MODELLING and SIMULATION Vol. 4 Issue 5 ...

ISSN 2277 – 3126
RNI NO. UPENG/2011/37063
Vol. 4
`100 US$ 10
Issue 5 sept – oct 2014
MODELLING and
SIMULATION
Streamline your intelligence planning from
beginning to end with unparalleled search
functionality, exploitation capabilities, and
product creation for the GEOINT community.
Discover your data and reference materials
with GXP Xplorer®
. Search multiple data stores
across the enterprise with a single query
to locate imagery, terrain, text documents,
and video. View data in any format in a Web
browser with GXP WebView. Exploit data with
SOCET GXP®to create geospatial intelligence
products for planning, analysis, and publication
using advanced feature extraction tools,
annotations, and 3-D visualization. Deliver
actionable intelligence when it counts with the
GXP enterprise solution.
THE GXP ENTERPRISE SOLUTION.
MAXIMIZE YOUR PRODUCTIVITY –
FROM DISCOVERY, TO EXPLOITATION,
TO PRODUCT GENERATION.
Imagery courtesy
of DigitalGlobe
www.baesystems.com/gxp
MODELLING AND
SIMULATION
GUEST ARTICLES
Joint Modelling & Simulation:
An Action Plan for Defence
Services
Brig Arun Sahgal (Retd)
An overall modelling and simulation
architecture is necessary for the Army to
develop an effective course of action
Pg 16
Simulators for Combat
Mission Rehearsals
Chairman MP Narayanan
Publisher Sanjay Kumar
Managing Editor Lt Gen (Dr) AKS Chandele (Retd)
Executive Editor Bhanu Rekha
Product Manager Harsha Vardhan Madiraju
Sub Editor Sanskriti Shukla
Senior Designer Debjyoti Mukherjee
Circulation Manager Ashish Batra
Circulation Executive Vijay Kumar Singh
Owner, Publisher & Printer Sanjay Kumar
Printed at M. P. Printers, B - 220, Phase-II,
Noida - 201 301, Gautam Budh Nagar (UP) India
Publication Address A - 92, Sector - 52,
Gautam Budh Nagar, Noida, India
Editor Sanjay Kumar
Lt Col Romil Barthwal, Simulator
Development Division, c/o MCEME.
Simulators are rapidly reducing the
gap between actual combat conditions
and simulated conditions. But can they
completely replace the actual on-field
training exercises?
Pg 21
Bringing Augmented Reality
Systems on the Battlefield
Ian Cox, Project Manager, Systems
Engineering & Assessment Ltd (part of
Cohort PLC)
Commercial augmented reality technologies
can enhance training, education and
operational performance, but they are rarely
used by the defence market. The UK Ministry
of Defence is looking at ways to make the
most of this technology so that it can become
an asset
Pg 24
Modelling and Simulation for
Indian Armed Forces
Brig Anjum Shahab, Zen Technologies
Simulated training is becoming as
valuable as the real on-field training today.
Recreating battlefield environment through
simulation and modelling prepares a soldier
for almost any situation
Pg 30
Geoint Modelling and
Simulation: Forward to
the Future
Brig Rahul Bhonsle (Retd)
Integration of geoint with the discipline
of modelling and simulation has led to
possibilities of predictive intelligence for the
armed forces. In India, there is huge room
for investments in this niche area, given the
potential
Pg 34
Virtual Reality Trains Soldiers
for the Real War
Brig SC Sharma (Retd), President
& CMD, Axis Aerospace
The military uses virtual reality technology
for almost everything, from training and
safety enhancement to analyse military
manoeuvres and battlefield positions
Pg 38
INTERVIEW
Price `100, US$ 10
Geospatial Media and Communications Pvt. Ltd.
A - 145, Sector - 63, Noida, India
REGULAR SECTIONS
Tel + 91 120 4612500 Fax + 91 120 4612555/666
Editorial........................................05
Geospatial Media and Communications Pvt.
News..............................................06
Ltd. does not necessarily subscribe to the views
Events............................................41
expressed in the publication. All views expressed
in this issue are those of the contributors. The
publication is not responsible for any loss to anyone
due to the information provided.
Image Intelligence .....................42
Stephen Eckman, Chief Scientist,
GameSim
Pg 28
3 | GEOINTELLIGENCE SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2014
Inside
Theme
Want to
update your
communication details?
Reach us at
[email protected]
to continue receiving
the magazines regularly
Great
Subscription
Offer
600*
FOR 1 Year
Other Exciting
Offers
No. of Issues
You Pay
2 Years
12
1200
3 Years
18
1800
5 Years
30
3000
Subscribe Online at www.geospatialworld.net

Editorial
Simulators indispensable for the military
Modelling and simulation (words often used interchangeably) is the artificial
recreation of a real-life process or activity and the analysis of the system behaviour
with changing variables. This may be resorted to when a real-life system is not
accessible, cannot be or is too dangerous to engage or is still being designed. The
accuracy of results depends on the fidelity and validity of the model. Modelling
and simulation has applications in practically every sphere of human activity - be
it training, safety engineering, medicine, construction, education, video games,
disaster response - the list is endless.
Defence forces across the globe are increasingly relying on simulators for training.
Their use prevents wear and tear and damage to costly operational equipment
and ensures safety of personnel while enhancing their skill levels. Simulators
are cost-effective and have been developed for individual as well as collective
military training and war-gaming. Individual training simulators include weapon
training simulators for various weapons such as grenades, small arms, anti tank
guided missiles, anti aircraft and gunnery. Driving simulators are available for the
full range of wheeled and tracked vehicles and for varying conditions of terrain,
weather and visibility.
Geographical information available to field commanders today is not just limited
to 2D maps. As armed forces globally graduate towards net-centricity, high-end
graphics, multimedia and GIS with customised software act as potent
tools to commanders for creating a virtual battlefield in the form of 3D
Digital Sand Room.
War-gaming today is a computer based application of modelling and
simulation used by the military for testing existing tactics, strategy
and doctrines and developing new ones. It involves the creation of a
variety of war-like scenarios and then ‘gaming’ them based on artificial
intelligence at practically no extra cost.
Lt Gen (Dr) AKS Chandele PVSM, AVSM (Retd)
Managing Editor
[email protected]
Appreciating the importance of simulators, the Indian Army established
the Simulator Development Division (SDD) two decades ago to
design and develop simulators. SDD developed a range of useful small
arms, gunnery, driving and some other simulators, tailor-made for the
requirements of the armed forces, which have been introduced into
service. Considering the scope and large requirements of simulators for
the military and the resultant benefit that will accrue, it is necessary that
private industry be involved to a greater degree for their development
and procurement.
5 | GEOINTELLIGENCE SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2014
Flight simulators for both manned civil and military aircraft (fixed wing
and helicopters) as well as UAVs, are essential for training of pilots, to
avoid risk to life or damage to the aircraft. They are usually provided
by the respective aircraft manufacturers and though quite expensive
initially, prove extremely economical in the long run.
NEWS
Leidos has won a prime contract by the
National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency
(NGA) to provide mapping production
services. Under the contract, Leidos will
provide high quality products, information, and services through the use of a
quality management system. The team will
utilise advanced technology to meet the
government driven innovations to support
emerging production to provide production
process flow efficiencies and improved customer service, conversion of current data
and production types to support a format
driven rather than a specification driven
production environment, production of
product derivatives and online/on-demand
capabilities service to the previous process
or service, if one existed. The Leidos team
will finish products using NGA data to
produce digital and plate-ready, standard
and non-standard NGA GEOINT products
at NGA traditional scale outputs for
NAVPLANs (Navigation Planning Charts)
and CADRG/ECRG/Geo-Referenced
PDFs (Compressed ARC Digitised Raster
Graphics/Enhanced Compressed Raster
Graphics).
Mikros Systems Wins New
Production Contract Award
Mikros Systems Corporation has bagged
a major new production contract award valued at USD 5 million for its ADEPT equipment, used by the US Navy to maintain
advanced radar systems. The Navy plans
New Surveillance Equipment
to Support the US Army
Drone Aviation has been selected to
deliver specialised surveillance equipment for the US Army’s Rapid Equipping
Force (REF). The company will deliver an
unspecified number of units of advanced
optics systems to an undisclosed government-contracted systems integrator,
to help the latter support REF’s surveillance objectives. According to Felicia
Hess, Drone Holding Aviation Chief
Executive Officer, the systems leverage
aerostat technology to elevate military
payloads and provide network communications, intelligence, surveillance and
reconnaissance.
Northrop Grumman Bags US
Navy Contract for CANES
The US Navy has selected Northrop
Grumman Corporation as one of five
contractors for the Consolidated Afloat
Networks and Enterprise Services
(CANES) full deployment production
contract to upgrade cybersecurity,
command and control, communications
and intelligence (C4I) systems across the
fleet. The indefinite delivery, indefinite
quantity multiple award contract has a
potential value of USD 2.5 billion over
eight years.
The CANES Program eliminates many
legacy, standalone networks and provides
a common computing environment for
dozens of C4I applications. This strengthens the network infrastructure, improves
security, reduces existing hardware
footprint and decreases total ownership
costs. The CANES effort enhances operational effectiveness and quality of life for
deployed sailors.
USSOCOM Signs Contract for
Saab’s Weapon System
Saab has signed a new framework contract with the USSOCOM for the company’s Carl-Gustaf man-portable weapon
system (in the US named MAAWS;
Multi-role, Anti-armor Anti-Personnel
Weapon System). The contract is a follow
on agreement to a previous five year
contract for the 84mm recoilless rifle
system. In connection with award of the
contract, USSOCOM issued an initial order with a value of MSEK 99 (approx USD
14.3 million). The framework contract
enables the USSOCOM to place orders
for weapons and ammunition over a five
year contract period up to a total value of
BSEK 1.3 (approx USD 187 million).
According to the company,
Carl-Gustaf system has been modernised
and adapted to meet new requirements.
Anticipating future operational needs,
a new, lighter weight, version of the
Carl-Gustaf is currently under devel-
Credit: Wikipedia
6 | GEOINTELLIGENCE SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2014
Leidos Awarded Contract
by NGA
to purchase 54 ADEPT units over the next
year. The systems will be deployed on Navy
Aegis destroyers and cruisers to support the
AN/SPY-1 radar in air defence and ballistic
missile defence missions. The contract adds
to the engineering backlog currently in
place. Mikros’ backlog is now at an all-time
high of approximately USD 8 million. The
new contract is the first Full Rate Production contract for the third-generation
ADEPT system.
Carl-Gustaf man-portable weapon system
NEWS
Serco has won a new single-award indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity (IDIQ)
contract to provide installation support
for Close-In Weapons Systems (CIWS) on
US Navy, US Army and US Coast Guard
vessels. The contract has a one-year base
period plus two option years, with a ceiling value of USD 31 million. Under the
contract, Serco will perform installations,
upgrades and modifications to the CIWS,
a point-defence weapon for detecting
and destroying low- and high-flying,
high-speed maneuvering anti-ship
missile threats that have penetrated
outer defences. The systems are typically
mounted shipboard in a naval capacity.
The contract builds upon Serco’s current
set of Navy C4ISR contracts under which
the Company is providing installation
and upgrade support on Navy vessels.
DARPA to Develop Armour
Techn for Ground Vehicles
The US Defense Advanced Research
Projects Agency (DARPA) has launched
a new programme for the development
of new ground-vehicle technologies,
which would increase mobility, effectiveness and survivability of future
armoured fighting vehicles. The Ground
X-Vehicle Technology (GXV-T) Program
seeks a 50% reduction in a vehicle’s size,
weight and the onboard crew needed for
its operation, as well as an 100% increase
in vehicle speed. In addition, the programme aims to develop technologies
that are designed to reduce signatures,
such as visible, infrared, acoustic and
electromagnetic, which enable adver-
Northrop to Develop
Spaceplane Design
Northrop Grumman Corporation with
Scaled Composites and Virgin Galactic
is developing a preliminary design and
flight demonstration plan for the Defense
Advanced Research Projects Agency’s
(DARPA) Experimental Spaceplane XS-1
programme. XS-1 has a reusable booster
that when coupled with an expendable upper stage provides affordable, available and
responsive space lift for 3,000-pound class
spacecraft into low earth orbit. Reusable
boosters with aircraft-like operations
provide a breakthrough in space lift costs
for this payload class, enabling new generations of lower cost, innovative and more
resilient spacecraft.
The company is defining its concept
for XS-1 under a 13-month, phase one
contract valued at USD 3.9 million. In
addition to low-cost launch, the XS-1
would serve as a test-bed for a new
generation of hypersonic aircraft. A key
programme goal is to fly 10 times in 10
days using a minimal ground crew and
infrastructure. Reusable aircraft-like operations would help reduce military and
commercial light spacecraft launch costs
DARPA’s Ground X-Vehicle Technology Program
by a factor of 10 from current launch costs
in this payload class. To complement
its aircraft, spacecraft and autonomous
systems capabilities, Northrop Grumman
has teamed with Scaled Composites of
Mojave, which will lead fabrication and
assembly, and Virgin Galactic, the privately-funded spaceline, which will head
commercial spaceplane operations and
transition.
GD to Deliver Space Fence
Ground Structures For USAF
General Dynamics C4 Systems (GD)
SATCOM Technologies has won a contract from Lockheed Martin to design
and build the ground structures and
integrate the mechanical systems for
the US Air Force Space Fence Program.
The new advanced ground-based radar
system will enhance the way the US
detects and tracks more than 100,000
orbiting objects in space and increase the
ability to prevent space-based collisions.
The improved situational awareness
will help protect space-based assets like
7 | GEOINTELLIGENCE SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2014
Serco Awarded USD 31 Million
Contract to Support US Military
saries to detect, engage and destroy
vehicles. DARPA is also interested in
the ability to traverse diverse off-road
terrain, including slopes and various
elevations.
The improved mobility and soldier
capability is expected to enable future
US ground forces to more efficiently and
cost-effectively deal with varied and unpredictable combat scenarios, according
to the company. According to a spokesperson from the company, the current
trend of heavy, more expensive and less
mobile combat platforms has limited
soldiers’ ability to rapidly deploy and
manoeuvre in battlefield and accomplish
their missions in varied and evolving
threat environments. The GXV-T Program
intends to pursue research, development, design, testing and evaluation of
major subsystem capabilities in multiple
technology areas, with the goal of integrating the capabilities into future ground
X-vehicle demonstrations.
Credit: DARPA
opment. The system will also include
additional functionality that will greatly
increase the capability of the already
formidable weapon system.
NEWS
the International Space Station from
potential collisions that could severely
damage, disable or destroy it.
The ground structures will house the
Space Fence radar elements and other
operations related to the Space Fence
system. Construction of the Space Fence
ground system will begin mid-2015 on
the Kwajalein Atoll in the Republic of the
Marshall Islands. The US Air Force contract value awarded to Lockheed Martin
is greater than USD 910 million.
Sikorsky to Build Technology
Demonstrator for Vertical Lift
Sikorsky Aircraft and Boeing have been
selected to build a helicopter for the
US Army’s Joint Multi-Role Technology
Demonstrator Phase 1 Program (JMR
TD), paving the way for the next generation of vertical lift aircraft. The US Army
Aviation Technology Directorate (AATD)
selected the Sikorsky-Boeing team to
continue the development of the SB>1
Defiant, a medium-lift helicopter configured to Sikorsky’s X2 coaxial design,
through flight testing. First flight for the
programme is expected in 2017.
