• To provide for a procedural training environment in which the planning, appreciation and decision phases of an exercise may be input to the system, and where the operational phase may be executed by the student commanders.
• To cater for the training of commanders against instructor specified variations in both friendly and opposing forces and on instructor defined battlefields, tailored towards the training objectives.
• To provide for training with limited human resources: i.e. provide for varying trainee group compositions and thereby remove manpower limitations in training.
• To provide interactive simulation models that respond to inputs from the players with realism appropriate to the command level being trained.
• To provide the ability to either repeat or replay a period of the simulation, allowing immediate performance feedback to the commander.

Phases of Training on TES

Using TES for tactical training involves the following four phases: the planning and appreciation phase, the data capture phase, the mission execution phase and the replay and evaluation phase.

THE PLANNING AND APPRECIATION PHASE

At the outset of any training exercise, a real or fictitious military situation exists which requires resolution by the forces being trained, and usually extends over a specified geographical area. The planning and appreciation phase is performed by the student commanders OFF THE SYSTEM. The results of this phase are typically a set of battle plans, operating procedures, etc., that should be implemented to successfully execute the mission.

At this stage, the exercise could be executed either out on the training range or in the classroom situation, or indeed both.

THE DATA CAPTURE PHASE

In order for the students to execute their battle plans on TES, the information generated during the planning and appreciation phase is captured on the system. All data capture functions are performed at the Administrator station using the extensive set of utilities provided (described briefly for information in the sub-sections that follow). At any stage during data capture, hard copies of scenario, situation, mission and overlay information may be made for feedback into planning and appreciation phase.

A Scenario Editor program allows the Administrator to define, capture, edit or print all information defining a scenario (i.e. simulated battlefield). This information consists of User-defined contour, feature and terrain information. This information is stored on the system in a customised format that gives the User complete scope in defining both the nature and extent of the battlefield on which training is to take place.

A Library Manager program allows the Administrator complete access to all libraries that are used to define simulated battlefields, force compositions and the exercises or missions. These fully customised yet extensible databases are the cornerstones of TES, bringing total training flexibility to the User. The four custom libraries are:

• Weapons library
• Players library
• Terrains library
• Features library

A Text Editor allows the creation and editing of text based information, such as situation sketches, mission statements, reports, and general templates.

Making use of the powerful Overlay Editor tracing software, the Administrator may create and edit overlay transparencies (i.e. battle plans) both before and during exercise execution, allowing dynamic solutions to changing situations on the simulated battlefield.

The powerful Exercise Definition program allows the Administrator to create and tailor the wealth of information that defines the initial state of an exercise. Exercises are scenario specific, i.e. an exercise pertains to a specified battlefield and initial situation. Each exercise contains, amongst other information, data such as

• The own and enemy players' force compositions, down to weapon level
• Own and enemy force deployments
• The initial force logistics, experience, morale, equipment and other settings
• Software allocation of radio types and signals information to participating students
• The time dependant environment to prevail during the exercise
• Fog of war factors to be modelled during exercise execution
• The overlays, battle plans, situations and mission statements applying to all forces

THE EXERCISE EXECUTION PHASE

Both instructors and students interface with the simulation via one or several fully interactive 2D maps upon which is displayed military information such as observed and appreciated forces, terrain and feature information, selected overlays, etc. The control of forces under a player's command is performed using a User friendly tailored menu structure based on the force composition, and caters for relevant aspects of movement, observation, engagement, etc., as well as the activation of force specific special capabilities. These special capabilities include logistic, medical, engineering and signals capabilities that may augment a force. The control and modelling of these forces, together with information feedback to the commander, is directed at the appropriate command level.

• The instructor group
  • An essential aspect of training on TES is that the Instructor group guide the direction of the exercise at all stages, making sure that tactical and procedural mistakes made by the students are noted for correction. As such, the instructors have ultimate control over all events and occurrences other than the actions taken by the students. The Instructor group consists of three instructors, the Master, Own and Enemy forces Instructors.

