Preserving capacity, General Tom Lawson, Chief of the Defence Staff, Keys to Canadian SAR
Issue link: http://vanguardcanada.uberflip.com/i/337874
D DIGITAL ARMY www.vanguardcanada.com JUNE/JULY 2014 31 with updated mapping software, terrain features can change or, in a desert, may be few and far between to help refine a grid. Vaughan said the army is looking to introduce an additional interim capabil- ity through an RFP this fiscal year called DAMS (Digital Angulation Measuring System) that would overcome a problem with the digital magnetic compass when it is affected by nearby metal, especially that of a vehicle like a LAV. That interference can create an orientation error that usually translates to 10-100 metres for every kilo- metre to target, he explained. "If you have the limitation of the terrain that doesn't show you where your grid really is because you have nothing to reference it to, you have to look at the problem of how do I minimize my orientation error. DAMS uses a technology to orient itself extremely accurately and it has gotten small enough and light enough that we are able to lever- age it in the dismounted role." Into the simulator Equally important as the introduction of new operational capability is the training component. With budget reality affecting the availability of planes and munitions for live training exercises, the army is looking for more options in simulators. One of re- sults of the 2010 Joint Close Air Support Accreditation Program Memorandum of Agreement is the acceptance of more cer- tification for joint terminal attack control- lers in a simulator. Vaughan said that a modest investment into an interim FOO/FAC simulator has quickly paid for itself just by reducing aircraft hours and operations and mainte- nance costs. But he wants to ensure that the project delivers a training solution that retains as much of the live, pressured-filled experience as possible. His preparation for Afghanistan was far more stressful than anything he encountered in theatre. "My instructors brought me to the edge with how hard and complex they made the en- vironment – we trained for the worst of the worst scenarios and they wouldn't cer- tify you as combat ready until you demon- strated that you truly understood. "Nothing replaces real training with real ammunition, but this is an excellent way to augment it. We now have 270-degree domes in which you can sit in middle and see the terrain, look up and see the jet coming over your shoulder. And you have all of the same tools inside the simulator that you would in an operational environ- ment." The more immersive the environment, where light, sound, odor and temperature can all be controlled, the better, he added. The longer-term plan involves the in- tegration of a FOO/FAC simulator with the army's networked Land Vehicle Crew Training System, which will enhance simu- lation training for LAV crews, among oth- er vehicles, and with the air force's F-18 and future fighter jet training solutions. Although Vaughan's team is making the most of other army projects to develop the components for a modernized FOO/FAC approach, he is monitoring industry close- ly for new developments in tools "for the toolbox," especially for the dismounted soldier who requires "lighter and smaller form factors, and more digitally capable." But he says industry's greatest contribu- tion at this stage would be help in bringing all of the various pieces together. "The biggest part from industry, I think, is the integration of all these systems, ac- tually making them work together so that they are not lone pieces of equipment, that they are a system of systems, and that they are plug-and-play. As we go forward, in- stead of having to modernize the whole thing, we'd just have to modernize pieces as technology or requirements progress to reflect the modern battlespace." A new digital architecture for Forward Observation Officers and Forward Air Controllers will not eliminate friendly fire and collateral damage incidents but it will help ensure that everyone shares a com- mon and readily understandable digital language, which will do much to reduce the frequency of such incidents. Photos: Master Seaman Steve Picard