Fixed, deployable, scalable: TES takes training to the next level

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1 EQUIPMENT PROFILE, Denmark Date Posted: 30-Apr-2015 Jane's International Defence Review Fixed, deployable, scalable: TES takes training to the next level Live training using laser-based TES systems is becoming increasingly sophisticated and realistic. Giles Ebbutt looks at Saab's solution The most effective training is that which achieves the best balance between realism and the ability to analyse performance and provide feedback which can be used to improve it. The most realistic military ground training is that which takes place in real terrain and weather conditions using real equipment. This ensures that the physical demands of ground operations are mirrored in training. However, providing realistic weapons effects is a different matter. While blank ammunition and various explosive battlefield effects can demonstrate activity and provide atmosphere, without a realistic apportionment of personnel and vehicle casualties they cannot provide an accurate assessment of effect. Although nothing can quite beat the adrenaline rush provided by using live ammunition, for obvious reasons such evolutions can only be one-sided and are resource-intensive in terms of safety supervision. But substituting lasers and laser detectors for live ammunition enables realistic force-on-force training and if the actions of the players are tracked and monitored, you are then close to achieving that ideal recipe for effective training. Article 1 Page 1 of 17

2 The Saab TES dismounted equipment consists of the BT 47 laser transmitter and the PDD. The BT 47 is the small box mounted just behind the blank firing attachment. Note the simulated grenade. (Saab) Live laser training systems are known as Tactical Engagement Simulation (TES) systems. There are two main elements to a TES system: the laser transmitter, detector, and weapon effects system, and the instrumentation and tracking system that provides detailed After Action Reports (AAR). Exercises can either be conducted within a fixed Combat Training Centre (CTC) area, with a permanent communications and instrumentation infrastructure, or by using mobile data communications systems that achieve the same result but in different areas. The basic principle of TES is that a laser transmitter is fitted to the weapon which 'fires' an eyesafe laser beam. When this encounters a laser detector it triggers a response according to the type of laser 'fired'. Within the laser is embedded a code which carries information about the ammunition type the laser is simulating, which can be read by the laser detector, together with the firer's identity. There are two types of laser system: one-way and two-way. The one-way laser has a flat trajectory, goes at the speed of light, and effectively is used for tactical engagement pairing in simple force-on-force training. The two-way scanning laser accurately simulates the ballistic trajectory and speed of a projectile and transmits impact information to targets within its scan area. Target systems within the area evaluate the impact data and determine the battle damage or near miss, as the case may be, by using a detailed vulnerability model. Detector prisms mounted on the target provide a return to the laser transmitter, enabling range to target to be determined. This range data is used in the simulation of tracer and burst-on-target visual simulation in the gunner's Article 1 Page 2 of 17

3 sight. The main types of laser code are the Multiple Integrated Laser Engagement System (MILES), the original version developed in the United States and still in use, and the Optical Interface Definition, better known by its German name, Optische Schnittstelle für Agdus und Gefübz (OSAG). The most recent version of the latter, OSAG 2.0, has been developed in part to provide more common standards among users to enable interoperability between countries and permit more effective international exercises. OSAG 2.0 is an open standard which has been developed by an international user community which includes members of the armed forces from Austria, Denmark, Finland, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and the United Kingdom, but the driving force behind the initiative has been Saab. The main aims have been to establish agreed ammunition tables, ammunition penetration capability data, and target vulnerability guidelines. The new standard provides an increased number of simulated ammunition types for more realistic target engagement effects; uses engagement distance to the target, enabling lethality to be calculated according to the effective range of the ammunition; and supports indoor positioning systems where GPS is unavailable (achieved withinfrared diode transmitters). Laser pulse wave lengths and laser detector characteristics and geometry are standardised, and the codes are transmitted by modulating the laser pulse intervals. Saab is a major provider of TES systems and supplies its equipment on a large scale to the US Army, US Marine Corps (USMC), and British Army as well as to a number of other armies worldwide. The BT 46 Mk II target detection system, showing the laser detectors and the reflecting prisms. (Giles Ebbutt) The Saab laser transmitters are the BT 46 system for crew-served and large calibre platformmounted weapons, and the BT 47 system for small arms. The BT 47 Small Arms Transmitter (SAT), which weighs around 320 g including the bracket, is fitted to any SA weapon system up to 0.50 calibre by using different clamp brackets. It is not aligned with the barrel of the weapon but with the sight, so it is effectively zeroed to the weapon. Through the use of shaping prisms in the transmitter the laser beam retains its shape at long ranges, with a cross-section about the size of Article 1 Page 3 of 17