• The tactical HQ group
  • The Tactical HQ Group would typically consist of the commanding officer and second in command, together with their supporting staff, including signals, intelligence, logistics and fire support co-ordination officers, although the composition of this group is entirely flexible, depending on the forces being trained. Each of these officers are assigned to different stations when included in the exercise. The HQ Group facility provides a high resolution LCD projector, used to display information requested by this group, including target enlargements, force deployments, overlays, etc.

• The operational student group
  • The students that compose the Operational Group are each provided with complete control of the forces assigned to their command, and with the interfaces required to fulfil each assigned mission. Each student has full combat, communications, mobility and observational capabilities determined by the status and location of the forces under his command and the current state of the reality models being executed.
  • Battle information is made available to a student as it happens, based on that which he would observe, obtain or experience in a real situation. Tactical decisions taken by the commander directly influence the progress of the battle as they are implemented, allowing the Student to visualise the effects of his decisions and orders interactively and immediately.

• Combat models
  • Several deterministic combat models are employed by the simulation, each being initiated by the relevant weapon types when required during the battle. These models take into account force and weapon attributes such as hit probabilities, relative force strengths, morale, posture, etc., as well as external influences such as the prevailing environment, guerilla activities and so forth.

• Mobility and negotiability models
  • Force mobilities are again governed by their constituent weapon's mobility attributes as defined in the weapons database. The various mobility models during the simulation would take into account parameters such as required versus attainable speeds, the current terrain conditions (affected by environmental conditions), macro and micro relief, current mobility damage, and other such factors.

• Observation models
  • Inter-force visibilities and observation takes into account such effects as line of sight, force and terrain concealment parameters, postures, mobilities, prevailing environmental conditions, etc., together with any observational aids assigned to the constituent weapon systems during force definition.

• Communications models
  • Effective communications is all important on the battlefield. A high functional fidelity simulated radio communications interface is provided for effective training of communications drills and procedures. Realistic simulated battle sounds and EW effects injected via the headsets serve to increase the realism and acceptance of the training system by the commanders. The highly realistic simulated radio nets are based on HF, VHF and UHF communications, with superimposed terrain, EW and environmental effects modelling.

THE REPLAY AND EVALUATION PHASE

An important aspect of any training is immediate and accurate performance feedback. The TES system includes a period repeat function that allows the simulation to be saved at selected points in the exercise and rerun from that point if required. This period repeat feature allows the reinforcement of specific drills and procedures, and also allows the efficient rerun of specific phases of the exercise where the training objectives for those phases were not met.

During exercise execution, the Administrator may opt to record the mission execution for after action playback and evaluation. When activated, the system automatically records the state of the mission (i.e. full environment, force status and activity information, etc.) in full detail at regular intervals for display using the Exercise Replay program.

The Exercise Replay facility includes full multiple map display functions, interrogation capabilities on specific mission aspects, including forces, environment, terrains and features, and time manipulation facilities, allowing for the playback at User specified time factors. The automatic display of each instructor's time stamped comments relating to force actions, entered during exercise execution, prompts and encourages discussion and feedback.

System Configuration

INTRODUCTION

The TES application is designed to utilise twenty-one dedicated stations as the platform on which the simulated exercise runs, configured as follows:

• One Administrator facility, made up of the 'Administrator' and 'Server' stations.
• Three dual monitor stations, used by the Master Instructor, the Enemy Forces Instructor and the Own Forces Instructor. These three are collectively termed the Instructor group.
• Four single monitor stations and one dual monitor station, used by the Command or HQ group.
• The remaining twelve single monitor stations are used by the fighting force commanders - the Operational group - for the execution of an exercise.

ADMINISTRATOR RESPONSIBILITIES

The TES Administrator is responsible and has the abilities to perform the following high level functions:

• Scenario generation.
• Database management.
• Exercise definition, setup, execution and replay.
• Exercise observation during execution.
• Data update during execution, i.e. overlays and mission statements.
• Hard copy / printout generation.