Defiant will use Sikorsky’s X2
technology to overcome aircraft design challenges, which will be critical
requirements on future vertical lift
aircraft. The Defiant aircraft will feature
counter-rotating rigid main rotor blades
for vertical and forward flight, a pusher
propeller for high-speed acceleration and
deceleration, and an advanced fly-bywire flight control system, explained Mick
Maurer, Sikorsky President.
STG Wins US Army’s G-6
Contract
STG has been awarded the US Army’s
Information Technology (IT) Planning,
Development, Migration, Implementation,
and Sustainment Support to the
United States Army Network Enterprise
Technology Command (NETCOM)
Assistant Chief of Staff, G-6 (ACOFS, G-6)
and Chief of Staff, G-33 (ACOFS, G-33)
contract. STG has been selected to support
the G-6 mission for one year on this USD
3.8 million contract with the potential for
another year with the possible option year.
STG will provide non-personal IT planning,
development, migration, implementation,
Using a newly developed advanced
maritime test bed, Lockheed Martin has
recently demonstrated how continually
evolving technologies such as data fusion
and predictive analytics can be used to share
intelligence quickly and securely — even in
limited bandwidth naval settings. The new
software test platform designed to mimic
different naval environments at sea and
ashore, allowed Lockheed Martin to validate
sophisticated intelligence, communications
The test bed was recently used
to show how simulated Aegis
and sensor systems before they are introradar data could be fused
duced in an operational setting. In its recent
with other integrated ISR
demonstration, Lockheed Martin used its
sensor data
test bed to illustrate how the Navy could fuse
simulated Aegis radar data with other integrated intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) sensor data to provide
a comprehensive picture of the battlespace. Throughout the scenario, the test bed
collected, analysed and processed the data, then distributed to simulated platforms
at sea and on shore. The collaborative atmosphere allowed users to operate more efficiently, since all units had access to integrated ISR-related activities, which in turn
improved situational awareness and battle management planning. The maritime
test bed was developed with open standards software infrastructure, which allows it
to leverage multiple information sources and databases for testing.
For testing highly sensitive technologies, the maritime test bed can be linked
to the Secret Defense Research and Engineering Network (SDREN) as well as the
Defense Research and Engineering Network (DREN).
Credit: Lockheed Martin
8 | GEOINTELLIGENCE SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2014
Lockheed Martin Unveils
Maritime Test Bed for US Navy
and sustainment support to the NETCOM
Assistant Chief of Staff, G-6.
NETCOM is the Army’s Global
Network Enterprise (GNE) service
provider executing full-spectrum cyber
operations and attaining information
superiority, achieving a Joint,
Interagency, and Multinational network
enterprise. According to the company,
NETCOM plans, engineers, installs,
integrates, protects, and operates Army
Cyberspace, enabling Mission Command
through all phases of Joint, Interagency,
Intergovernmental, and Multinational
operations.
Boeing Wins Contract to
Modernise NATO AWACS Fleet
Boeing has signed a contract from NATO
worth approximately USD 250 million to
install digital flight decks and avionics on
13 of the alliance’s Airborne Warning and
Control System (AWACS) aircraft, which
are based on the Boeing 707 commercial
airplane. The new technology is believed
to ensure compliance with current and
future air traffic control and navigation
requirements, giving the aircraft broader access to airspace around the world.
Increasing airspace access means greater
mission efficiency by saving time and
fuel during operations. The improvements also provide the pilot and co-pilot
user-friendly and customisable engine,
navigation and radar data, explained Jon
Hunsberger, Boeing AWACS Program
Manager.
Additionally, the upgrade will result in
a cost savings in personnel because the
flight deck crew will be reduced from four
to three. It also solves the challenge of
finding out-of-production avionics for the
AWACS fleet by utilising readily available
commercial-off-the-shelf digital avionics.
The modifications begin in 2016 and will
be completed by 2018. Under an earlier
Engineering Manufacturing and Development (EMD) contract, Boeing installed
a new digital flight deck and avionics on
one NATO AWACS.
Northrop Grumman to
Continue BACN Mission Support
The US Air Force has awarded Northrop
Grumman Corporation a USD 89.7
million contract option to continue
operating and supporting the Battlefield Airborne Communications Node
(BACN) system in support of over-
US Air Force’s New Maritime
Radar Becomes Operational
The Air Force Technical Applications
Center has added to its treaty monitoring capabilities — the Cobra King Radar
system aboard the USNS Howard O
Lorenzen. Cobra King is a new, state-ofthe-art mobile radar system consisting of
S- and X-band phased radars that AFTAC
employs to provide worldwide, high quality, high resolution and multi-wavelength
radar data to the Department of Defense’s
strategic community, the Missile Defense
Agency and other government agencies.
The radar and ship are the sea component of DoD’s Cobra Program that monitors
missile and space launches. Other Cobra
platforms include the Cobra Ball (airborne
tracker) Cobra Dane (stationary array),
Cobra Shoe (overseas antenna site) and
AFTAC’s recently decommissioned maritime vessel, Cobra Judy (USNS Observation
Island). The vessel is operated by Military
Sealift Command under a support agreement with AFTAC. The ship operates with
a combined crew of civilian mariners who
are responsible for operating and navigating the ship, as well as military technicians
and civilian contractors who operate and
maintain the radar and communications
equipment.
Cubic Wins Mobile Training
System Contract
Cubic has been selected to provide mobile
instrumented training system (AMITS)
to the US Army. Awarded by the Army
Program Executive Office for Simulation,
TCS to Supply 3T
Systems Equipment
to US Army
US Army TRC-170 Tropo Scatter
Microwave System
TeleCommunication Systems
(TCS) has been awarded a
contract to deliver tactical
transportable troposcatter
(3T) system equipment and
sustainment to the US Army.
Valued at USD 5.3 million,
the contract is funded by the
Army Project Manager for
the Warfighter Information
Network - Tactical (PM WIN-T) Commercial Satellite Terminal Program, under the
global tactical-advanced communication systems and services (GTACS) contract
vehicle. Classified as AN/TSC-198 (V3), the 3T system provides high bandwidth,
low latency, and non-satellite beyond-line-of-sight network transport for existing
and future bandwidth intensive command, control, communications, computers,
combat systems, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (C5ISR) platforms.
The 3T system combines TCS’ SNAP very-small-aperture terminal (VSAT) system
with Comtech’s IP-capable Troposcatter Terminal, which offers significant advances
in troposcatter technology with a considerably smaller form factor than traditional
systems. The system establishes connectivity at data rates greater than typical satellite links, without the recurring satellite airtime costs, providing greater speed for
bandwidth-intensive applications, such as intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) video distribution.
Training and Instrumentation (PEO STRI),
the five-year contract covers a base year
and four option years, and has a potential
value in excess of USD 200 million, if fully
funded. Under the terms of the USD 12.5
million initial contract, the company will
supply a mobile training command centre
(TCC) and mobile network nodes (MNNs),
as well as instrumentation radios, for
soldiers and vehicles.
According to Dave Schmitz, President,
Cubic Defense Systems, AMITS
incorporates automation and ease-of-use
features such as intuitive applications
and game-based virtual instruction that
stimulate user engagement, remove complexity, reduce setup time and minimise
operational and sustainment costs, which
translate into increased time available
for tactical training. The next-generation
homestation instrumentation training
system (HITS) capability provides the
army with usability enhancements that
increase the effectiveness of homestation
training. AMITS is designed to support
force-on-force (FOF) and force-on-target
training across the full spectrum of operations, for platoons through to battalion
units. During FOF, data is collected,
recorded and used to observe unit performance, monitor safety, teach doctrine
and provide feedback to units through
formal after-action reviews (AARs).
US Navy Test Orion Spacecraft
Ocean Recovery
In preparation for the maiden test flight of
NASA’s Orion spacecraft, specialists from
NASA, Lockheed Martin and the US Navy
have completed testing of various recovery
methods for retrieving the crew module.
The testing enabled the team to assess
data and prepare for different scenarios
that may come into play when the craft
splashes into the Pacific Ocean. During
the test, which took place off the coast
of San Clemente Island, US Navy dive
teams retrieved and positioned the Orion
test article on the USS Anchorage using
a Lockheed Martin built recovery cradle,
recovery winch, and sea anchor. The
information gathered during this phase of
testing will help ensure a safe and efficient
recovery of the crew module and collection of flight test data after splashdown.
According to Larry Price, Deputy
Programme Manager, Lockheed Martin,
completing recovery simulations in a
9 | GEOINTELLIGENCE SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2014
seas contingency missions. BACN is a
high-altitude, airborne communications
and information gateway that connects
warfighters in the air and on the ground.
The system translates and distributes
voice communications, video, imagery
and other battlespace information from
numerous, often disparate, sources to improve situational awareness and enable
better coordination among warfighters
and commanders.
The Air Force has deployed four BACN
E-11A systems and three BACN EQ-4B
Global Hawk systems in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. According to
the company, JALN will be a robust system of systems that expands on existing
communications networks and capabilities and links ground, space and airborne
military assets.
NEWS
GD PRC-155 Radios Make Long-Distance
Transmission Using MUOS Satellites
10 | GEOINTELLIGENCE SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2014
General Dynamics (GD) C4 Systems’ AN/PRC-155 two-channel Manpack radios
have demonstrated their ability to successfully close a communications gap between two talk groups located 2,000m apart. The successful PRC-155 radio-channels
transmission bridged the line-of-sight rifleman radio and single-channel ground
and airborne radio system (SINCGARS) to the orbiting mobile-user objective
system (MUOS) satellites.
During the
demonstration,
Credit: General Dynamics
operators in
Massachusetts,
US, equipped
with PRC-154A
Rifleman radios,
formed a talk
group using the
soldier radio
waveform (SRW),
with a two-channel PRC-155
manpack radio
as its member.
GD’s two-channel
The PRC-155
PRC-155 Manpack
radio seamlessly
networking radio
bridged the SRW
communications
on one channel to the MUOS frequency that was required to connect with the on-orbit MUOS satellites. The resulting voice and data communications hopped from the
manpack radio on the ground in Taunton, UK, to the satellite and back to the ground
in Phoenix, Arizona, US, before connecting to a second PRC-155 radio. The second
radio then bridged the MUOS communications on one channel to the SINCGARS
frequency. This formed a connection with the second dismounted talk group using
SINGCARS radios, creating a real-time satellite communications ‘radio check’ voice
conversation that was loud and clear among the radio operators at both locations.
real, ocean environment before EFT-1 is
incredibly helpful. The test allows them to
improve the procedures for handling the
crew module and determine if the recovery
equipment designs are precise, safe and
efficient. Orion will complete its first test
flight, Exploration Flight Test-1 (EFT-1),
on December 4, 2014. During EFT-1, the
uncrewed spacecraft will launch on a Delta
IV Heavy rocket and will travel 3,600 miles
beyond low Earth orbit — 15 times further
than the International Space Station. That
same day, Orion will return to Earth at a
speed of approximately 20,000 mph for a
splashdown in the Pacific Ocean. The flight
will provide engineers with data about
systems critical to crew safety such as heat
shield performance, separation events, avionics and software performance, attitude
control and guidance, parachute deployment, and recovery operations to validate
designs of the spacecraft before it begins
carrying humans to new destinations in
deep space.
US Army Awards USD 89-Million
Contract for C3 Support
The US Army Contracting
Command-Aberdeen Proving Ground
has awarded ManTech International Corporation a task order to provide
command, control, and communications
system field software engineering support
to the Army’s Software Engineering Center.
The cost-plus-fixed-fee task order was
awarded under the Software and Systems
Engineering Services contract and has a
12-month base period of performance
and one 12-month option period, with a
potential total value to ManTech of USD
89.4 million. Under the contract, ManTech
will continue to provide worldwide gar-
rison, exercise, and combat operations
support to the users of strategic and tactical
command, control, and communications
systems. ManTech will also provide field
support for logistics management systems
and training support for overseas mission
command training centers.
SRA Wins Prime Position on
DHS EAGLE II Contract
SRA International has been awarded
one of several prime positions on the
Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS)
Enterprise Acquisition Gateway for Leading
Edge Solutions II (EAGLE II) Program.
SRA received an award on the Unrestricted
Track for Functional Category 1.
Through EAGLE II Functional Category
1, DHS intends to procure a full range of
IT services and solutions to enable the
development, implementation and maintenance of essential technology to support
the DHS mission and business functions
across the entire programme lifecycle. Services include system design, development,
implementation, and integration, software
design and development, and operations
and maintenance. SRA is believed to
have supported the US national security
mission for over 30 years and the company
has become a mission partner with the
Department of Homeland Security since
the agency’s inception.
Javelin JV Demonstrates
Vehicle-launch Capability
The Raytheon Company and Lockheed
Martin Javelin Joint Venture recently fired
a Javelin missile from a remote weapon station integrated onto a wheeled
vehicle at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville,
Alabama. The test demonstrated the
Javelin’s vehicle-launch capability to an
international customer that has expressed
interest in purchasing vehicles integrated
with Javelin. The Javelin missile launched
and hit a T-62 tank target from a range of
1,000 meters. Immediately after missile
launch, the remote weapon station engaged an alternate target with its ballistic
weapon, demonstrating a seamless Javelin
integration that supports the warfighter’s
requirement to quickly transition between
multiple weapon systems.
Richard Benton, Javelin Joint Venture
Vice President and Javelin Senior
Manager at Lockheed Martin Missiles
and Fire Control, explained that the effort
demonstrated the Javelin Joint Venture’s
BAE Systems to Assist Utilisation
of GEOINT Data and Products
The National Geospatial-Intelligence
Agency (NGA) has awarded BAE Systems
a five-year contract with an estimated
total value of USD 335 million to assist in
transforming the collection, maintenance,
and utilisation of geospatial intelligence
(GEOINT) data and products.
The award supports NGA’s dynamic
Map of the World project, which is giving
US military leaders clearer on-the-ground
intelligence pictures to enhance situational
awareness and mission planning. GEOINT
experts of the company will be exploring
new sources of data, including commodity
data, open source intelligence, and NGA
archive data to deliver new products in line
with the agency’s changing mission focus.
Raytheon Fires TALON
Laser-Guided Rockets
Raytheon Company and MD Helicopters
fired four TALON laser guided rockets
from the MD 530G armed aerial scout
(AAS) helicopter during a series of tests
at Yuma Proving Ground, Arizona. TALON LGR is a low-cost, digital semi-active
laser guidance and control kit co-developed with the United Arab Emirates.
TALON’s guidance section integrates
directly to the front of the legacy 2.75inch Hydra-70 unguided rockets while
its unique tail kit replaces the legacy
Hydra-70 wraparound tail kit.
According to Darryl Kreitman,
TALON Programme Director, Raytheon
worked closely with MD to integrate
TALON onto the MD 530G, subjecting
the helicopter and rocket to number of
realistic mission profiles.