4 a large dinner plate, resulting in greater accuracy from close-quarter engagements out to the maximum effective range. The SAT is initiated by the shock and flash of the weapon firing a blank round but the mode can be changed to accommodate the use of SIMUNITION rounds where there is effectively no muzzle flash. Some specific law enforcement customers who need to train in circumstances where the use of blank rounds is undesirable have opted for a dry fire switch. The SAT is programmed to fire the correct code for the weapon and ammunition type being used with a device, which configures the laser according to the specific weapon. This is a simple user process. The SAT can fire either OSAG 2.0 or MILES codes, enabling it to be used with other MILES devices, but has to be configured for one or the other. Article 1 Page 4 of 17

5 The rear view of the latest generation of PDD in its Advanced form. Note the zip on element which adds the instrumentation capability. (Saab) Article 1 Page 5 of 17

6 The individual soldier wears a Personal Detection Device (PDD) which consists of vest and helmetmounted detectors. A control module with a display and loudspeaker provides different alerts according to the effect, such as kill, wound, near miss, or artillery fire. There is a wireless link between the PDD and the SAT, and if the latter detects that the former is 'alive' or the wearer has only been 'injured' below a certain threshold it will allow the weapon to be fired. In general these are only one-way systems and no fall of shot feedback is provided, but if a customer requires higher fidelity a two-way reflector is mounted on the helmet. The BT 46 system is modular and scalable according to the weapon system and platform on which it is mounted. On an armoured vehicle the laser transmitter is mounted on or in the main armament and integrated into the platform fire-control system (FCS), so that all relevant information such as laser designation and ammunition selection is recorded. For crew-served weapons, the laser transmitter mountings vary, either being mounted in the weapon, such as in an anti-tank guided weapon (ATGW), or alongside the barrel, such as with the 0.50 calibre Heavy Machine Gun (HMG). The latter is an interesting example of different levels of capability, as it can either be fitted with a BT 47 SAT or with a BT 46. The BT 46 provides the gunner with tracer, fall of shot and splash on target visual feedback through the Trace Burst Obscuration Device (TBOS). Vehicle or bunker target systems simulate the effect of a laser engagement through the use of either a precision Universal Target System (UTS) or a simpler Wireless Target System (WTS). The UTS has a detailed vulnerability model for both turret and hull and can simulate the effect of multiple engagement angles and hull-down mode. When damaged or killed, the UTS built-in strobe lights flash to indicate the damage level. The UTS can also initiate pyrotechnic charges to give a visual indication of a kill with smoke. The UTS is configurable and the vulnerability model can be adjusted so that any vehicle can be used to simulate a particular form of platform: for example a lorry can be used to simulate an armoured vehicle by adjusting the protection levels. Article 1 Page 6 of 17

7 A Wireless Target System detector (left) and a Room Association Device (right) used in the British Army MOUT training complex at Copehill Down on Salisbury Plain. (Giles Ebbutt) A basic fighting vehicle system typically consists of the BT 46 transmitter, a Modular Vehicle Interface (MVI), a UTS, and a control panel for the user interface and simulated ammunition selection. The configuration can be tailored according to customer need. For example, the latest version of the system - which is being supplied to Norway for the CV9040 infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) under a contract worth SEK142 million (USD16.4 million) awarded in August includes two independent laser systems, one for the main armament and one for the RCWS, and an improved TBOS, which provides text messages in the optical sight. Article 1 Page 7 of 17