The TES Server is completely transparent to the Operators during exercise execution, but this station is responsible for managing the following events:

• Provide the central 'hub' of the network, sending and receiving exercise information where and when required.
• Perform all global modelling calculations, such as engagement, visibility, sound and radio net modelling, providing necessary processing power to the reality modelling.

THE TES INSTRUCTOR GROUP

• The Master Instructor
  • The TES Master Instructor is responsible for performing all exercise related actions that are not force specific, including the following:
    • Exercise observation during execution.
    • Exercise overrides, including pause exercise, time control and environment redefinition.
    • Influencing of combat outcomes via combat value modifications.
    • Player to station allocation during exercise execution.
    • Token to player allocation during exercise execution.
    • Radio net monitoring.
    • Student evaluation

• The Enemy Forces Instructor
  • The TES Enemy Forces Instructor is responsible for executing all enemy force activities during the exercise, over and above his other roles. His responsibilities include:
    • Overall control of enemy forces.
    • Exercise observation during execution.
    • Supply of intelligence information regarding the enemy forces to own force students.
    • Radio net monitoring.
    • Enemy force reposition during exercise pause.
    • Enemy force replenishment and repair during exercise pause.
    • Student evaluation

• The Own Forces Instructor
  • The TES Own Forces Instructor is responsible for executing all own force activities during the exercise, over and above his other roles. His responsibilities include:
    • Exercise observation during execution.
    • Supply of intelligence information to own force students.
    • Radio net monitoring.
    • Allocation of mission statements and overlays to the students.
    • Control of simulated hindrance factors.
    • Control of simulated EW effects.
    • Control of simulated faults and failures to own fighting group commander's forces.
    • Own force reposition during exercise pause.
    • Own force replenishment and repair during exercise pause.
    • Student evaluation.

THE TES HQ STUDENT GROUP

Three of the single monitor stations of the Command Group are used by the INT, OPS and LOG personnel, and the one remaining is used as the Fire Support Co-ordination Centre (FSCC). The dual monitor station (linked to a colour LCD projector) is known as the HQ Control station. (Depending on the nature of the exercise, a fifth Air Liaison Officer station may be associated with this group).

The four single monitor stations allow the TES Command Students is to perform the following:

• Observation and movement.
• Radio net communications.
• Terrain and combat appreciation.
• Fire support co-ordination

The HQ Control station is typically manned by a computer operator familiar with the operation of TES, who executes the requests of the HQ Students. This station controls all movement of the HQ players, leaving these players free to concentrate on battle planning, etc.

THE TES OPERATIONAL STUDENT GROUP

The remaining twelve single monitor stations are used by the Operational Students (typically Battalion commanders) to perform the following procedures:

• Observation, combat and movement.
• Radio net communications.
• Terrain and combat appreciation.
• Situation and logistic reporting.
• Placement of appreciated forces.
• Other force specific roles such as bridge laying, air support, etc.

System Flexibility

The basic aim of the system design was that of flexibility and extensibility. The TES application therefore includes the capabilities of completely defining real and fictitious map areas (scenarios), together with exercises and the set of force structures to be deployed within each exercise.

Scenarios are designed to consist of a set of user captured contours, together with terrain, feature and other map-based information stored in user extensible libraries. The definition of exercises also follows a standard format, allowing the user to specify the scenario, the force compositions and deployments, the allocation of forces to stations and to initialise or predefine some of the simulation models to run during execution.

The building block of all force structures are the weapons, containing information that independently defines each weapon's mobility, engagement, observation and special capabilities during the simulation. Providing an extensible weapons library gives the simulation the ability to adapt to new equipment capabilities within current modelling limitations. Each player, or force grouping, may then be defined by a set of tokens, each of which possesses a set of elements. Each of the elements assigned to a token contain a specified number of a particular weapon type. Each of the player, token, element and weapon levels of simulation possess parameters that may be modified by the simulation modelling.

Following these definitions, players may be defined at both unit and sub-unit levels, depending on the force composition requirements. Figure 1 illustrates this multi-level force definition capability.