environment, which amounts to little more than a “practice” environment, to geographically distributed force-on-force synthetic environments, offering growth in size, complexity, and application domain.  With this expansion in distributed training capability, tools to assist the warfighter to plan, brief, and debrief DMT exercises will need to keep pace. This provides an overview of the planning, objectives, and interactions involved in  “real-world” mission briefing and debriefing performed by the air warrior during typical training rotations at live training ranges.  Examples of these include, but are not limited to, the Red Flag and Air Warrior exercises operating out of Nellis AFB and NTSC, Ft Irwin.  It discusses methods of approach on how current and future technologies are and could be employed to enhance the briefing and debriefing functions of missions conducted within a geographically distributed simulation training environment.  Finally, it outlines some of the operational and technical limitations that designers of distributed briefing and debriefing systems face.   The focus is on the primary goal of providing mission commanders a seamless communications and presentation environment along with the tools necessary for the briefing and debriefing of missions, to satisfy the training objectives within the distributed simulation environment.

This paper is available on the 2002 I/ITSEC CD ROM. Order it from I/ITSEC'S Website

RAPID INTEGRATION OF LARGE SCALE DISTRIBUTED SYNTHETIC ENVIRONMENTS

Mark. A. Phillips and Frederic D. McKenzie

Virginia Modeling Analysis and Simulation Center

Old Dominion University

Norfolk, Virginia

The imperative to build large-scale synthetic environments has been driven by the increasing operational tempo experienced by nations due to political instabilities in many world regions simultaneously.  One of the main problems faced by the services and national agencies is the need to compose an environment in time to meet a training, rehearsal or analysis need. During 2001 the US Joint Forces Command proposed the development of a prototype Joint Battle Space Environment (JBE) to encourage discussion as well as provide a baseline vision to the IITSEC community on where and how these environments should develop. An unexpected side effect of the integration of the many models and C4I systems for the prototype was the need to rapidly configure such a system and to demonstrate it live to a critical audience. This paper examines the experience and poses a number of issues that were highlighted by the first iteration of the JBE.

This paper is available on the 2002 I/ITSEC CD ROM. Order it from I/ITSEC'S Website

CREATING A CONSTRUCT FOR COMPREHENSIVE HOMELAND SECURITY TRAINING

Richard B. Bensinger and Charles M. Miller

Northrop Grumman Information Technology

Simulation, Analysis, and Training Systems Operating Unit

Reading, Massachusetts

A new construct is required to support training requirements for Homeland Security. Prior to the September 11, 2001 coordinated terrorist attack on the U.S., any training that would fit under the general area of Homeland Security was fragmented and left to individual agencies at many levels. Now it is clear that a coordinated problem requires a coordinated response.  Coordinated training is one of the single largest challenges facing the many agencies dealing with Homeland Security.  This paper addresses a coordinated training solution built around the familiar Department of Defense (DoD) construct.  DoD has a similar coordinated training requirement – many diverse individuals and organizations with a common mission that must work together in time of conflict.  DoD training has been constructed so that individual training fits together with collective training.  Individual training fits within larger organization collective training, and at all echelons, collective training between diverse services fits together within the Joint framework.  Exercises and wargames for each echelon have been designed to further this training, and provide feedback and assessment as to the skill level and maturity of the trainee to accomplish the desired mission.  This construct can be used to fit the requirements of Homeland Security. 

This paper addresses the need for such a construct and proposes a framework that can be adopted for Homeland Security training needs.

This paper is available on the 2002 I/ITSEC CD ROM. Order it from I/ITSEC'S Website

A TASK-BASED APPROACH TO TRAINING, EVALUATING, AND SIMULATING WMD RESPONSE BEHAVIORS

Mary Ann Pigora, Kathy Barshatzky, Michael Kerrigan

SAIC, Orlando, Florida

Howard Murphy

SAIC, McLean, Virginia

The Automated Exercise and Assessment System (AEAS) is a simulation sponsored by the National Guard Bureau to enhance coordination in the civilian world of emergency response to Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD).   The system simulates WMD events to allow emergency responders to utilize their own Incident Command System and generally exercise cognitive and decision-making skills to respond to the crisis.  The WMD scenarios will cover a range of incidents, including chemical, biological and radiological attacks.