Boeing to Develop Spaceplane
Concepts for DARPA
The Defense Advanced Research Projects
Agency has awarded contracts to three
company teams to begin developing prototypes of a reusable satellite launch vehicle
that could make putting satellites into orbit
easier, more routine and — critically — less
expensive. The XS-1 Program aims to develop a modular, unmanned hypersonic plane
that could fly to suborbital altitudes, use
an expendable module to deploy a satellite
into low-earth orbit and then return. The
agency has released a concept video for the
programme. The teams awarded contracts
for Phase 1 of the programme are Boeing,
working with Blue Origin; Masten Space
Systems, working with XCOR Aerospace;
and Northrop Grumman, working with
Virgin Galactic, according to a press release
by DARPA. Phase 1 is intended to assess the
feasibility of the XS-1, as the teams develop
a demonstration model, identify core
technologies and risk-reduction plans, and
come up with a schedule for developing
and, eventually, flight-testing the XS-1.
According to DARPA, the military uses
a lot of satellites, but some launches have
to be planned years ahead of time and can
cost hundreds of millions of dollars when
accounting for all the infrastructure and
personnel required. In DARPA’s vision, the
XS-1 would be a reusable unmanned vehicle with expendable upper stages that could
be attached as needed. Once it reaches a
suborbital altitude, the expendable upper
stage (or more than one, if necessary)
would detach and deploy a satellite.
Credit: Army recognition
C3 System for the army
Credit: Raytheon
TALON laser guided rocket
US Test Flights NERO
The US Army has conducted flight testing
of an unmanned airborne electronic
attack capability, called the Networked
Electronic Warfare Remotely Operated
(NERO) in US. The testing was aimed at
proving that it is technically and tactically feasible to field an effective jammer, which has conducted engineering
analysis and aircraft alterations for more
than two years, on an unmanned aerial
platform. Funded by the Joint Improvised
Explosive Device Defeat Organisation
(JIEDDO), NERO is the combat-proven
communications electronic attack surveillance and reconnaissance (CEASAR)
jamming capability attached to the Gray
Eagle unmanned aerial system (UAS).
Raytheon and General Atomics worked
with the project manager for the army’s
unmanned aerial system programme
and the Naval Surface Warfare Center to
design and perform proper modifications
to accommodate the jammer, and operate
the Gray Eagle UAS.
Clay Ogden, Airborne Electronic
Attack Programs Subject-Matter Expert,
Army Electronic Warfare Division, believes that the test demonstrated the viability of a Gray Eagle based high-powered
jamming capability to support the army’s
electronic warfare (EW) counter-communications and broadcasting EW requirements in the future. Results of the flight
testing will inform development of the
army’s organic multi-function electronic
warfare capability, which is an integral
part of the Integrated EW System of the
future. During flight testing, NERO flew
for a total 32 hours, with 20 being while
the jammer was operating. Payloads are
expected to be used for additional testing
for airborne EW, as the army does not
have immediate plans to place a jammer
on a smaller UAS. According to Chief Col
Jim Ekvall, Army Electronic Warfare, the
airborne electronic attack provides an
enormous amount of support to troops
on the ground, and with the NERO
payload on a UAV, mission times are
increased and are more cost effective for
the army.
11 | GEOINTELLIGENCE SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2014
commitment to expand Javelin’s capability
beyond the current man-portable role.
The company is working closely with end
user customers and industry partners to
provide the warfighter with a system for
improving vehicle lethality and enhancing
survivability, revealed Michelle Lohmeier,
Vice President of Raytheon Missile Systems’
Land Warfare Systems product line.
NEWS
been postponed due to problems in the
fine-tuning of its light weapons, likely to be
the new Kalashnikov AK-12 assault rifle.
Admiral RK Dhowan, Chief of the Indian Naval
Staff, inaugurated VLF transmitting station at
INS Kattaboman, Tirunelvelli, Tamil Nadu
Indian Navy Commissions
VLF Transmitting Station
Russia to Begin Ratnik System
Procurement in October 2014
The Russian Ministry of Defence (MoD) is
planning to acquire Ratnik, a locally manufactured future high-tech soldier system,
in October. According to Russian Ground
Forces military and scientific department
head, Aleksander Romanyuta, Ratnik is
currently undergoing its final tests and
all the components will be purchased in
series and supplied to the troops.
Developed as part of the soldier military equipment (BES) programme, the
Ratnik infantry soldier kit comprises more
than 40 components, including firearms,
body armour, optic, communication and
navigation devices, life support and power
supply systems, as well as knee and elbow
pads. Available in summer and winter variants, the lightweight gear can be used by
regular infantry, rocket launcher operators,
machine gunners and drivers and scouts,
and is claimed to provide protection against
environmental threats from weapons of
mass destruction and non-lethal weapons.
The system has been successfully tested
by the Russian Army, but its induction has
Admiral RK Dhowan, Chief of the Indian
Naval Staff, has recently inaugurated a
new state-of-the-art ‘very low frequency
(VLF)’ transmitting station at INS
Kattaboman, Tirunelvelli, Tamil Nadu.
The new facility would provide a boost to
the Navy’s ability to communicate with
deployed ships and submarines on an
uninterrupted basis throughout the year.
India is among a handful of nations in the
world that has such a capability.
VLF radio waves are used for communicating with submarines that are
underwater and the Indian Navy has been
operating a similar facility for the last 24
years. The new facility incorporates cutting
edge technology and will provide the Navy
significantly enhanced reach, redundancy
and operational features. Being a Navy that
deploys globally to represent and protect
Indian national interests, the service has an
elaborate communication infrastructure,
including modern satellite communication
facilities, to link and network its deployed
units with their home bases and command
and control centres. The new VLF station
will strengthen this infrastructure and provide the Navy additional operational advan-
12 | GEOINTELLIGENCE SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2014
GAGAN to Be Offered to Partner Countries
The Indian government is planning to
offer the new GAGAN (GPS-aided
geo augmented navigation) system to
Southeast Asian countries to generate
financial resources and showcase the
country’s next generation navigation
and surveillance technologies. The satellite-based augmentation system helps
aircraft navigate by GPS. The system free
enhanced satellite navigation signals over
GAGAN (GPS-aided geo
augmented navigation)
India that are 10 times more precise
than GPS. The advanced features of the s
Credit:Blogspot.com
ystem provide better accuracy, integrity and continuity of navigation services for various
applications in the civil aviation sector by using data from satellites rather than
groundbased radar tracking systems. According to a spokesperson of the Airports
Authority of India, AAI is working on showcasing the technology to interested parties. The government is also in favour of sharing the new technology that can also be
used in non-aviation sectors. According to a senior official with the communications,
navigation, and surveillance (CNS) arm of the AAI, the satellite-based location
systems like GAGAN can be used in providing an aircraft’s location to ground-based
tracking units.
Credit: Naval today
tages. The new facility equipment has been
constructed by Larsen & Turbo divisions in
Chennai and Bengaluru.
Germany Blocks Sale of
Combat Simulators to Russia
The German government has
permanently barred Rheinmetall from
delivering combat simulation equipment to Russia, in response to the latter’s
role in the ongoing conflict in eastern
Ukraine. The deal was initially blocked by
the German Economic Affairs and Energy
Minister Sigmar Gabriel in March.
Signed in 2011, the EURO 100 million
contract required Rhienmetall to supply
a live combat simulation centre to the
Russian Army that is capable of training up
to 30,000 soldiers annually. The contract
also included technical implementation
of aspects, including the commissioning
of the 500sqkm simulation-supported
training centre in Mulino in the Volga
region and quality assurance. An economy
ministry spokesperson said Germany was
yet to ship most of the combat simulation
equipment to Russia and had ensured that
the incomplete system was not capable of
being used by Moscow. Spokesperson from
Rheinmetall said that it was in talks with the
government to find a solution but refused
to comment on the contract details and
whether it might claim compensation. The
Dusseldorf-based defence company had
earlier pledged to honour its contractual
obligations with Russia.
Harris to Supply Radios to
Middle Eastern Country
Harris Corporation has received a
USD 15 million order to deliver its latest
wideband handheld tactical radio to an undisclosed country in the Middle East. Harris
is supplying the nation with the RF-7850M
handheld, a multi-band, multi-mission
IAF receives 6th C-17 Globemaster III
in presence of Jaitley
IAF Receives 6th C-17 Globemaster III Aircraft
RF-7850M-HH Handheld
radio that provides advanced tactical communication capabilities. The radio offers a
new embedded interface that gives users
access to a library of applications that provide situational awareness, tactical messaging, file transferring and radio configuration
support from a standard web browser. The
interface is fully customisable through a
software-development kit, simplifying the
process of creating and distributing new
applications.
The RF-7850M-HH supports the latest
wideband and narrowband networking
waveforms. Lightweight and highly portable, the radio also is fully interoperable
with the Harris Falcon II(r) and Falcon III(r)
families, which are widely used by NATO
and other global military forces. Falcon III
is the next generation of radios supporting
the US military’s Joint Tactical Radio System
(JTRS) requirements, as well as network-centric operations worldwide.
Air Marshal KS Gill Takes Over
as AOC-in-C, CAC
Air Marshal KS Gill AVSM YSM VM
(Gallantry) has taken over as Air Officer
Commanding-in-Chief of Central Air
Command. In his address, Air Marshal
KS Gill apprised the officers on his vision
to lead the Central Air Command. He
complemented the officers for their
professionalism in ensuring the op
preparedness of CAC and exhorted the
officers to continue with similar zeal and
enthusiasm so as to enable Central Air
Command help IAF in its overall endeavour of national security.
Commissioned in flying branch in
December 1977, Air Marshal Gill has
flown over 7000 hrs in almost all types
of terrain during his illustrious career
spanning over 36 years. Air Marshal Gill
has rich experience of having worked on
different assignments in India as well as
abroad. Besides having commanded four
different stations including the world’s
highest air field at Leh, he has been the
Directing Staff at Air Force Academy,
Hyderabad and Contingent Commander
of the UN Mission to Congo. As Air Vice
Marshal, he was the Senior Officer Incharge Administration (SOA) of Eastern
Air Command. Prior to his present appointment, he was the Commandant of
National Defence Apcademy, Pune.
Air Marshal Gill is a thorough professional and has carved a niche for himself
in almost all the appointment that he has
held so far. For his distinguished service
and exceptional professionalism, Air
Marshal Gill has been awarded with three
Presidential Medals viz Ati Vishisht Seva
Medal (AVSM), Yudh Seva Medal (YSM)
and Vayu Sena Medal (Gallantry).
ASIA PACIFIC
New Zealand Buys FDS3
Floating Decoy
Airborne Systems Europe has recently
revealed that it will supply its FDS3 rapid
response floating corner radar decoy to
the Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN) as
part of the Anzac-class Frigate Systems
(FSU) Program. The FDS3 corner reflector
decoy offers a unique countermeasure
protection against the most advanced
and latest RF-seeking missiles. The
contract to supply the system is valued
at EURO 3.4 million over the next three
years and will see the system fitted to the
RNZN frigates as part of the ANZAC class
Frigate Systems Upgrade (FSU) project.
ANZAC Class Frigate
Credit: Static Progressive Media Group
Credit: Harris
The Indian Air Force has received its sixth C-17 Globemaster III recently.
The arrival of the new addition to the IAF was recieved by the Defence
Minister Arun Jaitley who visited the Palam Airbase in New Delhi and
familiarised himself with the aircraft. The Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief
Marshal Arup Raha, conducted the minister through the aircraft and
briefed him on the strategic capability and role of the aircraft. Jaitley was
further given a detailed brief by the Commanding Officer Group Captain
BS Reddy.
The government accorded approval to buy 10 C-17 Globemaster III
along with associated equipment for the IAF in June 2011. The first of
the 10 aircraft touched down in India on June 18, 2013 and the delivery
of all 10 is expected to be completed by December 2014. The aircraft will
Credit: IDRW
enhance the operational potential of the IAF with its payload carriage
and performance (about 75 tonnes) and would augment the strategic reach (about 4500 kms) of the nation during operations,
disaster relief or any similar mission.
NEWS
According to Chris Rowe, President of
Airborne Systems Europe, the New Zealand Ministry of Defence has identified
the capability that the FDS3 can provide
against the proliferation of advanced
missile threats that are emerging globally.
passed its Recurrent Fidelity Check,
which is required to maintain CASA FSD1 Level 5 (Level D equivalent) accreditation. The achievement will allow the Australian Army to conduct cost-effective
training in the safety of the simulator.
GD to Develop Real-Time
Video Intelligence System
General Dynamics Mediaware (GD)
and Chemring Technology Solutions
have partnered to combine General
Dynamics Mediaware’s next generation,
end-to-end tactical video exploitation
system, D-VEX, with Chemring’s moving
target indicator system VTA (Visual
Target Analysis) 2.0. The award-winning
D-VEX system with the VTA 2.0 plug-in
capability reduces the risk of operator
fatigue by automatically alerting the
operator to moving vehicles and personnel in video streams from manned or
unmanned airborne sensors. D-VEX is a
video-exploitation system that captures
and manages full-motion video, providing operators with intuitive tools for
enhancing, streamlining and analysing
live and recorded video. When coupled
with Chemring Technology Solutions’
visual target analysis software, mission
operators and analysts can quickly
transform raw video data into actionable
intelligence.
14 | GEOINTELLIGENCE SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2014
Australian Army’s Helicopter
Simulator Upgraded
Thales Australia has completed a
modernisation of the Australian Army
Tiger armed reconnaissance helicopter’s
full flight mission simulator (FFMS).
Working in collaboration with prime
contractor Airbus Group Australia
Pacific and Australian Army Aviation,
the company upgraded the simulator’s
visual display system (VDS). According to
Thales, the upgrade ensures that the dual-dome simulator has the highest levels
of ‘out of the window’ realism of any Tiger
FFMS in the world, and was completed
ahead of schedule to help minimise simulator downtime.
The latest generation BARCO F35 projectors and a new PC-based Image Generators were both added and seamlessly
integrated into the existing host computers and visual display platform, providing the crews with 240-degrees vertical
by 85-degrees horizontal field of view. In
the final stage of the upgrade, the FFMS
Airbus Defence and Space
Selected for Electronic Tagging
Programme
Airbus Defence and Space has been
contracted to provide a sophisticated
mapping and monitoring service for the
Ministry of Justice’s (MOJ) new Electronic
Monitoring Program, supporting the
UK government’s objective to reduce
re-offending rates and better protect the
public by monitoring the movement of
offenders released under license. As part
of a three-year contract,the UK based
company will provide critical location
intelligence for sophisticated monitoring.
Airbus Defence and Space’s technology
fulfils MOJ requirements for driving out
service costs in a programme designed
to revolutionise the way offenders are
managed in the community.
Airbus Defence and Space, working
closely with Capita who will operate the
monitoring centres and Steatite who provide the ankle tag devices, will offer location intelligence services for offenders in
the community, supplying high-precision
information on the behaviour and location of offenders. The new mapping and
monitoring service also means that individual offenders subject to location monitoring can easily be identified as having
been at the scene of a crime or quickly
eliminated from an inquiry, allowing for
swifter delivery of justice and reducing
pressure on police time and money.
UK MoD Awards Simulation
Contract to QinetiQ
QinetiQ has received a multi-million pound
contract from the UK Ministry of Defence
(MoD) to train British soldiers and pilots in
virtual world battlefields. Under the terms
of the USD 33 million contract, the compa-
ny will enable UK Army commanders and
air force pilots to train together in a virtual
battlefield ahead of foreign deployments,
the Telegraph reported.
