Live, virtual, constructive simulators key for training in USAFE

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Corey Clements
  • U.S. Air Forces in Europe Public Affairs
The U.S. Air Forces in Europe Warrior Preparation Center in Einseidlerhof, Germany partnered with Joint Forces Command and the Air National Guard in introducing an advancing live, virtual, constructive (LVC) simulator during a joint Mission Readiness Exercise with the U.S. Army's 173rd Brigade Combat Team Aug. 31 - Sept. 11 to enhance training for imbedded joint terminal attack controllers (JTAC) and joint fires observers (JFO) who coordinate airstrikes for close air support combat operations.

"We recognized the potential of simulation to provide valuable JTAC training within the context of larger scenario based events," Maj. Jason "Buzzer" Koltes, WPC Director of Operations said. "We are leading an effort to demonstrate a live, virtual, constructive JTAC training capability within a distributed Mission Readiness Exercise."

The WPC and JFCOM identified the need to enhance the training and pioneered the new LVC system, the Advanced Tactical Aircraft Simulator (ATAS), in cooperation with Alion Science and Technology. The ATAS is a "desktop" cockpit simulator intended to improve the training of JTAC's and JFO's, not pilots.

The pilot, having the ability to simulate multiple close air support aircraft, operates the ATAS from the WPC while the JTAC's are located at the Joint Multi-national Readiness Center about 200 miles away in Hohenfels, Germany. The ATAS provides real-time streaming video from its virtual targeting pod which uses photo-realistic imagery of the actual range area overlaid on terrain elevation data with 3-dimensional enhancements of buildings and vegetation. The pilot shares this video with the JTAC and communicates via simulated radio (network protocol to radio voice) all transmitted over dedicated, unclassified computer networks.

The ATAS gives JTAC's and JFO's the ability to target and destroy opposing forces with simulated aircraft during field training even when real aircraft aren't available.

One big advantage of the ATAS is the fact that it can be connected to unclassified simulation networks. The WPC took advantage of this, and with the cooperation of the JMRC, networked it into their live instrumented range complex creating a true LVC mission readiness exercise. The WPC combined live exercise participant information from the JMRC range Multiple Integrated Laser Engagement System (MILES) into its simulation network in real-time. The instrumented entities show up as 3-D graphic representations within the simulation, giving a virtual pilot the ability to identify troops and vehicles on the ground using onboard sensors, and feed that video into the JTAC's Remotely Operated Visual Enhanced Receiver (ROVER) system.

Ideally, when the pilot destroys the instrumented target with the simulator, the JTAC receives that imagery thus verifying whether or not the procedural exchanges between themselves and the pilot resulted in a successful air strike. Then the MILES live participants who role-play as opposing forces also get feedback that they have been destroyed.

The greatest innovation of the ATAS system is its low cost. The entire system consists of four small monitors, a throttle, joystick, computer and two multi-function display monitors. A one-time cost of $8,000 for the system dwarfs in comparison to approximately $6,300 per hour for the cost of a single F-16 close air support sortie.

Having qualified pilots to fly the simulator presents a challenge for the WPC staff since they have no pilots that are current. Prided with a Total Force Integration mindset, the Air National Guard came to the rescue with three F-16 Fighting Falcon pilots from 132nd Fighter Wing in Des Moines, Iowa. The pilots, who recently deployed to Southwest Asia and are about to go back in the coming months, were sent to help the WPC train with JTAC's and the U.S. Army 173rd ABCT during their mission readiness exercise.

"They're here because it's important to have current and qualified pilots who have been downrange recently and have the most current experience so they can give the best training," said Mr. Andy Rhude, the LVC exercise planner for the WPC.

"The total force effort is a huge success because the Guard paid to send us pilots that are current and qualified in the F-16 weapons system to enhance the training environment," said Col. Scott Manning, the Warrior Preparation Center commander. "One of my hopes coming out of this is that it becomes a persistent relationship between USAFE, the WPC and the Air National Guard. They can come TDY [temporary duty], do their mission and go back home. It's good for the Guard, good for the active force, and good for the joint community receiving the training. It's goodness all around, and it saves money," the colonel said.

According to Rhude, other WPC LVC capabilities were also demonstrated during the exercise. The Air Force Synthetic Environment for Reconnaissance and Surveillance (AFSERS) simulation was also tied into the live range complex, and used to provide virtual Predator streaming video and Global Hawk images for Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance support. Air Warfare Simulation (AWSIM) generated constructive air entities to match the Air Tasking Order (ATO) in order to provide typical theater air assets and traffic to stimulate the U.S. Army Tactical Airspace Integration System (TAIS).

Like the U.S., NATO and other coalition nations find it difficult to obtain live air assets to complete their training requirements. The ATAS and other LVC capabilities will allow USAFE to provide more service to coalition partners enhancing our interoperability across the full spectrum of operations.