8 Abrams and Bradley vehicles fitted with CV TESS equipment. (Saab) When a dismount enters a vehicle or bunker wearing a PDD, the wearer is 'associated' so that the level of protection afforded is recognised; the dismount is also visualised in the communications system to exercise control (EXCON) as being inside. Should the host vehicle or bunker be seriously damaged by an engagement or improvised explosive devices (IEDs), the blast effect is transmitted to the PDD, resulting in a simulated wound or kill. This capability provides even greater battlefield realism: if a PDD wearer is next to an armoured vehicle which is hit, the PDD will react to reflect the likely effect of being near to the impact. A key part of the TES ensemble is the Controller Gun (CG) or 'God-gun', the device used by Observer/Controllers (O/C) to kill, resurrect or time-tag exercise players. The gun can also be used to configure the vulnerability of PDD and vehicle/bunker target systems. Another capability is a medical treatment simulator that medical personnel can use to discover the type of 'injury' that has been sustained by a casualty. If the right treatment procedure is carried out an O/C can then 'stabilise' the casualty with his control gun, giving the time for survival commensurate with the injury, all of which is recorded. There is a sophisticated version which includes the monitoring of supplies used by medical personnel. While the laser transmitter and detector system is fundamental to establishing the outcome of force-on-force engagements, it is the ability to track, record, and analyse every aspect of these engagements that provides the most training value from the system. This is achieved by providing every player and vehicle with a data communications terminal and tracking their movements and activity using GPS and the communications network. Article 1 Page 8 of 17

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10 The BT 46 on a 0.50 calibre HMG. The BT 46 is located on the left of the weapon, with the TBOS on the top at the back. (Giles Ebbutt) The most recent version of Saab's PDD includes different instrumentation configuration levels. First shown publicly at the Interservice/Industry Training, Simulation, and Education Conference (I/ITSEC) in late 2012, it has selectable configurations to provide different levels of tracking and response. All have new detectors with a wider field of detection, thus removing the need for the harness shoulder sections, and there is a single 360 detector mounted on the top of the helmet, removing the need for the earlier 'halo' design. The basic PDD configuration provides a simple detector harness with a single electronic control box powered by one AA battery. Its integrated GPS provides only time synchronisation but no positional data and there is no real-time tracking. The medium configuration includes locational information, which can be subsequently extracted for AAR. A zip-on instrumentation kit has been developed which can either be added to the basic configuration or used on its own. This provides communications for use in instrumented training areas and improved GPS, which provides accurate real-time locational data. This kit can be used on its own for tracking during live-fire exercises, or combined with the basic set to form the advanced configuration, which provides capabilities for use on a fully instrumented training area with 3-D AAR facilities. Like earlier versions, the PDD records all the user's activity and transmits it via EXCON. The communications system, which can either be fixed or mobile, is a network operating with a GHz microwave link. Each instrumented entity - vehicle, individual, or structure - is linked to the network. If communications are lost the entity retains track and activity data until contact is regained, when it uploads the backlog. The instrumentation can also include a streaming video system with cameras mounted on masts, trees, or in buildings that transmit live imagery of activity back to EXCON, and this can be supplemented by GPS time-stamped handheld video footage from O/Cs who accompany the players. This is particularly valuable for the AAR, notably for events such as interaction with local civilians where attitude and body language can be important. Saab has standardised its instrumentation into different levels of capability under its GAMER brand. GAMER fixed systems are specific to individual CTCs. The GAMER Mobile system is ISOshelter based. Covering an area up to 800 km², it can handle at least 5,000 instrumented players and can include remote training sites via 3G or satellite communications bridges, as well as can be integrated with operational battle management systems (BMS). Article 1 Page 10 of 17

11 ihs.com The GAMER DITS PBS. (Giles Ebbutt) The GAMER Deployable Instrumented Training System (DITS) supports up to 1,500 players (depending on software licence level). The data communications network is provided by Portable Article 1 Page 11 of 17