Simulating such wide ranging and complex events can quickly become intractable.  Each command decision made in a scenario has downstream consequences.  The traditional computer-based training approach would be to use a decision tree, but the complexity of the scenarios makes enumerating all possible paths unreasonable, limiting the allowable decisions.  Instead, AEAS has formalized Tasks, Conditions and Standards (TCSs) for each emergency response role in a given type of WMD situation.  These TCSs are encoded in a command-based format and used to track and drive decisions in the simulation.  This formalization allows players to be evaluated against a set of expected actions as well as prompted for correct actions in a training format.  The TCSs are also used to guide simulated entities which may be standing in for human role players, permitting a simulation run to be adaptable to the available training audience size.  The expected actions in a situation comprises one of a set of evaluation conditions that also includes overall simulation results such as fatality and property damage mitigation, and public opinion.  This paper will discuss how a set of TCSs can be derived, used to drive player and simulation actions in a given scenario, and how they are incorporated into the After Action Review and evaluation criteria.

This paper is available on the 2002 I/ITSEC CD ROM. Order it from I/ITSEC'S Website

JOCASTS–AN EVOLUTIONARY APPROACH TO JOINT OPERATIONAL WARFIGHTING EDUCATION

Wing Commander Steve Dean MSc RAF

United Kingdom Joint Services Command and Staff College

and

Mr. Philip Draper MSc

Newman and Spurr Consultancy Ltd, Camberley, United Kingdom

Joint operational training of staff officers presents a series of unique challenges. The provision of credible simulation tools that support this educational need is an area of key interest to the military community. This paper discusses the development and employment of the Joint Operational Command and Staff Training System (JOCASTS) and provides a background to the use of constructive simulation in the education of staff officers at the UK Joint Services Command and Staff College (JSCSC).

The user requirement is to support campaign planning and warfighting exercises, focused at the operational level of war, with a simulation that can resolve combat engagements with high levels of tactical fidelity.  The system must balance the conflicting needs of executing a realistic orders set in the maritime, land and air environments against the support effort required in terms of manpower and time. JOCASTS has been developed from well-characterised analytical models originally focussed on single service environments that have been integrated into a coherent simulation architecture allowing tri-service operations to be realistically simulated.  The development of a fully configurable GUI for JOCASTS to meet these challenges and maintaining sufficient control fidelity are key features of the paper.

The requirement to maintain the training continuum whilst developing the simulation support mitigated against radical solutions.  An evolutionary approach utilised the capability of the original models and minimised the costs of development and allowed the development to track the evolving needs.  However, the changing need created technical problems that had to be addressed and this paper highlights some of those problems and how they were overcome.

This paper is available on the 2002 I/ITSEC CD ROM. Order it from I/ITSEC'S Website

THE DEVELOPMENT OF A NAVAL VIRTUAL TARGET RANGE

Omar Khan, Norman Scott, Dave Heim, Al Sleder, and Paul Huang

Armament Systems Division, United Defense

Minneapolis, Minnesota

This paper reports the development of a Naval Virtual Target Range (NVTR) lab prototype.  Due to current political and environmental reasons, land-impact, live-fire training opportunities have become increasingly difficult for all branches of the armed forces, especially the U.S. Navy.  Consequently, the readiness of the force suffers.  The advancement of microelectronics, computer software technology, and modeling and simulation techniques provides a viable solution to this urgent need.  A virtual target range can provide almost unlimited training opportunities in any open-ocean environment.  In addition to supporting live-fire training, the system also allows for a combination of simulation and/or live-fire training from the lowest single unit to force level exercises.  Substantial cost savings from deployment, preparation, and hardware wear and attrition, and high safety standards can be achieved through the use of this virtual target range.  A lab version prototype system has been built using commercial-off-the-shelf components.  This modular lab prototype can be used as either a stand-alone unit, or as a built-in component for existing naval gun weapon systems for testing and training in a controlled environment.  This architecture allows the insertion of different components/subsystems for system upgrade and enhancement.  Using a completed system, the Naval Surface Fire Support (NSFS) Team (gunner, forward observer, mission planner(s), fire controller, and commander) can conduct either simulated or live-fire training exercises.  This paper reports the concept formulation, early analytic work, algorithm development, computer simulation, component construction, lab tests, and prototyping of a Naval Virtual Target Range lab prototype.  The potential applications of this system are also discussed in this paper.

This paper is available on the 2002 I/ITSEC CD ROM. Order it from I/ITSEC'S Website

BRINGING BACK INTEROPERABILITY TO AIR FORCE AIR COMBAT TRAINING RANGES

Joseph Testa

JE Sverdrup Technology, Inc./TEAS Team

Eglin Air Force Base, Florida

The Air Force Range Instrumentation System Program Office (RISPO), located at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, is responsible for developing Air Force Air Combat Training Systems (ACTS).  The legacy ACTS data link architecture is tethered to a fixed ground based centralized node.  The centralized architecture confines air combat training to specific ACTS instrumented training ranges.  However, the legacy ACTS data link is predominantly standardized and its centralized architecture is implemented in ACTS ranges providing interoperability for instrumented aircraft.  Within the last five years, the Air Force has fielded two variant ACTS, the Kadena Interim Training System (KITS) and USAFE Interim Training System (URITS).  These two systems take advantage of recent data link, GPS, and embedded processor technology to introduce a distributed data link architecture that allows aircraft operation free from a fixed ground-based centralized node, allowing instrumented air combat training to take place in any air space.  KITS and URITS are not interoperable with each other or with legacy air combat training ranges.  The Air Force fielding of KITS and URITS reduces instrumented training interoperability while increasing the life cycle cost associated with supporting multiple unique ACTS.  