The training will be carried out using
a system fielded at the Air Battlespace
Training Centre at The Royal Air Force
(RAF) Waddington in Lincolnshire,
over the next five years. According to a
spokesperson from UK MoD, simulation
and synthetic training is an extremely
important part of training modern armed
forces and, although it will never fully
replace live training, the ability to practise
and train in highly realistic but safe environments is a vital, life-saving capability
essential to effective mission preparation.
The training provides the RAF and army
with a realistic representation of the operating environment they will face, which
is critical to achieving mission success.
It allows trainees across the UK to train
together in the same mission, in real
time, with coalition partners across the
globe. Capable of linking together aircraft
simulators, ground forces’ control tents
and individual troops, the QinetiQ system
enables commanders in the simulated
headquarters to co-ordinate airstrikes
in real-time, with soldiers on the virtual
battlefield calling in the jets that are being
flown by pilots in simulators. Specifically,
the simulator allows the trainees to learn
how to carry out complex procedures
and potentially dangerous operations,
without the risk of harm.
Production of Swiss IMESS
System Completed
Airbus Defence and Space has completed
the development of the integrated modular engagement system (IMESS) to the
level necessary for series production. The
order from 2011, worth 23 million Swiss
francs (USD 24.55 million), was completed on schedule following technical
acceptance by the Swiss procurement
authority armasuisse. IMESS will now
undergo two years of field tests. Airbus
Defence and Space will provide logistical
support for this project.
By employing more efficient and
powerful components — many of them
newly developed — various capabilities
have been optimised: tactical command-and-control capabilities from
company level to individual soldier
level have been improved through the
integration of combat vehicles, including
computer and radio connections. Radio
Raytheon UK Outlines Plans for
RAF Sentinel’s Capability
Raytheon has detailed its plans for
supporting the UK Ministry of Defence
(MoD) in its requirement to extend the
capability of the RAF Sentinel beyond its
proposed out-of-service date of 2015. The
current plans for the lifetime extension
through 2018 of Sentinel capability will
see a number of key investments to both
maintain current capability and the delivery of potential improvements to support
a broader utilisation of the platform. The
improvements include Sentinel’s ability
to more effectively support surveillance
in the maritime domain, through the
incorporation of software enhancements
to the current dual mode radar, over the
next two years.
The current Contract Logistics
Support (CLS) is being better tailored
with the MoD in order to meet the
projected and varied commitments of
Sentinel on operations around the world.
According to Richard Daniel, Chief
Executive, Raytheon UK, Sentinel has
delivered a pivotal capability to the UK’s
armed forces since its entry into service.
Raytheon, in support of the Air ISTAR
Optimisation Study, has submitted
options to extend the capability further
to include additional sensor payloads,
including long range EO/IR and SIGINT.
AgustaWestland Demonstrates
SW-4 Solo Helicopter to Italy
AgustaWestland has completed a demonstration of its Rotorcraft Unmanned Aerial
System / Optionally Piloted Helicopter
(RUAS/OPH) to the Italian Ministry of
Defence. The trials were conducted to
evaluate modern remote controlled
rotorcraft technology and its potential
to provide enhanced capabilities for the
Credit: Augustawestland
SW-4 Solo RUAS/OPH
single-engine helicopter
Italian armed forces in the future. Under
the research and development contract,
that is included in in the National Military
Research Plan, signed with the Italian
Ministry of Defence (MoD) Directorate for Air Armaments, the company
demonstrated ground station-based
remote controlled capabilities for the
modified SW-4 Solo RUAS/OPH single-engine helicopter. The basic aircraft
has been developed as a result of close
cooperation between AgustaWestland and
PZL-Swidnik in Poland.
According to the company’s spokesperson, the SW-4 Solo RUAS/OPH is one
of the most technologically advanced
achievements of aviation technology
in recent years. The SW-4 Solo RUAS/
OPH, based on the proven SW-4 light
single-engine helicopter, has been
designed for both unmanned and
piloted operations, providing users with
maximum operational flexibility. The
RUAS version of the SW-4 is capable
of performing a number of roles, including intelligence, surveillance and
reconnaissance, as well as cargo re-supply. In piloted configuration, the SW-4
can undertake a number of activities,
including transportation of personnel,
surveillance and intervention. It can be
fitted with a comprehensive mission
equipment package including search and
communications/intelligence systems.
Thales to Supply
Scorpion HMSD for
Airbus Helicopters
Thales’s Scorpion Helmet
Mounted Sight and Display
(HMSD) System has been seThales’s Scorpion
lected by Airbus Helicopters Helmet Mounted
for production and integraSight and Display
tion into its future Helicopter (HMSD) System
Credit: Thales
Weapons Systems, following a
full and open competition. Scorpion will therefore be an off-the-shelf product for all
new Airbus Helicopters platforms or upgrade retrofits. Scorpion provides full color
symbology and video for day and night missions, in addition to targeting, sensor
video, and potentially Degraded Visual Environment (DVE) imagery, giving armed
helicopters considerably improved mission situational awareness and effectiveness.
It decreases combat helicopter pilot workload, facilitates crew exchange during the
most critical phases of the mission and helps to improve safety and security levels.
Scorpion is also interchangeable between helmets/pilots, thereby reducing the total
numbers needed for any given fleet. Thales claims that Scorpion utilises the unique
and patented Hybrid Optical based Inertial Tracking (HOBiT) system which ensures
the accuracy and reliability with minimal intrusion into the cockpit. For night
missions, Scorpion operates seamlessly with standard issue Night Vision Goggles
(NVG) providing the same quality combined full color symbology/video along with
NVG imagery.
15 | GEOINTELLIGENCE SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2014
communication has been optimised
through increased range and new,
standardised radio equipment. The
use of head/helmet mounted displays
provides a clearer situational picture and
enables simpler navigation. The night
fighting and reconnaissance capabilities
could also be expanded. A modular architecture provides numerous standard
interfaces to sensors, such as a thermal
imaging device, as well as modules for
link-up with external systems, such as
unmanned aircraft. The weight and
energy balance of the equipment was
significantly improved.
JOINT MODELLING AND SIMULATION
An online analysis tool for developers and end users of
military simulations and virtual training environments
16 | GEOINTELLIGENCE SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2014
Joint Modelling & Simulation
An Action Plan for
Defence Services
An overall modelling and simulation architecture is necessary for
the Army to develop an effective course of action
O
perations Research and
Systems Analysis (ORSA)
are the two related methods of logically attempting
to solve complex problems having a
quantitative analytical component.
ORSA had its beginnings in the Second World War and was further de-
veloped in detail by American practitioners. While Operations Research
has a significant mathematical component, Systems Analysis attempts
to embed the analysis in a real world
setting and thus incorporates principles that go well beyond straightforward operations research. These, and
other problem solving techniques,
attempt to create a model of the real
world and then attempt to simulate
the response of the model to external
inputs. The complexity of the model
and the extent or ranges of variations
by which the inputs are varied during simulation depend on the specif-
Credit: AGI
research, systems analysis and net assessment; each of the methods having
its own relevance at various levels.
Operations research techniques
are useful in situations where the factors affecting the outcomes are clearly
known, and the relationship between
the outputs and the inputs is amenable
to mathematical modelling. Thus, it is
suitable for study of complex real world
problems with many variables and outputs that need to be optimised for par-
ticular goals. Examples could be the
requirement of ships, aircraft, trains and
vehicles to mobilise a particular force
from one set of locations to another,
while meeting specific constraints of
resources, routes, timings, speed or varied combinations of these. Systems analysis would use the possible options generated using the operational research
techniques to examine whether the
mobilisation requirements be modified
or the constraints of resources, funds
The complexity of the model and the
extent of variations by which the
inputs are varied during simulation
depend on the specific solution
17 | GEOINTELLIGENCE SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2014
ic solution being sought. It is easy to
see that this process is the basis of any
analysis that is attempted, whether
explicitly or intuitively. Thus, modelling and simulation is the modern
term for the range of activities covered
under ORSA.
Net Assessment attempts to go
beyond the mostly ‘rational’ approach
of ORSA and account for the personal
and psychological factors driving the
leadership of opposing sides, the cultural context and the relationship between competing organisational structures on the same side of a competitive
relationship. Thus, net assessment is
not mutually exclusive with ORSA but
only attempts to incorporate certain
factors into the analysis that were traditionally ignored by ORSA. Therefore, modelling and simulation is the
broadest term that includes operations
18 | GEOINTELLIGENCE SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2014
JOINT MODELLING AND SIMULATION
or timings be changed in order to meet
the objectives for which such mobilisation would be ordered. Thus, systems
analysis would examine the very context in which the problem is set in order
to arrive at a recommended course of
action. The level and scope of the application of systems analysis is thus greater than that of operations research. Net
assessment in the same context would
examine when and why an opponent
would order such a mobilisation and
the factors that would come into play at
the organisational or political levels. It
would then be possible to devise a competitive strategy that would play upon
those factors in a manner that the adversary would not be able to adopt the most
effective course of action.
As seen above, there is a continuum
of techniques and applications from
operations research to net assessment
that spans the complete range of
defence decision-making. Broadly
speaking, modelling and simulation
may be applied at the tactical, operational or strategic levels to meet the
functional requirements of training,
operational planning, force structuring
to include force development and strategy formulation. For any of these applications, the following are essential:• Knowledge of techniques and
methodologies.
• Authoritative policy framework for
use of modelling and simulation in
decision making.
• Modelling and simulation systems
that permit the application of
approved methodologies on a
continuous basis.
• The ability and willingness of decision-makers to state clearly the
objectives to be achieved when
making decisions.
• A system for collection of data with
the required details and resolution to be useful as inputs to the
modelling and simulation systems.
Modelling and simulation
for defence
In the defence services, the Army
introduced the subject in the 90s by
setting up the ORSA section, initially
under the VCOAS, which was subsequently moved to the Perspective
Planning Directorate. In the application domain of force structuring and
force development, the section developed a system for comparative assessment of the combat potential of
India with Pakistan and China that it
updates on a regular basis. In the application domain of acquisition, it has
been involved in analysing the system/
platform options in a number of cases, one of the recent examples being
the replacement helicopters for Army
Aviation. In the application domain of
operational planning, it has produced a
proof of concept for a Campaign Planning System that has been validated in
Southern Command and is awaiting a
decision on the future course of action.
The application domain of training is
handled by the ARTRAC through the
Simulator Apex Committee and the
functioning of WARDEC under the
control of the Wargaming Section in
HQ ARTRAC. All these activities are
carried out without an overall army
policy on modelling and simulation. It
is understood that the army has started
work on an overall modelling and
simulation architecture.
Modelling and simulation may be
applied at the tactical, operational
or strategic levels to meet the
functional requirements of training,
force structuring to include force
development
In the Navy and Air Force, there is no
dedicated organisation for modelling
and simulation, the issues being handled by either the operations or planning staffs. Similar to the Indian Army,
the training application domain is represented through the use of semi-automated war games run at the respective
war colleges. A comprehensive Service
level modelling and simulation policy
also does not exist.
In HQ IDS itself, an ORSA section
and a Net Assessment section were conceived right at the outset. Due to lack of
an integrated modelling and simulation
policy for the armed forces, the ORSA
section was converted into an ORSA
and Technology (ORSAT) section. The
Net Assessment section that should
have been a key player in strategy formulation at the national level has also
not been utilised in the manner warranted. Further, the two sections operate
more or less independently, essentially
because of the existing organisational
structure and stove piping.
The DRDO has two main labs/establishments dealing with modelling
and simulation. The Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (CAIR)
is focussed on technical issues and
structured representation of data. It
is involved with Tactical C3I systems.
The Institute for System Studies and
Analyses (ISSA) has been involved in
the development of automated war
games for all the services. Both the institutions have limited product development capability at the software level, for
which they have to engage commercial
software developers. They are also hamstrung by the non-availability of well
developed modelling and simulation
platforms that they can study, reverse
engineer and enhance. Their contributions to the armed forces modelling
and simulation capabilities have been
plagued by slow product development
and poor user involvement and the developed products have not found enthusiastic user acceptance.
Charter for joint modelling
and simulation
In line with the charter of HQ IDS, the
overall charter of joint modelling and
systems for the Services. Introduction
of joint systems is preferable for reasons of cost effectiveness as well as
integration. The introduction and use
of such systems would of course be
authorised through the overall policy
framework that would be developed.
Decisions would have to be taken on
whether such systems should be developed entirely indigenously (the
practice till now, with unsatisfactory
results), imported (most systems are
of US origin, although some countries
have their own modified versions) or
through technology transfer (choice
of countries/vendors is limited).
• Modifications to the way data pertaining to each of the application domains
is currently handled. Changes would
have to be made to ensure that the decision-making systems are supplied
with the relevant inputs. The actual
requirements would emerge only
when the introduction of the systems
is attempted.
An action plan
The starting point of making progress
on developing the modelling and
simulation capabilities of the defence
services is to become aware of the
potential of the possible systems that
19 | GEOINTELLIGENCE SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2014
Combat flight simulation
Credit: v2.modsim.org
simulation has to be to improve the decision-making in the services, with emphasis on joint decision-making. Logically, active involvement of the HQ IDS
modelling and simulation components
will be the highest at the strategic decision making level. Since a host of force
development issues, particularly allocation of resources, have an element of
competition between the Services (and
even HQ IDS itself), this application domain will also have a high level of involvement. The operational requirements
driving force development arise from
the process of operational planning,
which is presently carried out mostly
at the individual service level. This has
obvious drawbacks and HQ IDS would
need to proactively encourage joint operational planning in order to be able to
mediate in the force development application domain. The application domain
of training is essentially of interest to individual services, except at the strategic
level. HQ IDS also has interests in the
tactical levels of joint training in as much
as it pertains to joint operations. Finally,
modelling and simulation systems and
capabilities are expensive to acquire and
HQ IDS should be able to play a role in
ensuring that joint capabilities are developed to the extent possible.
In order to meet the desirable charter above, the following would have to
be achieved:
• The development of a Joint Modelling
and Simulation Policy Framework
that would cover objectives, organisations, responsibilities and resource
allocation. The practical manifestation would be through a joint committee system akin to that for intelligence,
operations, personnel, logistics or
training. A common policy framework
would provide the necessary momentum to enhancing the defence services
modelling and simulation capabilities
as well as necessary synergy between
the efforts of individual Services.
• Enhancement of modelling and
simulation awareness at the tactical,
operational and strategic levels and
the development of capabilities of
net assessment and system analysis.
• The development of automated force
development and campaign planning
JOINT MODELLING AND SIMULATION
20 | GEOINTELLIGENCE SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2014
Small arms simulator
could be fielded, the shortcomings in
the present system and the scope for
synergy in the current activities. In the
absence of widespread knowledge of
the issues involved, such an exploration can only be done by a group of
committed officers having both exposure to existing practices and the potential of the desired systems. In order to achieve this, the following first
step is proposed:
• Conduct of a short training programme of approximately two weeks
on the scope of modelling and simulation in the Defence Services. The
attendance should be by Colonels/
Brigadiers who would influence decision making on the development
of the relevant capabilities. Officers
with a track record of earlier engagement in this field (including those
from DRDO) may be nominated/
invited as students/ instructors on
an individual basis. CDM could be
the preferred host for such a training
programme.
• Conduct of a national seminar on
Defence Modelling and Simulation under the aegis of HQ IDS.