12 Base Stations (PBS) that have a typical propagation radius of 8 km, although 20 km can be achieved in perfect conditions. A number of PBSs can be linked to provide greater coverage, but the limit of player entities remains the same. At the lowest level is the GAMER Manpack, which is a small-scale version with a ruggedised laptop used to provide EXCON, intended for small-scale training. Earlier versions supported up to 60 instrumented entities with a communications radius of 1-3 km to personnel and 3-4 km to vehicles. However, in late 2014 Saab launched a new version, the GAMER ManPack 300, which can accommodate up to 300 entities. The system consists of a single small basestation in a transit case, weighing less than 13 kg including batteries, and controlled by a ruggedised laptop. When stationary and connected to a portable mast it can provide coverage of a training area 6 km in diameter. If installed in a vehicle with an integral antenna this is reduced to 4 km diameter. The basestation has a battery life of about eight hours, but it can also be powered from vehicle batteries or the mains. The system operates in the MHz frequency band with a normal update rate of player or entity position and status of typically less than five seconds. The system can be used as an extension node within an existing static CTC using a variety of communications modes including satellite or 3G, enabling training to take place detached from the CTC but remain part of an overall exercise. Several ManPack 300 systems can be networked to form a larger system. The first customer for the GAMER ManPack 300 will be the Finnish Army, which awarded a contract worth SEK360 million to Saab in March 2014 for an upgrade and expansion to its existing mobile Kaksipuolisen Taistelun Simulointijärjestelmän (KASI) system. Six ManPack 300 systems will be delivered by The upgrade also includes the new PDD and conversion to the OSAG 2.0 laser code. The EXCON analysis provides a detailed record - which can be displayed in 3-D - of the movement and actions of every instrumented entity, including shots fired and the results of those actions. All activity is time-stamped. This can be supplemented by imagery and timed recordings of tactical communications traffic where this is available. The result is that the analysts can produce a graphically illustrated account of exactly what happened in any phase of activity: exactly where everyone was at any moment; who fired what at whom and to what effect; what orders were given and what reports received; and what casualty levels were sustained and, if being exercised, how long it took for them to be evacuated. It is even possible to instrument ammunition or equipment resupply in order to track its progress, analyse performance, and identify delays and bottlenecks in this mundane but vital area. This can be presented not only to commanders at all levels but also to individual exercise participants; it removes all argument as to what happened and provides an unequivocal basis for identifying areas of strength and weakness. Mistakes are there for all to see, but the British Army's experience is that honest acknowledgement of these tends to strengthen team spirit rather than detract from it. It also heightens competition among soldiers to navigate and shoot accurately. Article 1 Page 12 of 17

13 A screen shot from the Saab EXCON software showing the integrated CBRN capability using Argon PlumeSim with 2-D hazard and individual personnel state. (Saab) Instrumentation also permits the realistic introduction of other battlefield effects. A recent development has been the addition of chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) capabilities. Using the data communications system, EXCON can designate a specific area as subject to a particular CBRN environment and the system tracks personnel as they enter this area. The latest version of the PDD is designed to interface with a simulated protective mask filter and also to react to simulated medical treatment delivered by a handheld simulator. If the protective mask is fitted correctly in response to a simulated chemical attack, a sensor detects the user's breathing and transmits this to the PDD to maintain the 'alive' status. If not, the PDD will react to the range of possible agents according to a predetermined vulnerability list. The protective clothing worn by a player is also electronically assigned to the PDD, so that decontamination actions can be registered using an O/C's control gun. Saab has worked closely with Argon Electronics, the CBRN training company, in developing the capability. It is integrated with Argon's PlumeSim wide area CBRN field training system, and can also be used with Argon's simulated detection equipment. Beyond this, the detection of and defence against IEDs is now an important element in live training. Saab has developed its Multi Detector Simulator (MDS), a programmable device that can be clipped to a detector such as the Vallon used by the British Army and others. This has a wireless link to the PDD in the same fashion as the SAT. The MDS monitors the actions of the detector user, recording sweep (speed), swoop (the angle of the detector head), and height off the ground. The MDS can be programmed according to the required parameters. Article 1 Page 13 of 17

