Advanced C4I Training for the GCCSM

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Advanced C4I Training for the GCCS-M

• 04S-SIW-149
• Dennis McGroder
• Dynamic Animation Systems
• Naval Research Laboratory
• Washington DC
• mcgroder_at_nrl.navy.mil
• Wednesday
• April 21, 2004

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Secondary Authors
04S-SIW-149 Gene Layman, PhD Naval Research
Laboratory Washington DC layman_at_nrl.navy.mil
William Harrington Northrop Grumman Corp. Space
and Naval Warfare Systems Command San Diego
CA william.harrington_at_navy.mil
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Overview

• NRLs Set of Advanced C4I Training Tools
• C4I Team Training System (CTTS)
• Training Tutor
• Training Author
• Transit Training
• Range Fusion System
• Web Enabled Training - for distributed training
  across the WAN

- released
- released
- prototype released
- under development
- to be integrated with CTTS
- to be developed

• It is envisioned that NRLs C4I training
  capabilities can provide an organized C4I centric
  approach that supports the entire training process

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CTTS

• The C4I Team Training System (CTTS), i.e., the
  C4ITTS Segment, has been released to the fleet as
  part of the current build of the Global Command
  and Control System-Maritime (GCCS-M) 4.x and is
  currently undergoing testing
• CTTS will be used by trainers to develop advanced
  scenario based training to run on the GCCS-M LAN
  for multiple trainees at
• Ashore Training Facilities, i.e., TACTRAGRUs,
  ATGs, Schoolhouses
• Aboard Navy ships
• In port
• While underway (Transit Training)
• Other sites conducting training or involved with
  fleet exercises
• As we speak, SPAWAR and NGC trainers are creating
  training scenarios and lesson content for a new
  computer-based Staff Watch Officers Course
  Scenarios cover a 5 day period, to be run as 5
  24-hr units, with hundreds of contacts, for 8
  hour watches

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Training Tutor

• The Training Tutor application has also been
  released to the fleet as part of the current
  build of the Global Command and Control
  System-Maritime (GCCS-M)
• The Training Tutor will be used by trainees to
  execute advanced operator level training lessons
  to learn various GCCS-M core functions and
  mission applications
• Single operator level training
• Step by step instructions and informative text
• Visual aids and controls are provided
• Includes dynamic scenarios

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Training Author

• The Training Author application has been released
  to SPAWAR as a prototype for use by trainers of
  the Global Command and Control System-Maritime
  (GCCS-M)
• The Training Author will be used by trainers to
  build advanced operator level training lessons on
  various GCCS-M core functions and mission
  applications
• SPAWAR and NGC trainers are currently testing the
  Author prototype by creating training lesson
  content for a new Staff Watch Officers Course

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Transit Training

• The Transit Training capability is under
  development for the Global Command and Control
  System-Maritime (GCCS-M) to further enhance C4I
  training for the end user while underway
• Transit Training features will be integrated with
  the CTTS and other available tools
• Archiving real world tactical data, including
  exercise data
• Combining real world data with simulated data or
  modified real world data
• Reconstruction of pre-deployment Battle Group
  exercises Advantage of using this approach is
  that the trainees are familiar with the exercise
  because they have just been through it
• These features will provide mission specific
  training during transits to forward deployed
  areas

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Range Fusion System

• The Range Fusion System (RFS) is a COE compliant
  system that links
• Navy Training Ranges to C4I
• The RFS provides a ground truth data stream into
  the GCCS-M during Battle Group and other
  exercises, which is to be integrated with CTTS
  this year
• Standard Interface between the GCCS-M and Range
  systems
• Large Area Tracking Ranges (LATR), e.g., VACAPES,
  China Lake
• Tactical Air Combat Training System (TACTS)
  ranges
• Other range systems

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Web Enabled Training

• Additional goal Improve distributed C4I
  training across the wide area network (WAN) by
  making all of these training tools web enabled so
  that
• Collaborative content development can be
  performed
• Scenarios can be created and edited in a
  collaborative way, among multiple trainers or
  planners
• Distributed execution of C4I training can be
  realized

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Evolution of C4I Embedded Training