The actual task could again be given to CDM/other suitable institute with capacities to undertake
such programme. The purpose
of the seminar would be to build
understanding of the current de-
fence modelling and simulation
capabilities in the country and
future system requirements. The
participants would be the officers
from the training programme above
as well as the senior leadership
from the Services, DRDO and software industry (those with interests
in defence applications). The seminar would also have a workshop
session where focussed groups
would attempt to come out with
an architecture and roadmap for
defence modelling and simulation.
While the above step is playing out,
preliminary action should be initiated
on the following:
• Exploration
of
international
modelling and simulation products and systems with a view to
ascertaining the desirable characteristics of similar systems to be developed by us. Since most international
products are of US origin, this could
also be an important component of
defence cooperation with the US (or
possibly the UK and Australia who
have access to US systems). Systems of interest at the tactical level
could be JANUS (in use throughout
NATO and many NATO allies) and
the Joint Conflict and Tactical Simulation (JCATS). At the operational
level, systems of interest could be the
Joint Theatre Level Simulation (JTLS,
a campaign level training system,
also acquired by Pakistan) and the
Extended Air Defence Simulation
(EADSIM). At the strategic level, systems of interest could be the Joint
Warfare System (JWARS, under development by the US) and the RAND
Strategic Assessment System (RSAS).
• Incorporation of the Systems Analysis requirement in all acquisition
cases. This would be designed to
provide a cost and effective analysis
of competing options and could
make the decision making much
more transparent. The requirement
may not initially be included in the
Defence Procurement Procedure
(DPP) for want of capabilities and
confidence as well as the likelihood
of it being hijacked by other agencies. It could be introduced as a requirement under the authority of
the COSC in order to institutionalise
modelling and simulation in the acquisition cycle.
• Integration of the ORSA and Net Assessment activities within HQ IDS.
Since modelling and simulation is
relevant to all activities of HQ IDS
(as also the Services), it may be appropriate to place the integrated
component directly under the CISC.
Conclusion
The above analysis and suggested
road map is meant to enable a quick
review of the existing joint modelling
and simulation capabilities as well as
to make early progress in integrating
and enhancing those capabilities. Enhancing awareness is the most basic
component of the early actions in this
regard. Imbuing existing organisations
with authority and a meaningful charter will result in development of an effective course of action.
Brig Arun Sahgal (Retd)
[email protected]
Credit: www.defensemedianetwork.com
Simulators for Combat
Mission Rehearsals
B
ehind the actual battlefield,
command and tactical operation centres are the elements supporting ground
operations — these centres coordinate
communications and enable decision-making which play a significant
role in any assignment. The success of
any operation is directly proportional
to the training given to the soldiers.
With the advances made in the field
of technology, armed forces world
over are using simulation to train
their troops for mission rehearsals in
combat and operational support roles
that are vital to give confidence to the
soldier and save precious lives. The
combat mission simulators are very
diverse and allow training for Army,
Navy, Air Force and joint operations.
The simulators on combat mission
rehearsals are used to train soldiers in
order to check the readiness of army.
These systems are vital as they enable
validation of the training systems and
operational doctrine of the defence
forces. The system simulates various
types of weapons, threats and provides
training for the soldiers. These systems
provide a paradigm shift for future bat-
tle training and have revolutionised
the training through Live-Virtual-Constructive (LVC) simulation.
Constructive combat
mission rehearsal
Constructive
mission
rehearsal
simulators are used to train troops in
tactical operations, combat readiness,
decision making and knowledge
on vehicle, weapons, language and
culture skills.
In a normal mission rehearsal
exercise various situations are presented
to the troops. The scenario is painted
21 | GEOINTELLIGENCE SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2014
Simulators are rapidly reducing the gap between actual combat
conditions and simulated conditions. But can they completely
replace the actual on-field training exercises?
22 | GEOINTELLIGENCE SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2014
SIMULATION
by the commander/simulator where a
casualty has taken place during operations and the individual is tested based
on his responses under high stress conditions encountered. This way a soldier
also learns the steps to be followed
when faced in a chaotic battle situation
and subsequently train him in execution of tasks in reply to the given scenario. Combat mission simulators provide
real-world capability to train, validate
(through after action report) and also
to verify the tactics, standard operating
procedures (SOP) and techniques to
support training and mission rehearsals.
The aim of training on any simulator
is to be as close to reality as possible.
The soldiers get the same kind of tools
and reports as they would handle in
an actual battlefield. The scenarios are
real things that happen too. To test their
leadership abilities during mission
rehearsals a company commander
is declared killed and now having
the company second-in-command
take his responsibilities. Constructive
simulation for mission rehearsal can
be at the local/tactical level, theatre/
operational level or global/strategic
level based on the type of training to
be imparted to soldier. The various
areas of training could include tactical
decision making, operational analysis,
strategic planning. Among various
areas of utilisation of constructive
simulator based training for military
mission rehearsals, the following are
of significant use:
• Training of troops during various
stages of operation such as induction/
de-induction.
• Training on logistics and convoy
management.
• Training on casualty evacuation.
Live combat mission
rehearsal
Due to the inherent advantages of
simulation, the armed forces needs to
train effectively even if they don’t have
frequent opportunities to participate
in high level field training exercises.
Also live simulation plays a key role in
training of troops for effective mission
rehearsals and prepare for effective
combat missions in different kind of
terrains. This helps to assess the doctrine of the army, organisation, gear
and soldier characteristics.
Live simulation involves real
soldiers operating in real systems
and involves training with the actual
weapons. Live combat mission
rehearsal simulators have live
component of simulation training
and provide more realism by giving
a realistic battlefield environment
for soldiers. In this case, the troops
are divided into two teams and the
soldiers sustain and improve upon
their advanced tactical engagement
skills. The training is conducted in
the field, providing a high level of
realism, enforcing correct procedures,
and yielding outcomes that would be
expected in actual operations. The
training can be conducted in varying
conditions of terrain (built up area,
jungle, desert), weather and light.
Virtual reality based combat
mission rehearsal
Virtual reality based simulators involve
real world soldiers interacting with simulated systems. These simulators offer a
game-based virtual environment of varying fidelity in order to provide realistic
visuals. The simulator involves both
individual and collective training. The
soldiers get the feel of being in the middle of action. These simulators provide
exhaustive tools for creating different
scenarios, videos and interfaces. These
simulators allow the soldier to have
first person perspective of the
situation. The combatants
are able to evaluate their
progress in real-time
for immediate/after
action and analysis
by the instructor
or soldier. The
simulator provides a full 360
degree view of
virtual environment and
allows
use
of
dummy
weapons to
give the same
effect as in the
Combat mission
simulators
provide real-world
capability to
train, validate and
also to verify the
tactics, standard
operating
procedures (SOP)
and techniques to
support mission
rehearsals
actual scenario. The system uses highly
sophisticated physics engine, artificial
intelligence, totally immersive environment, IED simulation, highly developed
infra red simulation, large number of
participants, interactive command
and control interface to name a few.
These simulators provide a means for
combatants, leaders and units to train
efficiently over varying conditions.
ers. Also it enables training on virtual
replication of various light conditions,
varying sound and stress variations of
the battlefield. The flexibility of such
a simulator allows it to be used in any
location and installed in large interior
space such as basketball court (upto
5,000 square feet) allowing complete
freedom of movement of troops.
Based on the camera feed, the soldier gets his HMD and allows use of actual communication devices among the
soldiers and laser mounted weapons
carried by them to simulate the effect of
weapon shot. The simulator allows training of soldier in different atmospheric
and terrain conditions without actually
changing his location. Audio and video
feeds create a situation of stress for the
soldier and add to the realism.
the gap between actual combat
conditions and simulated conditions.
The advanced features available in the
present day combat mission rehearsal simulators allow the instructor and
the soldier to learn from their mistakes
by making use of advanced and detailed after action report. The reports
evaluate each and every shot fired by
each soldier, playback of all actions,
trainee body actions etc. These reports
are exhaustive and allow the soldier to
learn from his errors, which otherwise
is not possible in actual combat conditions. The present day simulators
allow amalgamation of live, virtual
and constructive simulation under the
same umbrella, like Mission Rehearsal
Planning System (MRPS).
Conclusion
With the use of simulators we cannot discount the combat exercises.
But with the present day advancement of technology, there is a thin
line which separates real life missions
and simulated battlefields. Though
we cannot totally ignore the actual
training, but we agree to the fact that
simulators have definitely reduced
Lt Col Romil Barthwal
Simulator Development Division, MCEME
romil.barthwal@gmail
23 | GEOINTELLIGENCE SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2014
These can further be used to formulate
various doctrines, SOPs and tactics.
Among various companies operating in this field, Virtual Battle Space
(VBS) from Bohemia Interactive simulations and VIRTSIM from Raytheon are
the leaders. Raytheon uses IED Reality
Training (IRT) in its products which are
an amalgamation of motion capture,
simulation-based realism and fully immersive battlefield environment.
This IRT is based on Virtual
Tactical Training Simulation System
(VIRTSIM), which is an animation of
real-time soldier simulation providing full body movement interaction
with simulation. The highly immersive setup includes a complex system
of enhanced muscle simulation technology, and devices which provide
tracking, use of wireless stereo head
mounted displays (HMD), mesh of
cameras, markers on soldiers and
networking of various entities. The
system could be tethered or in advanced versions available, completely tetherless. It allows a trainee to
have complete freedom of movement
allowing him to stay and fire at different positions, to run, jump, crawl and
doesn’t restrict him by wires or teth-
Credit: antycipsimulation.com
Terain generated by Terra tools
AUGMENTED REALITY SYSTEMS
Bringing Augmented Reality Systems on the
Battlefield
Commercial augmented reality technologies can enhance training,
education and operational performance, but they are rarely used by
the defence forces. The UK Ministry of Defence is looking at ways to
make the most of this technology so that it can become an asset
A
24 | GEOINTELLIGENCE SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2014
ugmented Reality (AR) is
a live, direct or indirect
experience of a physical
real-world environment
that is modified by supplementary
information. This effectively enhances
a user’s perception and understanding of their surroundings. In contrast
to virtual reality, AR is not simulation,
but involves augmentation of the real
world, and the technology covers a
range of senses including visual, auditory and haptic.
AR hardware and software applications are now increasingly available
within the consumer market, such as
adding an overlay to televised swimming races to show the world record
pace, or Google Glass displays providing supplementary information about
the surroundings. However, the technology has yet to be widely exploited
by the defence industry.
UK Defence AR research
The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) is
looking at ways to reap greater benefits
from AR technology in the defence
environment. SEA, part of Cohort PLC
and a specialist provider of augmented
reality research, has been working on
the MoD’s Joint Focus Experimentation 3(JFX3) project, which aims to
increase MoD’s understanding of AR
technologies, as well as reducing the
barriers to their exploitation and use.
JFX3 is part of the Synthetic
Environment (SE) Tower of Excellence, a UK MoD research initiative,
established to provide a mechanism to
enable the ministry, industry and academia to work together on future areas
of research for mutual benefit.
The JFX3 project was given the
following statement of purpose: “To
identify, demonstrate and assess the
role of Customer of the Shelf (COTS)
and Government of the Shelf (GOTS)
AR technologies for defence purposes.
To conduct a benefits-focussed evaluation of AR solutions which could be
deployed rapidly at a low-cost into
defence operations and training, exploiting recent developments in the
commercial domain.”
The JFX3 project was divided
into two phases. The key findings
from Phase 1 were: AR technology
is evolving very quickly (faster than
other similar technologies) and becoming more accessible via the use
of COTS applications on portable
devices (e.g. AR browsers available
on smartphones and tablets); issues
with information criteria (e.g. priority, dynamism, timeliness, format
and commonality) and system
requirements (collection, processing, network/bearer and display)
will need to be considered for any
new AR technology and; there are
AR field evaluation
The field evaluation investigated the potential delivery of enhanced Situational
Awareness (SA) for both mounted
(i.e. within a vehicle) and dismounted
troops via the use of AR technology.
Based upon Phase 1 feedback, four
main sub-concepts were investigated:
• Augmented Navigation
(dismounted): Participants following a set of waypoints, in both day
and night conditions;
• Directional Alerts/Cueing
(dismounted): Providing
participants with directional information related to alerts/cueing;
• Proximity Alerts (dismounted):
Providing stimulation to participants when encroaching/nearing
an area or point of interest; and
• See-through Vehicle (mounted):
Providing the participant with
virtual camera views of the
environment outside of the vehicle,
based on the pointing direction of
the visual display device.
The task performance of each
participant was evaluated to provide an
insight into how well the AR technology
supported the participant, when compared against using a current baseline
technology (e.g. using a map, compass
and GPS locator for navigation).
Three separate AR technology types
were assessed in the field evaluation,
in order to investigate the relative
merits of the different means of presenting information. First was audio,
whereby headphones were used to
convey information to the participant
through the use of verbal or non-verbal audio signals. Second was haptic
technology, which is a tactile feedback
technology that simulates the sense of
touch by applying forces, vibrations or
motions to the participant. A haptic
belt was used in the evaluation consisting of a number of haptic actuators
that produce vibrations to convey information to the participant. Lastly,
The field
evaluation
investigated the
potential delivery
of enhanced
situational
awareness for
both mounted and
dismounted troops
via the use of AR
technology
visual technology was used, whereby
computer-generated inputs were augmented with real-world environment
visuals provided by an AR-enabled
sight or camera and tablet display to
provide additional visual information
to the participant.
Field evaluation results
The collected data provided both
quantitative as well as qualitative
indications on the performance of
the technology. Each technology was
evaluated using metrics based upon
task performance, user workload,
system usability and SA benefits
and qualitative results were generated from observer and participant
comments. The captured information
provided the following insights:
• Navigation & Proximity Alerts:
Route following using the audio
visual AR concepts was more accurate in day and night conditions as
compared to the baseline. Accuracy
was improved using haptic during
night time only. The results showed
that the workload decreased for all
the AR concepts and that audio and
visual AR for day and night navigation
and haptic AR for night navigation
were rated in the top 10% of technologies tested for system usability.
25 | GEOINTELLIGENCE SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2014
more concerns over barriers to AR
within defence, rather than cocerns
with the technology itself.
Phase 2 of the project, conducted
in 2013, focussed upon the planning,
execution and analysis of a field evaluation of AR technologies. In addition
to these activities, stakeholder feedback in Phase 1 also prompted further investigation of the barriers to AR
adoption within defence.
AUGMENTED REALITY SYSTEMS
AR Simulation
26 | GEOINTELLIGENCE SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2014
Simulated
indirect fire
detonations could
be used to provide
appropriate
AR simulation
associated with
the detonation
• Cue-in: None of the AR technologies
performed better than the baseline
radio call for the cueing tasks. The
visual and audio AR solutions were
both liked by the users, but the trial
showed how the lack of angular
precision had a negative impact on
task performance. The audio and
visual AR did provide instant cues as
compared to the radio call baseline,
where it took approximately 10
seconds before a target was resolved.
• See-Through Vehicle: The results
indicated that the system used
caused an increased workload
against the baseline, but scored
higher on task performance and
system usability.
Opportunities galore
The JFX3 project considered AR
concepts across the full range of
potential defence domains. The
following opportunities were identified where AR technologies could
be applied in the following ways to
provide augmented targets and/or
weapon effects to large scale training
environments, using a combination of
auditory, haptic and visual AR.
