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AgustaWestland has developed a flexible and deployable Collective Training System designed to provide continuity in the delivery of training up to Collective Performance Level 5. This training will support the development of manoeuvre operation concepts centred on battlefield helicopters.
Collective Training Systems support training under live conditions over real terrain, enabling the full spectrum of offensive, defensive and military assistance operations to be rehearsed in a realistic threat environment.
The system has a fully deployable ground system and embedded role fit platform equipment, including lasers and data links that provide the ability to:
- Track and record objective performance of the players
- Facilitate scenario, threat and weapon simulations
- Replay key learning points to the players during post-exercise debriefings
AgustaWestland and its international partners’ (SAAB and Inter-Coastal Electronics) Collective Training Systems capability currently includes the following platforms:
- Apache and other complex attack helicopters
- Lynx, Merlin Mk3 and other battlefield utility and transport helicopters
- Armoured fighting vehicles, including main battle tanks
- Complex artillery systems such as the Multiple Launch Rocket System
- Air Defence platforms such as guided missile (Stormer HVM) and gun systems
The training equipment supports interfaces to real and tactical systems, such as mission planning and communication, to provide full situational awareness and monitoring to the training control staff. Full data-capture and replay allows objective post-exercise debriefing without detriment to the pace and range of combined-arms and manoeuvre operations.
This system includes very high fidelity gunnery laser simulation combined with radio geometric pairing and data links. It enables collective training engagements through the full spectrum of offensive and defensive operations. A fully deployable system, it can be configured to integrate with numerous training environments that include:
- Home Station Training. Platforms interact with emulated ground targets.
- Combined Arms Training. Involves a variety of live players such as individuals, crews/sections and combined arms formations including infantry, armour, artillery and engineers, and air vehicles.
These systems can operate in formal military training areas or other occasional areas where deployed operational training can be practised.
Main System Components
- SMODIM. This unit is the interface to the platform for weapons, sensor, crew action, defensive aids, positional and navigational data capture/transmission. It enables the digital transfer of data between the role fit equipment and provides the data link between other players and the Exercise Controller. The SMODIM receives and processes indirect hit events from geometric pairing engagement simulations.
- Dual Laser Unit. This provides class 1, eye-safe laser range finding, bore-sighting and alignment in support of live firing exercises. It also provides direct fire laser simulation using Saab BT46 range codes or the MILES TM range codes. This high performance unit can to operate at ranges to several kilometres, even in poor visibility. The laser codes contain weapon characteristics simulation.
- TAGWES Pods. These pods process the vulnerability of an engaged platform after receiving ‘hits’ from other player’s laser simulation during the exercise and assess their effect on the platform. The pods also simulate weapons launch and chaff and flare firing for the benefit of ground troops.
- Telemetry Antenna. This is for the data link radio contained within the SMODIM.
- GPS Antenna. This provides a timestamp and differentially corrected positional information to the GPS card contained within the SMODIM.
- Target Instrumentation & Repeater Sets. Ground-based targets are emulated by Target Instrumentation & Repeater Sets (TIRS). TIRS also provide the static element of the ground data link network.
- Exercise Control Station (EXCON). The exercise is monitored and controlled via the EXCON. EXCON receives and displays event and position/status of all the players (real and emulated) and provides a threedimensional virtual view of the exercise from any viewpoint. It also records, processes and provides replay of the formatted data for post-action review. The EXCON, which is DIS compliant and can be connected to other live and virtual training systems, can provide the master functions or slave to a host EXCON. This is particularly useful when national forces join for coalition training.
Strong and committed teaming has led to a coherent approach to achieving the integration and convergence of diverse training systems. Objective training targeted towards the development of Joint and Coalition operational effectiveness can now be provided for the first time.
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