14 ihs.com The MDS provides a traffic light-based display of effective performance in EXCON, with the rate of advance calculated by GPS. It shows up as a 'snail trail' with green, amber and red elements according to the effectiveness of the searching technique. Simulated IEDs can be instrumented and triggered via the wireless signal from an entity - either a vehicle or an individual - and will have an appropriate effect on that entity according to the nature of the IED and the protection level of the entity. Booby traps, suicide vests, and wire-initiated IEDs will also have a similar effect, although they are not instrumented. The effect of an IED jammer can also be simulated by EXCON designating the protective 'bubble' this provides, which prevents instrumented IEDs from initiating. The 'bubble' and the positions of those within it can be shown graphically in the AAR, illustrating where the correct positioning to take advantage of the jammer's protection is being adopted and where it is not. Saab has developed specific accessories to support live training for Military Operations in Urban Terrain (MOUT) and to enable a seamless translation from training in open country to urban operations. An important part of the process is constructing a 3-D representation of the buildings to be instrumented for use by EXCON and to support vulnerability and effects calculations. All the equipment is easily deployable; constructing the 3-D representation is the most time-consuming element. The production version of Saab's ATES C-IED Vallon handheld mine detector training sensor, in use with the British Army. (Saab) Article 1 Page 14 of 17

15 To overcome the loss of GPS tracking when individuals are inside buildings, Room Association Devices (RAD) are used. These can be easily fixed to walls with their location noted on the EXCON model. These provide a wireless association to the PDD, so that an individual's progress can be tracked through the building. They are also installed at the likely entrances to a building to track the initial entry. The Structure Information Device (SID) transmits the building configuration details to the PDD. The Structure Effects Simulator (SES) provides the 'shoot through wall' effect. When initiated by direct fire from outside the building, it calculates and distributes casualties within, depending on the wall structure and the type of ammunition. Casualties are evaluated according to their location in relation to the impact, with primary effects in the immediate vicinity and secondary effects - with less serious casualties - in adjoining rooms. The SES is configurable for different types of building and construction, and can be interfaced for pyrotechnics or other battlefield effects. The Building Effects Generator (BEG) provides a range of battlefield effects, including up to 50 different audio cues, smells, explosions, flashing lights, and smoke. Saab has also incorporated fragmentation and stun hand grenades using a 0.8 g Chemring pyrotechnic charge that is safe at a radius of 10 cm. When the grenade explodes it transmits a signal to the PDDs within the effective range. This has been supplied to the Swedish Army for its Urban Operations Training System. MOUT is manpower intensive and providing realistic levels of opposition for force-on-force training places a heavy demand for manpower resources as defenders. One solution to this is to provide reactive targets, equipped with laser detectors to respond to 'fire'. These targets can also have a shoot-back system which will transmit laser fire. Screenshot from the EXCON software during a British Army exercise using the DFWES in Kenya. Individual personnel and vehicles are tracked. Note the line denoting fire on the bunker in the bottom left of the screen. (Saab) The United States and the United Kingdom are Saab's biggest customers. The UK has been using the equipment on Salisbury Plain, at Sennelager in Germany, and at Suffield in Canada since In Kenya, Saab provides a fully managed service for the British Army to support seven exercises a Article 1 Page 15 of 17