• Indirect Fire Augmentation:
Simulated indirect fire detonations
could be used to provide appropriate AR simulation associated with
the detonation. The ‘own’ position of the soldier will need to be
known to determine their relative
position (heading and range) to
the detonation. Different combinations of visual, auditory and haptic
methods could be used to provide
appropriate stimulations associated
with the detonation effects.
• Entity Injection: Virtual targets,
neutral or friendly forces could be
provided via the use of AR. One of the
greatest challenges will be the ‘registration’ of the virtual entity (i.e. does
the entity appear to be in a plausible
location, such as closely following
the terrain for a land vehicle). Target
occlusion will also be a challenge (i.e.
is the entity hidden behind a physical
feature or other entity?).
• Direct Fire ‘Crack Thump’ Augmentation: Auditory AR could be
applied to simulate the sonic ‘crack’
of a round passing close by. Direct
fire weapon effects simulation can
detect near misses. However, because there is no actual round, there
is no stimulation associated with the
passage of the round. This concept
could obtain information from the
soldier’s tracking equipment which
would detect the near miss. The critical aspect is the timing — the delay
between the crack (from the round)
and the thump (from the weapon
fire) provides an indication of the
range of the engagement.
AR for Maritime Training
A maritime AR training environment
could be provided for those personnel
who directly interact with the outside
world (as opposed to those in the
operations room who interact indirectly
through sensors e.g. radar.) Personnel
may be located at a ship’s bridge, upper
deck mounted guns or a flight deck.
AR for Command and Staff
Training
The use of AR is also being considered
to support planning and operations
within a headquarter environment
(either in a building or deployed in
field). An AR system such as a virtual
‘bird-table’ provides an interactive
3D representation of the battlefield to
support briefing and shared situational
awareness and the presentation of overlaid information. This will allow individuals to interact with the representation.
Barriers to AR adoption
A more in-depth study of the barriers
was conducted as part of the JFX3
phase 2 project, including further
discussions with key stakeholders.
These discussions identified a variety
of barriers, not all of which are unique
to AR.
• Registration: a unique challenge
for AR. It is the accuracy with which
the synthetic overlay aligns with the
outside world it is augmenting. Good
registration is essential for defence
work. It is rare in consumer AR
technology, but can be achieved with
thorough engineering.
• Atmospheric Isolation:
‘Atmospherics’ are the intangible cues
in the environment which while hard
to define, help the user get a feel for
their surroundings. Any reduction in
the intensity of these has an isolating
effect on the user. Most AR technologies create a measure of atmospheric
isolation since, by definition, they must
insert some sort of device between the
user and the environment in order to
provide the augmentation.
• Immaturity of Eyewear: AR Head
Mounted Display (HMD) and AR
eyewear technologies are still quite
immature. Since these are also the
primary medium for delivering visual
AR, this issue is the defining factor
for the deployment and usefulness of
visual AR.
• System Readiness versus
Technology Readiness: Many types of
AR are in fact already quite mature as
individual technologies within their
current markets. What is immature is
their integration into full-blown real
time systems or solutions that could be
deployed for defence use.
• Pace of Obsolescence versus Pace
of Acquisition: The pace of advancement in mobile technologies like AR
vastly exceeds the normal defence
acquisition cycle.
• Size, Weight Power and
Robustness – Burden on the Soldier:
This was one of the most clearly
articulated barriers that must be
addressed in order to gain acceptance
for any new technology to be carried
by the dismounted soldier. One
stakeholder stated, “The soldier is not
a Christmas tree. We can’t hang any
more equipment on him.” If the soldier is required to carry additional kit
this must be at the expense of an item
that is being carried at the moment.
• Security: Areas of concern included
how AR systems would handle the
communication and storage of sensitive data; and policy and accreditation of AR equipment and software.
about the opportunities and barriers for AR in the defence industry.
When used to support navigation, for
example, AR facilitated more accurate route following, lower workload
and enhanced system usability. One
important provision, however, is that
AR implementations are intuitive
and easily used — without the need
for any significant training — if they
are to become a real asset for service
personnel. The adoption of AR in the
defence industry is still in its early
stages but it is already becoming clear
that the benefits could be maximised
by using AR in conjunction with
current baseline technologies and
procedures. In fact, there is considerable scope to deploy a range of COTS
capabilities with system integrators to
create more innovative and effective
AR solutions. We will no doubt see
more of this in the years to come.
Ian Cox, Project Manager, Systems Engineering
& Assessment (part of Cohort PLC)
[email protected]
Conclusion
JFX3 has been an important
project to understand more
27 | GEOINTELLIGENCE SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2014
Synthetic entities (and weapon
effects) could be injected that would
be consistent with the stimulation
provided to the operations room, to
provide a collective training capability while at sea. Again, the challenge
of correct entity registration will be
important, as synthetic entities may
need to appear to be floating on the
real sea surface, and the effects of the
own ship motion upon the AR viewpoint will need to be considered.
INTERVIEW
‘There is simulation work going on
Across the Globe’
The role of simulation is growing fast in military operations.
Stephen Eckman, Chief Scientist, GameSim, explains how the
company is working with the US Army, Navy and Air Force to
breed the next generation of warriors
28 | GEOINTELLIGENCE SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2014
What are the main business areas of
GameSim?
GameSim, which was founded in 2007
by Andrew Tosh, works with the game
and simulation industries. Because of
our association with the simulation industry, we also have to work in the field
of GIS. When companies want to implement a particular feature and yet do
not have skilled professionals, we are
contracted to implement them. We have
done research work for the US Army,
NASA as well as the Air Force research
labs. Recently, we have started working
on a research project for the US Navy.
For the GIS industry, we have our
own product, called ‘Conform’, which
bridges the gap between simulation and
GIS. GameSim is also working on a programme called Synthetic Environment
Core (SE Core) for the US Army. Under
this programme, the Army takes GIS
data and generates simulation database
for other customers of the Department
of Defence and some foreign entities.
We supply tools for this programme, and
Conform is one such tool. It is a concept
of data fusion which enables a person
to easily load large amounts of data
quickly and easily. So you just have to
drag and drop it into the tool. You don’t
have to sort out the data as the system is
equipped to figure that out itself.
Conform offers an instantaneous
3D view of raw source data. Users are
able to easily import large amounts
of data (e.g. Shape Files, DTED, GeoTIFFs, LiDAR) and immediately view
them in both 2D and 3D displays.
Concepts of GIS and simulation
have a lot of potential in the gaming
industry. Is that the reason why the
company is called ‘GameSim’?
Most of our employees come from the
gaming and simulation industry and
our area of work largely lies in this domain; hence the name GameSim. We
have also started doing a lot of work in
the GIS field. We have been successful
in deriving concepts that came out of
the gaming industry. So, technologies,
processes, tools and techniques are applied to simulation problems. Recently,
I concluded a research problem where
we decided to run the whole thing as
kind of an agile software development
IPT type environment with several
stakeholders.
In the gaming industry, it is not
very important to know how the government does software development.
As a result, we were able to bring those
processes, tools and techniques from
the gaming industry and apply that to
a gaming problem for the army. And
this worked out really well.
Comform’s video integration
Combat flight simulator
Conform offers an
instant 3D view of
raw source data.
Users are able to
view them in both
2D and 3D displays
project named ‘The Tactical Training
and Rehearsal Environment’. The project is about training the pilots of fifth
generation aircraft. There is one project
called ‘The Procedural Model Generation Service’, where we will procedurally generate models for the government
so that they will not have to hand-create
every model and their artists can focus
on the generation of other important
models in a scene. For example, if you
want to make a simulation database of
Paris, then first you will have to find out
what makes Paris. The Eiffel Tower, the
Louvre etc. make Paris. So you would
create models of these iconic buildings
to ensure that these models look good.
For other buildings, they just need to be
of the right size and located at the right
place; they need not be as detailed. This
is procedural model generation where
you fill necessary gaps without a large
group of artists working on it.
We use a lot of different tools for
this. Usually when we are doing 3D
modeling, we use Maya and 3DS
Macs. The customers on the other
hand set up their own guidelines on
how they want their files to be delivered. GameSim is really tool agnostic
and we will use the best tool that fits
the customer needs. If they have specific requirements about using specific games and tools, we will do that. If
a customer wants us to use any other
product than our own product, say
he wants to visualise something in
ArcGIS, we are okay with it. We do not
insist on it being converted into a feature of Conform.
While building a simulation
database
real-world
location,
real-world data and GIS data are required. We provide such services,
tools and technology. We can create
a database which will fit everyone’s
requirement. On the flipside, one already knows what they want and have a
guideline for it so we provide tools and
technology which will make that guideline more efficient. We have already
done this for a large system integrator
using the Conform tool. They saw the
tool and the visualisation, and realised
that it looks good and that is what they
need as a starting point. We developed
a specific exporter for them to go into
their guideline so that they could take
GIS, explore it and use it in CryEngine.
Are there other international
projects in the pipeline?
At present, we do not have any international projects. But we are certainly
interested in expanding our horizon.
The kind of work we did for the US
Air Force research labs by training the
F-35 pilots could be a big break for us.
The F-35 will be deployed around the
world and the UK is going to be a big
customer for that. There is simulation
work going on across the globe. The
next step for us would be to get some
international business.
29 | GEOINTELLIGENCE SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2014
What kind of project are you taking
up in the gaming industry as well as
the defence sector?
We are doing a lot of projects in the
gaming industry and most of our work
is through Electronic Arts. They develop
many popular video games. For example, if we work on something that sells
5 million copies a year and we do that
on the next generation consoles, so we
have, say, PS4s and Xbox360s as well.
They need some internal management
tools which are required for tracking
their projects. We are also working with
Electronic Arts on their project called
‘Origin’ which is their digital distribution forefront and platform. We are the
exclusive developer of Mac version for
the clients as well.
In the simulation industry, we have
other projects like the research project
for the Navy which is about run-time
correlation of databases. We are about
to wrap up the Air Force research
VIRTUAL SIMULATION
Modelling and Simulation
for Indian Armed Forces
Simulated training is becoming as valuable as the real on-field training
today. Recreating battlefield environment through simulation and
modelling prepares a soldier for almost any situation
30 | GEOINTELLIGENCE SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2014
Infantry weapons training simulator
I
n order to keep the armed forces
fully prepared for war, men and
machine of the three services
need to be kept in highest state of
battle readiness all the time. While the
machines can be kept battle-ready by
regular and proper upkeep, men need
to train hard to be fully battle-ready
for the wars which may start any time
at short notice. Best method to train
would be to use the original equipment
or a system in an environment akin to
the actual operational environment.
However, because of numerous oper-
ational, administrative and logistical
constraints such as international laws
related to training in the proximity of
international borders/LOC/LC, limited availability of training areas, limited
availability of officers and men due to
various reasons, various kinds of restrictions in the use of equipment for
operational reasons and also for conserving precious equipment, ammunition and fuel for operational tasks,
limited availability of firing ranges including field firing ranges for regular
organised training, armed forces find
it extremely difficult to conduct proper,
meaningful and effective training for
their officers and men as regularly and
rigorously as is desired.
In order to ensure realism in the
training of the personnel, armed forces
regularly carry out their annual training in and around their operational
areas where they actually practice and
rehearse their operational tasks. While
everything else is realistic to the extent
possible, live ammunition, bombs,
missiles are never used in such exercises. Thus under such circumstances
operation of the system (both real
world and abstract) in time and space.
A simulator is a device that uses sound,
visuals, motions and smell to make you
feel that you are experiencing an
actual situation.
Advancement in computer and
other technologies has revolutionised
simulation as imitating or replicating
the original and much more can now be
achieved more accurately, realistically
and with greater details. Technology
has now made it possible to develop a
simulator which is exactly like the original equipment or the system. It is now
for the user to decide the level of fidelity of the original system depending on
the purpose for which the simulator is
designed and the cost at which it is required. Higher fidelity system would
always be more expensive.
Simulators may not always be
replicas of the original equipment.
More often than not, simulators are
designed for the specific purpose or
task they are supposed to perform.
While a tank gunnery simulator will be
as close to the actual gunnery of a tank
or the tasks required to be performed
by a gunner and/or a commander
to engage enemy targets, using their
authorised ammunition, in different
kind of operational scenario, terrain,
weather and visibility condition,
it will have very little else of a tank and
other tasks required to be performed
by its crew. For example, it would
not have the facility to train the tank
driver for which there may be a
separate simulator.
Understanding modelling
& simulation
Purpose of simulation
Simplest definition of simulation would
be that it is an imitation of the operation of
the original. Both, simulation and modelling are forms of representation, an
abstraction of reality. While simulation
is physical, modelling is symbolic representation of an equipment/system,
event or task performances. For simulating something, a model has to be
developed first which represents the
key characteristics, functions and behaviour of the equipment or system,
whereas simulation represents the
Because simulators are able to recreate
experiences, they are extremely useful
and have a great potential for training
personnel for almost any situation. It
is an established fact that one learns
much more by actually experiencing
something than learning about that
through reading the books, pamphlets
or listening to lectures. Simulated experiences are therefore just as valuable
a training tool as the real thing. Simulations are complex, computer-driven
re-creations of the real thing. When
used for training, they must recreate reality accurately so as to enable trainees
to learn the right way to do a task.
While most of the simulators used
in the armed forces and many models
replicate already existent equipment, systems such as specific tanks,
Infantry Combat Vehicles (ICVs),
UAVs, Anti-Tank Guided Missiles, automobiles, aircraft, UAVs, ships for the
purpose of the training and developing
the operational skills of the trainees,
both raw and trained soldiers, simulators are also constructed and used
in the armed forces for a variety of
tasks and scientific pursuits, research
and analysis, equipment design, development, testing and evaluation,
behavioural studies, decision making, safety engineering, experimentations, stress and performance assessment, repair and maintenance of the
equipment/systems and much more.
Types of simulation
Simulation in the armed forces is
primarily used for the basic, advance
and refresher training of the raw recruits
as well as trained officers and soldiers.
For this purpose, simulators are available for class room training, for training
within unit areas, validating the efficacy of the class room training in a near
Simulators may not always be replicas
of the original equipment. More often
than not, simulators are designed for
a specific purpose or task they are
supposed to perform
31 | GEOINTELLIGENCE SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2014
the skills, ability and training standards of a soldier in the field craft, to
operate and survive in a hostile battle
field environment is never realistically assessed and tested. To overcome
these challenges, armed forces world
over have been using simulators since
time immemorial.
History of present generation of
simulators dates back to the World War
I where very primitive and generic devices were used for the flight training.
Quality of the training devices improved over the years. During and
prior to the World War II, link trainers were used for instrument flight
training. Simulation technology has
grown in leaps and bounds and today
we have specific training simulators
for all types of weapons, tanks,
BMPs, artillery guns, fighter/transport aircrafts, ships, destroyers, troop
carriers, electronic warfare, air defence
etc. Simulators have been able to overcome, to a very large extent, the problems associated with uninterrupted,
round-the-clock meaningful basic,
advance and refresher training in
efficient handling of the weapon systems, in the realistic tactical training,
manoeuvres, counter manoeuvers, firing of main and auxiliary armaments
in all operational scenarios, terrain,
weather and visibility conditions.
Development of laser technology and
laser detection systems have brought
in far more realism in the conduct of
the training where live firing and its
effect can now be simulated without
the need to fire live ammunition.