• Embedded training can be described in many ways
• Definition adapted here for C4I Embedded
  Training
• Embedded training takes place when
• training data is injected into operational C4I
  system that simulates real world situations,
• and this training data does not corrupt normal
  operations,
• and C4I functions operate on training data in
  same manner as real world data
• Benefit of embedded training - can be provided to
  C4I users and decision makers when and where it
  is needed
• The applications described here run within C4I
  systems that are compliant with the DoDs Common
  Operational Environment (COE) - several GCCS
  variants, many COE systems

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Evolution of C4I Embedded Training (cont)

• Embedded training broken down into several types,
  or levels, and methods
• Additional C4I services required to accommodate
  the various levels
• The following table shows evolution of
  capabilities, from
• Basic operator level training, to
• Team training, through
• Team training distributed across multiple ships,
  and to
• Training operators on multiple military systems
  other than C4I, yet C4I Centric

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C4I Embedded Training Evolution Table
Training Type Methods
COE / GES Services Required
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Operator Level Training

• Provides individual training through scripted
  scenarios and step by step instructions to a
  single trainee
• OLT consists of the Training Tutor and Training
  Author software applications
• Training lessons run on individual C4I
  workstations
• The embedded scenarios run on operational
  systems, where GCCS-M functions operate on the
  training data and scenarios in the same way as
  real world data
• Visual aids and controls are provided
• Instructional and Informational text
• Map display controls Zoom in/out, Re-centering
  of map
• Overlays and Arrow highlights on map
• Graphics, Photos, Video, and any other Windows
  application file
• Scenarios can run at real-time or at speed up to
  1000x real time
• Controls for Play, Pause, Advance (fast forward
  to another step), Stop, and Restart

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Operator Level Training (cont)

• The next slide is an example of a typical screen
  during an operator level training lesson using
  the Training Tutor

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C4I Team Training

• C4I Team Training training that is provided
  to a team of C4I users and decision makers
• 2 main differences from Operator Level
• Scenarios generated by simulations
• Scenarios injected into the ships or sites
  local area network (LAN)
• Specific training objectives achieved thru use of
  internal scenario generator, plus the addition
  of plug-in training simulations that perform
  specialized tasks
• Initial delivery of CTTS hosts the Cruise Missile
  Trainer (CMT) plug-in simulation, whose design
  was based on the CMTpc system developed by the
  Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) Newport
  Division

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Mission Editor for CTTS

• The Mission Editor component of CTTS contains a
  robust scenario generation and editing
  capability, used for force lay down and simulated
  movement along routes
• Can then run scenarios directly for team training
  sessions, or
• Can be used as ground truth input to simulations,
  such as the CMT plug-in, which in turn produces
  the perceived picture that trainees see

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Network Based C4I Training

• Expansion of team training that runs across the
  C4I wide area network (WAN)
• This means synchronized scenarios and training
  conducted on multiple ships
• Early stages of development
• Challenging since underway ships have limited
  C4I comms bandwidth to dedicate to training
• Several methods under examination and
  requirements being defined to achieve
• Distributed apps with peer-to-peer connectivity
  for data exchange
• Time sync across the C4I network (WAN)

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Network Based C4I Training

• Two promising approaches
• Distributed training scenario generation using a
  combination of scripted scenarios and free play,
  with multiple mission editors running
• Many forces move according to pre-planned script
• If script not modified during training run-time,
  forces can be processed independently on each
  ship with scenario changes as the only
  communication
• Changes to scenario script are communicated with
  minimal data exchange
• Injection of simulated forces into real world
  exercises
• Requires real world ground truth data obtained
  via instrumentation of forces involved (without
  GT the sim forces would have no real references)
• Range Fusion System (RFS) under development
  provides GT from Ranges
• RFS has been integrated with GCCS-M, and will be
  integrated with CTTS so that simulated forces can
  be introduced

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C4I Centric Training

• Technique that broadens capabilities of the other
  levels described by providing interfaces to other
  non-C4I shipboard systems
• Work to be done is in anticipation of future C4I
  systems using network enabling technologies that
  are evolving
• Especially technologies planned for the
  transition of the COE to theGlobal Information
  Grid (GIG) Enterprise Services (GES)
• Examples of applications that support C4I Centric
  Training
• UAV Down Link Trainer contains a plug-in model
  developed to simulate Predator video stream and
  produce a down link synchronized with a CTTS
  training scenario
• A CTTS plug-in that interfaces with the
  Cryptologic On-Line Trainer system

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Embedded C4I Training Architecture