16 year at light battlegroup level with the Deployable Tactical Engagement System (DTES), based on the Gamer DITS. Saab provides and maintains the DTES to a contracted level of availability and also provides all the EXCON staff and analysts. Saab has been supplying the equipment to the US military since the late 1980s, and it has been successful in securing several major contracts recently. In 2009 it won a USMC contract for the first phase of the Instrumented-Tactical Engagement Simulation System (I-TESS), consisting of 10 DITS including EXCON, over 2,000 infantry systems, over 200 vehicle systems, 200 MOUT systems, and 500 targets. In early 2012 Saab was awarded a contract for the US Army Combat Vehicle Tactical Engagement Simulation System (CV TESS) to equip Abrams main battle tanks (MBTs), Bradley IFVs, and OPFOR vehicles. The contract is for up to 4,000 systems. CV TESS is a one-way system consisting of generic equipment including wireless detector units, a vehicle kill indicator, a long-range laser transmitter, a vehicle interface, and a control module; and vehicle specific kit for the Abrams and Bradley, including an additional transmitter for the Bradley TOW. The instrumentation and communications capability was used to meet a contract awarded in 2011 by the US Army for the Live Training Transformation Interim Range System (LT2-IRS) programme. This consists of deployable communication trailers and player units that will instrument legacy MILES soldier and vehicle simulators. Each system can cover a 400 km 2 training area, scalable up to 800 km 2, and each communications trailer can handle up to 7,000 entities. While these may be the most significant customers, Saab's TES equipment is also widely used in Europe, as well in Brazil and Chile. The latter has two fixed GAMER systems. INTEROPERABILITY: EXERCISE 'NOBLE LEDGER'Exercise 'Noble Ledger' was a NATO Response Force (NRF) 2015 Land Component Command exercise designed to confirm the formation's interoperability and confirm its readiness. It consisted of a combined Command Post Exercise in Germany and a Field Training Exercise (FTX) in Norway in the vicinity of Terningmoen, Rena Leir, and the surrounding area. The formation was commanded by Headquarters (HQ) 1 GE/NL Corps and six battlegroups from Norway, the Netherlands (NL), Denmark and Germany participated. Over 2,500 personnel and vehicles were equipped with laser simulators and used the OSAG 2.0 code. Some, but not all of this was Saab equipment, either from participants' own holdings or leased for the exercise from Saab. German troops used the Ausbildungsgerät Duellsimulator (AGDUS) equipment supplied by Rheinmetall. Saab was contracted to provide the instrumentation and ensure the interoperability of the participants' TES systems. It provided the instrumentation communications network for the FTX, which required 1,600 km² coverage for soldier systems and 2,200 km² for vehicle systems. This needed 10 radio basestations and was achieved by using the portable basestations from the NL Mobile CTC, the Norwegian Army CTC fixed infrastructure including its fibre backbone, and an additional PBS supplied by Saab. The system was configured for multiple EXCONs and AAR facilities in the field. The network and the EXCON software were able to handle up to 3,000 players. For the force-on-force events, the common OSAG 2.0 code worked well, with effective interaction regardless of which TES equipment was in use. However, the German AGDUS equipment could not be tracked by the Saab instrumentation and was therefore not visible to EXCON. This was Article 1 Page 16 of 17

17 overcome by instrumenting German command-and-control vehicles and commanders with vests from the MCTC, enabling forces to be aggregated and tracked in EXCON and for AAR. Although this meant that for engagements between Saab-equipped and AGDUS-equipped troops AGDUS firelines and individual soldiers were not visible, in the context of the exercise and the level of command and AAR involved this was not significant. The value of integrating the TES equipment for such a large-scale exercise was summarised by Colonel R de Jong, the exercise director: "The advantages with instrumented training were threefold. First of all we had a 'real fight' between the parties without interference by referees. Secondly, it supported the OTE-personnel [Observer/Trainer/Evaluator] in the execution of their job by presenting and recording the fight on their laptop. Last, but certainly not least, since the area-wide picture was presented on a big screen in our operations room, I had an outstanding Situational Awareness. I can't imagine an exercise on this scale without using integrated simulation systems." COMMENT Saab is not the only manufacturer producing TES equipment. In the US, Lockheed Martin, and particularly Cubic Defense Applications are the major players, with substantial domestic and overseas contracts. Most recently Cubic seems to have emerged as Saab's major competitor in the US, winning the second phase of the USMC I-TESS programme. However, the two work together in the UK where both sets of equipment are in use on the Salisbury Plain Training Area. Rheinmetall is the main supplier for the German Army and has recently rebranded its entire TES equipment range under the Legatus name. It won the contract for the provision of CTC equipment in the UAE, which includes fixed, mobile, and MOUT facilities. It had also been in the middle of developing a major facility for the Russian Army at Mulino, which could have led to contracts for further similar CTCs elsewhere in Russia, when the situation in the Crimea and Eastern Ukraine brought the programme to an abrupt halt. Switzerland's RUAG has been its main domestic supplier for some time for both fixed CTC and MOUT equipment. It has recently developed a new version, Gladiator, as well as a mobile CTC with different ranges and capacities. There are also a number of other smaller players in the market, both in the US and Europe. There is likely to be fierce competition in India soon, where Zen Technologies is the domestic incumbent but which lacks the experience of some of the international competition. And a competition for an additional major MOUT facility in the UAE is still in progress. Copyright IHS Global Limited, 2015 Article 1 Page 17 of 17