32 | GEOINTELLIGENCE SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2014
VIRTUAL SIMULATION
real world and for validating and testing theories of warfare and the efficacy
of the operational plans from tactical to
strategic or higher level. Thus, training
simulations typically come in one of the
three categories:
▶ Virtual Simulation, where actual
players (soldier trainees) use
systems in a synthetic environment
i.e. computer-controlled setting. A
tank gunnery simulator, a small arm
training simulator, a full mission
UAV simulator and a flight simulator
etc. fall into this category where the
trainees use the simulated system to
learn and enhance their skills in handling equipment/system in different
operational, terrain and environmental scenario.
▶ Live Simulation, where actual players use genuine equipment, systems
and carry out the activities as in a real
environment. Time is continuous as
in the real world. Live simulation is
used for assessing the efficacy of the
soldier’s class room training and field
craft and for assessing other aspects
of warfare which cannot be otherwise
tested in a real world such as attrition
rate in a battle field. Systems such as
SIMFIRE (Simulated Fire) used by
mechanised forces in full scale field
exercises with troops where lasers fitted on the barrel of the gun are used
as tank/ICV ammunition and laser
detectors fitted on the tanks/ICVs
are used to record the hits. TACSIM
(Tactical Simulators) used by infantry
units and formations is also for the
same purpose where laser is fitted
on the weapons and detectors on the
soldiers body harness.
▶ Constructive Simulation often
referred to as ‘war-gaming’, is where
the theories of the warfare and doctrines can be simulated, tested, validated and modified without the need
for actual hostilities. Constructive
simulation is also used for validating and modifying actual operation-
al plans at the tactical, operational,
strategic and even higher level in a
Joint Warfare Scenario. These are also
referred to as conflict simulation.
Unlike virtual and live simulation,
they do not involve humans and the
equipment as participants. Requisite data such as operational plan,
Order of Battle (ORBAT) etc. of the
opposing forces (two or more including neutral forces), is fed into
Constructive Simulation System.
Thereafter, the simulation is driven
by certain well-defined sequence
of activities. Time is generally faster
than the real time and can be further compressed in discreet steps
or stopped as per the requirement.
Outcome of the activities and war
game results are automatically recorded for evaluation and analysis.
Advancement in IT technologies has
enabled conduct of war game from
multiple locations far away from each
other. The Indian Army has been
using DRDO-developed ‘DRONA’
war-gaming system for some time.
The Indian Armed Forces are also in
the process of acquiring wargaming
solutions through open tendering.
request for information (RFI)
for establishment of wargaming
centre for Indian Air Force. The
operational level wargaming system
for Indian Navy has already been
published.
Advantages
▶ Effectiveness of simulators in adding
realistic training: Simulators have
proved to be very effective training aids in imparting realistic and
meaningful training to the armed
forces personnel in units, formations, Class A & B establishments.
Users are happy with the capability
of these simulators which provide
real-time feel and performance of
the original equipment. The simulators truly replicate ergonomics of
the actual systems and have realistic
controls, indicators, viewing devices
and instrument panels. Experts have
evaluated a trainer or a simulator
by evaluating the skills it has been
able to impart a trainee in carrying
▶ Ease of training: With a trainer
at hand, training can be conducted anytime at a very short notice.
Units do not have to wait for the
allotment of range for conducting
small arms training or classification
firing. Tanks should not be taken
out to such training areas where
they can manoeuvre or catch fire. It
is not always easy to release troops
and other resources for an outdoor
training. Such training sessions can
be carried out as per the convenience with in the unit areas and
training can be imparted round the
clock, seven days a week, if desired.
▶ Training under the watchful eyes
of the instructor: Most simulators
come with an instructor station. It is
the instructor who sets the exercise
for the trainees and monitors their
performance in real time while they
are practicing. He counsels them
when they make mistakes and helps
them in correcting their mistakes.
System records the performance of
each trainee which can be replayed
to understand rights and wrongs
and take corrective actions. Simulators are able to indicate the actual
mistake made by the trainee. Such
immediate feedback mechanisms
allow the trainee to apply this newly
acquired knowledge.
▶ Training on high risk systems or
high risk tasks: Training of newly
commissioned officers to become
expert fighter pilots is an extremely
risky business. Making them fly an
actual fighter aircraft, despite most
extensive class room training, will
be extremely dangerous as it may
result in loss of precious life. Similarly, training of medical officers on
actual patients may endanger the life
of the patients. It is well known that
the Indian Air Force permits new pilots in the cockpit after an extremely
extensive training on flight simulators. Similarly, medical fraternity is
using simulators for training of their
medical staff. Simulators have been
found to be very effective method of
training in such high risk jobs as they
not only reduce the danger, but also
prepare the trainees with such skills
that makes them confident to take on
such jobs with minimum or no risks.
Conclusion
Armed forces world over have been
using simulation for a long time now.
With the advancement in technology,
weapons and systems are becoming
more and more complex and expensive. Nature of warfare is also changing
due to the threats posed by terrorist organisations and non-state actors. With
rapid urbanisation, training areas are
shrinking. Resources are getting scarcer. It is becoming extremely difficult to
relieve men from operational duties
for the purpose of training. Thus there
will be greater reliance on training
using simulators. It is learnt that the
Ministry of Defence has taken certain
policy decisions with regards to training through simulation. As a result, a
very large variety and numbers of simulators have been procured in the last
two decades and many more are there
in the pipeline. Simulators have now
become a necessity to train the men
for war in right earnest.
Brig Anjum Shahab, Zen Technologies
[email protected]
33 | GEOINTELLIGENCE SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2014
out an operational task effectively.
Their experiment consisted of forming two groups of trainees; identical,
compatible and equally qualified.
The first group (experimental group)
trained on the simulator while the
other group (control group) trained
on the actual system for the same
duration of time under similar conditions. Both groups were later tested on the actual system and it was
noticed that the experimental group
invariably performed better than the
control group. Thus, the efficacy of a
simulator in imparting better quality
of training was established.
▶ Cost effectiveness: A trainer is far
more cost effective method of imparting training. In the first place,
trainers are much cheaper than
the original equipment. A gunnery
simulator for a tank is available at a
fraction of the cost of a tank. Then it
saves on the recurring expenditure
on fuel and costly ammunition. It
also saves on the wear and tear and
of the original equipment, thus reducing the expenses on repair and
maintenance. One simulator can
train more trainees who would have
otherwise required more numbers
of original equipment to achieve
same level of training. More than
anything else use of a simulator
conserves the life of the equipment
and leaves more fuel and ammunition in the hands of the units for
their operational tasks.
WEAPONISATION OF SPACE
Geoint Modelling and Simulation
Forward to the Future
Integration of geoint with the discipline of modelling and simulation
has led to possibilities of predictive intelligence for the armed forces.
In India, there is huge room for investments in this niche area, given
the potential
34 | GEOINTELLIGENCE SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2014
S
urface with inputs from varied
sources such as signal, electronic and human intelligence. Geoint could thus be
viewed as a standalone system for acquiring information as well as a part of
an integrated intelligence vista, be it at
the national or the lower tactical level.
The discipline has, within the span of
just over a decade, transcended utility
in the defence and security domain,
benefitting from significant advances
made in commercial technologies of
computing software, Big Data analytics and augmented reality, to name a
few. The potential of acquiring imagery through a variety of sources including unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs)
has added to possibility of providing
real-time intelligence to the forward
trooper on the tactical battlefield.
Integration of geoint with the discipline of modelling and simulation
has led to possibilities of predictive
intelligence. These advances have
contributed to reduction of uncertainty and provided greater scope for predictability in the combat zone where
the unknowns are many. While traditionally simulation and modelling applications in the military have been in
the field of training, potential of geoint
facilitates intelligence analysis, a powerful function that can provide invaluable insights to military planners.
Predicting alternate futures and narrowing these down to the most likely
has been a nightmare for intelligence
analysts. Given the importance of geography to military operations as well as
logistics, capability of geoint platforms
for integration of data from varied sources facilitates modelling for varied terrain
panorama and operational situations.
This is particularly important in India
where diversity of topography varies
from the hot and arid deserts of Rajasthan to the super high-altitude glaciated
terrain in Siachen and humid jungles of
the North East.
Simulation is the next step which
can, through tweaking based on varied criteria, envisage diverse outcomes.
This could be useful for force planning,
capability development and logistics.
Thus, geoint modelling and simulation
can not only provide real-time solutions to the intelligence problem but
also provide projections for terrain and
force development. Moreover, this is
economic as options can be generated
through simulation without employing tangible assets. With enhanced
visualisation tools such as augmented
reality, computer models can provide
near perspicacious vision to military
commanders in the field as well as planners at the grand strategic level.
For a military model, terrain features
such as altitude, gradient, nature of soil
and so on are critical elements. These
can be acquired through satellite im-
Preparing the pitch
In another dimension, this combination can take the game to the next
level by providing solutions for force
and capability development. A similar
model can be developed to create terrain and operational obstacles on the
envisaged battlefield by the defender.
The standard pattern in defence is to
lay minefields, obstacles, construct
bandhs and deploy tactical subunits
as sections, platoons and companies
to cover the same by observation and
fire. A geoint-based modelling and
simulation model can provide far
more rigourous solutions than that
offered by experiential applications
and legacy information. A long view
can also be taken envisaging expected transformation in terrain thus
providing templates for enhancing
the defence potential either by creating additional obstacle layers or construction of permanent ones as the
ditch cum bundh. Impact of such permanent systems on the environment
and local economy including socio
economic profile can also be factored
in through geoint modelling and simulation. This can overcome the present impasse in sanctioning of defence
projects by the Ministry of Environment in India.
Another related aspect is force development. At present visualisation of
operations by the ‘Red Force’, in a given
set of terrain is descriptive augmented
by images and corroborated through
war games. This can be predictive with
a modelling and simulation model
generated through geoint, providing
a high degree of clairvoyance and a
common picture from the military
commander to the budget head to
technology developer. This will facilitate greater accuracy and consensus
for force development thereby ensuring focused allocation of resources for
developing key capabilities.
While force development in foreign
armed forces is joint, in the Indian
context this is carried out by the Army,
Navy and Air Force in silos. Through
modelling, geoint can merge the
A geoint-based modelling and
simulation model can provide far more
rigourous solutions than that offered
by experiential applications and
legacy information
35 | GEOINTELLIGENCE SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2014
agery and supplemented by real-time
UAV streaming. At present suitability of
terrain for varied type of operations is
essentially based on experience of the
commanders with prior employment in
similar geographical areas providing a
benchmark.
During the World War II for instance,
German General Von Manstein was
faced with the dilemma of employment
of tanks in the Ardennes Forest. Given
the nascent stage of armoured warfare
in the late 1930s, adequate knowledge
about the use of tanks in Ardennes was
not available. Manstein turned to General Heinz Guderian, architect of the
German Panzer (tank) Corps. Guderian
confirmed that panzers would indeed
be able to operate in the Ardennes.
Despite expertise of Guderian the
Manstein Plan envisaging an advance
through the Ardennes was highly risky,
thus the German General Staff refused
to initially accept the same.
Today, geoint provides a far better
solution. By combining terrain intelligence with other sources, a model
of the Ardennes can be created, and
movement — be it of tanks, armoured
personnel carriers or other heavy vehicles — simulated to accurately predict the possibility of passage of tank
columns. And as power of computing
increases, modelling and simulation
will gain exponentially thus adding to
overall “reality” that can be generated
providing near perfect solutions to
military planners.
GEOINT MODELLING AND SIMULATION
36 | GEOINTELLIGENCE SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2014
plans of the services to evolve a joint
force development model and while
this may not be the ideal way, till the
armed forces in India integrate, this
could provide an alternative.
In the larger perspective, this will
overcome the perpetual dystopian
nightmare of operational hollowness
and gaps in capacity that face the Indian
armed forces today by providing a real-time visual picture of force on force
capability in relation to the opposing
forces and terrain developments on the
northern or western border.
For the operational planner, geoint can be an invaluable tool for planning future and current operations.
Take the case of the Tibetan plateau.
Infrastructure development on the
Tibetan plateau has been ongoing for
the past two decades. Geoint simulation
can provide an accurate picture of the
Chinese build up on the Qinghai Tibet
railway line. Thus, one can create a realistic view of the Chinese army’s mobilisation and depict on a computer screen
with relevant details denoting movement at various stages.
Application of augmented reality in military
A simulated model will be able to
provide the Blue Force commander corresponding actions required to be taken
again depicted on the real-time terrain
format and can be a powerful tool for
exploitation eliminating a high degree
of uncertainty and providing a common
operational picture from the commanders in the field to the staff at the Military
Operations directorate in Delhi. The opportunities for exploitation are therefore
substantial and can vary from designing
transportation axes to operational areas
to tactical deployment of troops. Geoint
modelling and simulation is a tool that
will provide more options to a planner
and suggest a best course to the commander for making a decision.
Geoint for policing and
disaster management
In the domain of law enforcement,
geoint modelling and simulation can
provide options for predictive policing. One of the challenges faced
in India is of communal violence.
Predicting the same by using Geoint modelling and simulation tools
is feasible. Geoint can provide a
consolidated picture of the terrain,
community, ethnicity and religious
density and superimpose the policing grid. Building a holistic picture the
model will provide an all-factor profile
with vulnerable pockets. Simulation
of varied situations such as religious
festivals, community meetings and
rallies when superimposed on the
model should provide a clear picture
of various scenarios that may lead to
tension thus and options for control
through proactive community or policing action.
Many of the tools are already being
employed by the police in India such
as GPS, mobile internet, satellite
imagery and UAVs, though in a nascent stage. Recent use of UAVs by the
police in Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh
during communal riots was well publicised in the media. Predictive modelling would have added to the picture obtained in real time, providing
effective solutions for management of
violence.
For normal policing and law and order
the geoint M & S model will be simpler.
This will provide solutions for optimal
policing by integrating location, crime
and police deployment. Geoint will
provide a very discerning picture of
locations where crime is rampant.
GIS-based Blue Force tracking tools
will enable the police control room
to identify deployment and move
forces based on the crime pattern
or a set frequency daily or diurnally
from day to night time. As criminals
establish patterns, geoint, with the
help of Big Data, can identify varied
locations which are crime prone and
thus facilitate deployment of police to
prevent crime.
Augmented reality in the future will
enable a policeman to merely glance
at a stranger and obtain his full profile,
including criminal record on tools as
Google Glass and even indicating the
location from where the person has
come and his likely destination.There
are downsides in employing high
technology such as encroachment of
privacy for which regulations have yet to
be evolved.
Disaster management is a major challenge in India, particularly in the hilly
terrains and urban areas. Fires in highrise buildings in metros are resulting in
a number of crises. Identifying intensity
of fire, targeting the main source and
rapid deployment of fire fighting personnel to the spot are functions that can
be simulated through geoint. Modelling
and simulation can dictate the ideal
location of the emergency. This can
also give safety gradations to buildings,
thereby raising a high level of awareness of the fire threat and investment
in mitigation. This information will
provide the pattern of vulnerability of
a particular building as also particular
sections of a building depending on the
nature of the occupant. Direction of fire
fighting personnel to the site through a
maze of urban traffic channels can be
effected through the geoint-modelling
and simulation combination while the
package can be effectively utilised for
training. Mitigation through safety of
buildings in the designing stage would
be the next stage.