• The next slide illustrates the relationship
  between
• the C4I Embedded Training components (top) and
• the Common Operational Environment (COE) Services
  (bottom)
• The C4I Embedded Training tools use the sharable
  modeling and simulation software components,
  which were developed as extensions to the COE.
• These components are available in the Modeling
  and Simulation Software Development Kit (MSSDK)
  developed and distributed by NRL. The MSSDK is
  compatible with COE compliant systems.
• The MSSDK first release was in September 2003 at
  the Fall SIW. The next MSSDK release, with many
  added features and enhancements, should be
  available in 4-6 weeks.
• Anyone interested may request a MSSDK CD by
  contacting me via email, phone, or leaving your
  contact info

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COE / Embedded Training Architecture

• Key

Sim-COP
Other Simulation Plugins
TrainingAuthor
CMT Simulation Plugin
TrainingTutor
CMTDB
MS CommonComponents
Training
Mission Editor
Author
Archiver
Replay
C4I Training Specific Components
Applications
COE Software Development Kits
COE Services Used
MS SDK
Support Applications

MS
Office
JMV
TMS
Access DB
Correlation
Map
COE 4.x
Infrastructure Services

MS Access
UCP
Web
Data Mgt
Comms

Kernel
Solaris
NT
W2K
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Embedded Training Host Application

• Training Host Application concept (the CTTS is
  based on) a mission application shell tailored
  to the specific domain of training and serves as
  a host to multiple embedded simulations
  applicable to training
• Contains a set of core components and
  functionality that would be necessary for any C4I
  training capability.
• Specific models and simulation components,
  plug-ins, can be added to build a more
  comprehensive training app for the specific
  training desired
• Training Host components are derived from the
  MSSDK.

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Training Host components from MSSDK

• Scenario Editor force laydown of entities and
  routes with
• intuitive map-click user interface
• COP Capture extracts real time picture as start
  point for a scenario or plan
• Virtual Track Manager low level SW for storing
  and manipulating track, waypoint, and event
  data
• Scenario Preview displays tracks and waypoints,
  and runs scenario stored in VTM during its
  development
• Dynamic Run processes VTM scenario during
  runtime and handles output inserted into the
  TMS
• Archive archives real world and exercise tracks
  in XML or OTG format
• Replay plays back archived track data or
  scenarios built, inserting into TMS
• Author provides authoring tools to augment
  training scenarios

• Mission Editor
• Scenario generation capability comprised of these
  components
• Part of CTTS
• Also a stand-alone application

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Training Host Application Architecture

• Operator Level and Team Level Training

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Training Host Application Architecture

• Network Based and C4I Centric Training

C4I centric - network based systems
team level tools
C4I Training Host
Mission Editor
operator level tools
TrainingAuthor
TrainingTutor
GCCS-M COE
Sim-COP
UAV Down LinkSystem
UAV SimPlugin
TCP/IP
- Down Link Video
CryptologicOn-lineTrainer
TCP/IP
COLTPlugin

• Cryptologic Training for Outboard, SIGINT

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CTTS and CMT Plug-in Simulation

• The next slide shows an example of the C4I Team
  Training System as the trainer creates the
  training scenario and sets up the Cruise Missile
  Trainer (CMT) plug-in simulation
• The paths of intended movements of the forces are
  shown on the map
• The waypoints of these PIMs can be modified
  during run time
• This Ground Truth training scenario is provided
  to the CMT simulation
• The CMT simulation produces the perceived
  training picture that is fed to the Simulated COP
  (Sim-COP)
• Trainees perform their assigned tasks on the
  Simulated COP

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Operational Use of Embedded Training

• The C4I Embedded Training being provided in
  GCCS-M will be used for various training and
  planning tasks by the training and operational
  community
• Cruise Missile Qualification Certifications
• Mission Planning and Rehearsal
• Integrated Team Training
• COP Database Manager Training and Proficiency

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Additional Training Tools

• Additional training capabilities are being
  integrated with NRLs set of advanced C4I
  training tools, and are available or under
  development
• C4I Simulator / Stimulator
• UAV Down Link Trainer
• Transit Training Application
• Range Fusion System

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Acknowledgments

• The following have performed the software
  development at NRL that has been described in
  this presentation
• Peter Kunkel
• Nam Le, ITT
• Dennis McGroder, DAS
• Trinh Nguyen-Phan, NRL
• Dan Robinson, SFA
• Jennie Womble, ITT