This paper discusses range interoperability issues as Air Force ACTS transition from fixed, interoperable, centralized data link architectures to mobile, non-interoperable, distributed data link architectures.  It identifies the technology advancements and operational requirements that lead to the distributed data link architecture.  This paper also offers possible design solutions that would allow recent distributed type systems to be integrated into legacy ACTS ranges.  The author offers upgrade design paths and associated operational capability consistent with a spiral development process.  In conclusion, a low-risk, phased approach for integrating KITS and URITS type systems into legacy ACTS ranges is presented. 

This paper is available on the 2002 I/ITSEC CD ROM. Order it from I/ITSEC'S Website

DATA LINK ARCHITECTURE CONSIDERATIONS

FOR COMBINED ACTTS

James Keeler

JE Sverdrup Technology, Inc./TEAS Team

Eglin Air Force Base, Florida

The Air Force Range Instrumentation Systems Program Office (RISPO), AAC/WMRR located at Eglin Air Force Base, has been developing air combat training systems (ACTS) for ranges within the United States and other worldwide locations since the early 1970’s.  Earlier generations of the ground-based multilateration ACTS architecture are tethered to a centralized node, which limits radio frequency (RF) line-of-site range coverage for real-time communication with instrumented aircraft.  This ACTS architecture restricts both time-space-position information (TSPI) tracking performance and RF communications of instrumented aircraft.  These data link (DL) limitations impact aircrew training, and provide an inadequate growth path for integrating emerging precision-guided weapon simulations, threat systems, and command and control capabilities. 

The RISPO has also been developing Global Positioning System (GPS) TSPI instrumentation for tri-service T&E ranges within the US since the early 1980’s, referred to as Range Applications Program (RAP) Advanced Range Data System (ARDS).  The ARDS DL is also tethered to a centralized node with restricted range coverage.  However, the ARDS DL provides an evolutionary growth path for upgraded rangeless system performance.  Enhanced RAP DL requirements have been specified for low-risk spiral development of an interoperable test and training range system.

This paper presents key DL performance considerations associated with Air Combat Test and Training System (ACTTS).  Key DL system performance considerations include: compatible frequency selection for worldwide rangeless operation, transmission range and link budget analysis, spectrum efficiency, networked participant capacity, design modularity, message reliability, standardization of interface protocols, tactical platform interoperability, participant data update rate, message size, timing, latency, commonalty, supportability, and component miniaturization.  The following initial results of an ACTTS DL study are also presented:  (1) frequency selection for US and worldwide spectrum compatibility, and (2) alternative DL technologies that may potentially be leveraged.  Finally, alternative ACTTS DL tradeoff considerations are presented.

This paper is available on the 2002 I/ITSEC CD ROM. Order it from I/ITSEC'S Website

HIGH FIDELITY LINK-11 SIMULATION IN A MARITIME WARFARE ENVIRONMENT

Yves Blanchard & Janine Meilleur

CAE Inc

St-Laurent, Québec, Canada

In today's complex battlefield environment, data exchange is a key factor that has led to the emergence of several data exchange standards within NATO and non-NATO countries.  One of them, the Link-11, is used extensively in the maritime warfare community.  The Link-11 is a complex data exchange system requiring highly trained operators.

This paper will describe the implementation of a simulated tactical data link (Link-11) network, both for a stand-alone Maritime Patrol Aircraft simulator application and in a tightly coupled multi-ship, multi-mission helicopter training system.  The multi-ship training application is comprised of two flight simulators and three mission crew trainers.  The cockpits can be integrated with a rear crew trainer to form a single helicopter entity.   The mission crew trainers can also be linked as independent aircraft operating in the same tactical scenario with two of them integrated to the cockpit simulators as required.

In addition to the training devices participating in the scenario, more than 100 simulated players, under the control of CAE's Integrated Tactical Environment Management System (ITEMSä) can participate in the exercise. The Link-11 network includes up to 15 simulated Participating Units and 600 tracks in a highly automated tactical environment simulation.  The simulation also includes an instructor interface that was designed to provide extensive control and monitoring capabilities, while providing a high level of automation permitting the instructor to tailor his workload as a function of the training session objectives.

This paper is available on the 2002 I/ITSEC CD ROM. Order it from I/ITSEC'S Website