At the macro level, this combination is an important tool for disaster
mitigation. An appropriate example
from the recent past is the tragedy in
the state of Uttarakhand in India as
thousands of pilgrims were stranded
in the mountains in June 2013. Geoint
data on terrain, geological strength of
the roads and tracks, river flow and
precipitation if modeled would have
generated the devastating effect that a
certain degree of precipitation would
have brought about well in advance
preventing loss of hundreds of lives
and property. For instance, a model
could be built with projected roads
to denote maximum traffic that these
can take in varied periods and particularly during the monsoons thereby
restricting the tourist flow in the area
and ensuring a high degree of safety.
GIS can also facilitate management
of scarce resources to maximum effect
by directing the required number of
rescue personnel to the affected site
during disaster management while
dictating the best type of transporta-
tion to be used. All this through models prepared in normal times.
Technologies making this
powerful tool
A number of advances in technology
are making modelling and simulation
a powerful tool for military planning
and warfare. Employment of persistent full-motion video with UAVs can
add to the potential of existing geoint
tools by providing opportunities for
real-time scan of the terrain and operational environment that can be built
into the existing model seamlessly.
Development of software is
another major advantage. The
application Earth Viewer, for example,
can superimpose maps onto satellite
images, and today is commonly used
as Google Earth which has revolutionised location mapping enhancing
personal as well as business mobility.
Open standard development is also
an important marker in this area.
Augmented reality (AR) is likely
to revolutionise the manner in which
geoint will be used by superimposing
computer-generated image on a user’s
eye view creating a composite picture.
Google Glass is the next generation
computer which provides immense potential in real-time communication to
the individual soldier on the battlefield
with requisite tools. The use of AR in
Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightening II
fifth generation combat fighter helmet
is seen to be a true exploitation of this
technology. The heads up display of the
Lockheed Martin’s F-35 Lightning II helmet eliminates the need for heads down
display and provides pilot night vision
capabilities. The Distributed Aperture
System (DAS) enables “see through” the
fuselage creating high level of situational awareness. Modelling and simulation can enhance the AR further and as
technology downstreams both in terms
of costs and availability, this can be replicated in the soldiers or the police beat
constable’s helmet in the future.
States Geospatial Intelligence Foundation (USGIF) is bringing together
the modelling and simulation community with the geoint community
with formation of a Modelling & Simulation Working Group. In India, there
is increasing interest in geoint recognition of importance by the mapping
community and increasingly by the
general staff.
Achieving a confluence between
modelling and simulation and geoint will, however, require a high degree of competence which may not
yet be available in the country and
will have to be developed. The level of expertise required to generate
geoint-linked modelling and simulation applications is very high. Conversion of standard GEOINT data
formats of terrain into simulation
formats is cumbersome and there is
a need for common formats for both
applications, which may prove to
be complex and costly. Use of open
standards for both purposes for ready
integration may be one option but
how far this will be successful is not
clear so far. Once adequate competencies are developed the advantage
would be to transfer data generated
through simulation to operational
models thereby enhancing perspicuity of the planner faced with devising
real world solutions. There is a need
for investments in this niche area in
India, given the potential. Developing
indigenous capacities may be difficult
at present but a fast-track joint development model with new cooperation
frameworks that are being established
with countries as the US, which is the
leading geoint technology power in
the world, will provide rich dividends
and needs to be explored.
The way ahead in India
Developments in the field of geoint
modelling and simulation are mainly
happening in the US where the United
Brig Rahul Bhonsle (Retd)
[email protected]
37 | GEOINTELLIGENCE SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2014
GeoInt for disaster
management
MILITARY SIMULATION
The military uses virtual reality
technology for almost everything,
from training and safety enhancement
to analyse military manoeuvres and
battlefield positions
38 | GEOINTELLIGENCE SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2014
V
irtual
reality
(VR)
is
artificial
creation
of situations that appear
‘real’ to our senses. It
is immersive multimedia that is
computer-simulated. It can simulate
physical presence in places in the real
or imagined worlds. VR can recreate
sensory experiences, including virtual taste, sight, smell, sound, touch, etc.
VR environments are primarily visual
experiences, displayed either on a
computer screen or through special
stereoscopic displays, but some
simulations include additional sensory information, such as sound
through speakers or headphones. For
a common man, experiences of VR
are mostly limited to movies.
Some advanced, haptic systems now
include tactile information, generally
known as force feedback in medical,
gaming and military applications.
Furthermore, VR covers remote communication environments that provide
virtual presence of users with the concepts of telepresence and telexistence or
a virtual artifact (VA), either through the
use of standard input devices such as a
keyboard and mouse, or through multimodal devices such as a wired glove,
the Polhemus and omnidirectional
treadmills. The simulated environment
can be similar to the real world in order to create a life-like experience —
for example, in simulations for pilot
or combat training — or it can differ
significantly from reality, such as in
virtual reality games.
VR for military
Along with the entertainment industry,
the military is responsible for the
most dramatic evolutionary leaps in
the VR field. Virtual environments
work well in military applications.
When well-designed, they provide
the user with an accurate simulation
of real events in a safe and controlled
environment.
Specialised military training can
be very expensive. Some training
procedures have an element of danger when using real life situations.
While the initial development of VR
gear and software is expensive, in the
long run, it is much more cost effective than putting soldiers into real or
physically simulated situations. VR
technology has other potential applications that can make military activities safer.
That is why when first experiments
with Head-Mounted Displays (HMD)
began, the military was excited. A
user wearing an HMD could control
where the camera is pointed by
turning his head. Today the military
uses VR techniques not only for training and safety enhancement, but also
to analyse military maneuvers and
battlefield positions.
Military simulators
Out of many VR technology applications,
military vehicle simulations have probably been the most successful. Simulators
use sophisticated computer models to
replicate a vehicle’s capabilities and limitations within a stationary — and safe
— computer station. Possibly, the most
well known of all the simulators in the
military are the flight simulators. The air
force, army and navy all use flight simulators to train pilots. Training missions
may include how to fly in a battle, how
to recover in an emergency, or how to
coordinate air support with ground operations.
Although not as high profile as flight
simulators, VR simulators for ground
vehicles are an important part of the
military’s strategy. In fact, simulators
are a key part of the Future Combat System (FCT), the foundation of the armed
forces’ future. These consist of a networked battle command system and
advanced vehicles and weapons platforms. Computer scientists designed
FCS simulators to link together in a network, facilitating complex training missions involving multiple participants
acting in various roles.
The Army uses several specific
devices to train soldiers to drive specialised vehicles. They not only accurately
recreate the look and feel of the vehicle
they represent, but also can replicate
any environment. Trainees can learn
how the real vehicle handles in treacherous weather conditions or difficult
terrain. Networked simulators allow users to participate in complex war games.
Simulators can be pretty expensive.
Still, when you compare that against
the cost of an actual vehicle (which,
depending upon the model variant,
could be millions of dollars) and keep
in mind that the soldier behind the
controls will be safe from harm, it’s
easy to justify the cost.
Counter insurgency
Today, many training facilities are using
simulators to familiarise soldiers with
counter insurgency (CI). Simulators
give the military a chance to teach
soldiers how to navigate and operate effectively within CI landscapes
and what to expect from the insurgent
when confronted. Counter Insurgency Operational Planning Tool and
Wargame have been developed for this
purpose.
Apart from familiarising soldiers
with some of the most complex
vehicles in the military fleet,
trainers have discovered that virtual
environments can come in handy in
other applications as well. Military
officials and video game studios
have partnered to create realistic,
immersive virtual scenarios that help
Simulators give
the military a
chance to teach
soldiers how
to navigate
and operate
effectively within
CI landscapes and
what to expect
from the insurgent
when confronted.
39 | GEOINTELLIGENCE SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2014
Aircraft Recognition Trainer
MILITARY SIMULATION
40 | GEOINTELLIGENCE SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2014
Establishment of Company Operating Base in CI Operations.
soldiers acclimatise to various combat
environments and situations. An
Aircraft Recognition Trainer wherein
different aircraft, individually or in
formations, fly in operations like situation in battlegrounds with surround
sound effects and soldiers are taught
to identify them. 118 Aircraft models
and 42 terrain configurations have
been modelled. Magnification of binoculars can also be simulated.
Military officials are quick to stress
that virtual training in no way replaces actual training. While virtual
environments continue to support useful training applications, the military
requires soldiers to undergo extensive
training on real courses. The armed
forces don’t see virtual reality replacing
real training techniques in the future.
However, there are some situations that
will never be experienced outside war.
How can training be provided on enemy aircraft jamming own Air Defence
(AD) Systems and train the AD operator
to track the enemy aircraft by employing appropriate ECCM techniques? A
class Room Electronic Warfare Simulators (CREWS) wherein sorties of enemy
aircraft can be simulated using preprogrammed or on-the-fly ECM to jam AD
and the reactions of the AD operators to
gain control has been developed.
Another application of VR is in
the field of battlefield visualisation
to control combat operations in real
time. It may be a key element in the
training regimen of commanders.
It helps commanders assess their
options before making decisions that
could risk a soldier’s life.
The military needs to look at VR
workbench as a display technology
for battlefield visualisation. The viewer wears a pair of special goggles that
create the illusion of three dimensional battlefield. Multiple users may view
the same display at the same time by
wearing the special goggles.
As personal computer and graphic
card becomes more powerful, the
need for specialised display technology decreases. Today, a laptop can
meet such needs for visualisation.
It is possible to adapt commercial
software and hardware packages for
this purpose. You don’t get the same
level of immersion when working with
a personal computer as you would
with a dedicated VR system, but the
computers are much less expensive
and easy to network.
It is also possible to watch films
and television programmes with an
HMD and computer control the image so that the viewer appears to be
inside the scene. Displays present the
view that corresponds to the direction the viewer is facing, through a
system of head tracking. This would
give the viewers the feeling that they
are actually going to the scene in person instead of looking at pictures on a
screen. VR enables us to do so without
the risk of death or a serious injury.
Soldiers can re-enact a particular scenario, for example, engagement with
an enemy in an environment in which
they experience this but without the
real world risks. This has proven to be
safer and less costly than traditional
training methods.
Brig SC Sharma (Retd)
President & CMD
Axis Aerospace
EVENTS
Land Forces 2014
September 22- 25, 2014
Brisbane, Australia
www.landforces.com.au/exposition/index.asp
OCTOBER
Euronaval 2014
October 27-31, 2014
Paris Le Bourget,
France
www.euronaval.fr
Airshow China 2014
November 11 - 16, 2014
Zhuhai, Guangdong
China
www.chinaexhibition.com
Geointelligence Brasil 2014
November 13-14, 2014
Rio de Janeiro,
Brasil
geointworld.net/Brasil
DECEMBER
Exponaval
LAAD Defence & Security
2015
April 14-17, 2015
Rio de Janeiro,
Brazil
www.laadexpo.com.br/?lang=en
Counter Terror Expo 2015
April 21-22, 2015
Olympia,
London
www.counterterrorexpo.com
ITEC 2015
December 2-5, 2014
Valparaíso, Chile
April 28-30, 2015
Prague,
Czech Republic
www.airtec.aero/index.php?id=1&L=1
FEBRUARY
JUNE
Expodefensa 2014
Avalon 2015
UDT 2015
www.airshow.com.au/airshow2015/index.html
www.aadexpo.co.z
9th AIRTEC 2014
October 28-30, 2014
Frankfurt/Main,
Germany
October 29-31
Bogota, Columbia
www.expodefensa.com.co
NOVEMBER
16th Annual Global
MilSatCom
November 4-6, 2014
London,
United Kingdom
www.smi-online.co.uk
Indo Defence 2014
November 5-8, 2014
Kemayoran,
Jakarta-Indonesia
www.indodefence.com
www.exponaval.cl
February 27- 1 March 2015
Geelong, Victoria
Australia
MARCH
GeoIntelligence Asia 2015
March 17-21, 2015
Langkawi, Malaysia
www.lima.com.my
APRIL
Sea Air Space 2015
April 13-15, 2015
Maryland, US
www.seaairspace.org
www.itec.co.uk
June 3-5, 2015
Rotterdam,
The Netherlands
Geoint 2015
June 21-24, 2015
Washington, D.C.
US
geoint2013.com
JUNE
Land Forces Africa 2015
July 5-8, 2015
Midrand Gauteng,
South Africa
www.landforcesafrica.com
41 | GEOINTELLIGENCE SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2014
SEPTEMBER
IMAGE INTELLIGENCE
Courtesy: NRSC
CARTOSAT image showing flooding in parts of Srinagar city.
42 | GEOINTELLIGENCE SEPTMBER - OCTOBER2014
Water Locked: The Deadly Kashmir Floods
Severe floods were reported in Jammu & Kashmir during first week of September,
2014. The flooding is being described as the area’s worst in five decades. The situation
aggravated when heavy rains and rise in the water levels of Jhelum river led to
flooding in the districts of Pulwama, Anantnag, Badgam, Supore and Kulgam. Five
days of heavy rain subsided, but flood waters in Srinagar have risen dramatically.
About 400 villages have been completely submerged by the floods forcing residents
to seek refuge in temporary shelters. At the time of going to the press, large parts of
Srinagar were still under several feet of water and telecommunications and electricity
lines had snapped. Officials have revealed that at least 200 people have died in
the floods and 50 villages have been damaged across the state. According to Omar
Abdullah, the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, boats have been brought from
Delhi to help with evacuations, and the air force has begun rescue operations in the
city. Armed forces, NRDF and other agencies have evacuated over 96,000 people so far
while the government agencies are trying to restore roads and communications links.
Source: BBC
Credit: Photographer, Shahid Tantray/ Thekashmirwala.com
publiCations
TM
our
offerings
for the
defenCe
and
homeland
seCurity
Communties...
www.geointworld.net
ConferenCes
New Delhi
13-14 November 2014
Hotel Sheraton Av. Niemeyer
Rio de Janeiro, Brasil
17-18 March 2015
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
SAVE
THE DATE
13-14 November 2014
Hotel Sheraton Av. Niemeyer, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil
Brasil
THEME: Geospatial for Modern Warfare
Plenary SeSSionS
Technical SeSSionS
 Internal Security
 GeoIntelligence Enablers
 Maritime Security
 Image Interpretation and Terrain Modelling
 Geospatial Data Infrastructure
 Data Fusion and Sensor Web
 UAVs, LiDAR, Cloud Computing
 Data Infrastructure and Interoperability
 Disaster and Risk Management
 GNSS and Augumentation Systems
SPeakerS
rear adm luiz
correa
Div. gen orlando
MoD (Operational
Intelligence)
Brasil
MoD (Suport to
Cartography Systems
of the Logistics of the
Mobilization), Brasil
Prof guy Thomas
Brig gen Silva neto
Chairman, Global Maritime
Awareness Institute for
Safety Security and
Stewardship, USA
DSG, Geographic Board of
the Army
Brasil
Brig gen carlos
roberto
SISFRON, Land Frontier
System
Brasil
luiz castro
menezes
General Comander
Military Police
Rio de Janeiro
Brig gen Walter
Stoffel
ECEME
Brasil
Div gen araujo*
EME, Staff of the Army
Brasil
Dr edval novaes
Dr Fernando
guevara
Subsecretary of Comand
and Control, State of Rio
Brasil
CEO, Visual Intelligence
USA
air marshal carlos
aquino*
Div gen carlos dos
Santos*
CISCEA
Brasil
Cybernetic Warfare
Brasil
*Confirmation awaited
PlaTinum SPonSor
co-SPonSor
organiSer