The Joint Tactical Combat Training System System Model

Abstract

ABSTRACT The Joint Tactical Combat Training System (JTCTS) is a joint Navy/Air Force program to provide enhanced tactical combat training from single‐platform warfighting through integration of multi‐platform coordinated combat training (surface, subsurface, and air). Key requirements of JTCTS include the use of the Global Positioning System to generate platform position information, simulated platforms and weapons, and a real‐time radio datalink to transmit training data within 400 run of a JTCTS core‐capable site, using a distributed simulation architecture derived from distributed interactive simulations.Many design tradeoffs need to be made to implement this system. To enable the meaningful test and tradeoff of various design options, a software model of the JTCTS system was constructed. This discrete‐event simulation was implemented entirely in software running on commercial workstations. The model allows the designers to test various software and hardware design implementations and measure their influence on the “goodness” of the exercise data. Based on platform attitude and relative position, datalink connectivity can be assessed and various message‐passing algorithms tested. The effects of message latency and communications dropouts on dead‐reckoning accuracy can be directly measured. Effects of aircraft antenna shading, atmospheric effects on radio frequency propagation, and others can be turned on or off depending on the needs of the particular test, and to support validation of the model.The engineering model was created during the project concept definition; it is being used today in a number of design studies. One, a datalink transmitter power tradeoff, is giving insight into the relationship between the accuracy of after‐action reports and the heat dissipation of the datalink components. These simulated exercises are providing both the end‐user and the design team with insight into subsystem and operational interactions usually not seen until system integration testing.