Excellence begins with training: why practice makes the difference between victory and defeat
Nowadays, an effective army needs more than high-performance equipment and a strategy – it must be able to use its resources effectively, be prepared for a variety of scenarios and remain capable of acting under the most extreme conditions. Combat Training Centres (CTC) and state-of-the-art training concepts provide a wealth of data that can already provide answers to tomorrow's questions.
Learning means adapting to a new environment. This requires addressing psychomotor skills in order to handle the appropriate equipment correctly, socio-effective skills to perfect teamwork, and cognitive skills, which are necessary to process information and ultimately make decisions based on it. About 20 years ago, most nations began investing in modern combat training centres (CTCs) to test the effectiveness of their capabilities under realistic conditions and to prepare their own troops for deployment in the best possible way. After all, there is no substitute for experience. Increasingly sophisticated equipment and complex tasks require repeated training. Only those who have understood their objectives and tasks and practised techniques and tactics can recall them at any time under time pressure and extreme conditions. Confronting numerous situations during joint training strengthens troop cohesion and makes it possible to deal with an opponent in the first place.
But CTCs can do much more. They play a central role in the development of new tactics and doctrines, says Hans Lindgren, Head of Business Development for Combat Training Centres at the Swedish defence company Saab: ‘In modern CTCs, troops not only train for their next mission. They also test new methods and strategies in simulations and various scenarios to build the skills needed for future conflicts.’ A quality that is becoming a necessity not least because of the geopolitical situation. Hybrid conflicts such as the one in Ukraine require new approaches, and these must also be tested. ‘More and more armed forces are recognising this opportunity and taking advantage of it. They train more frequently, collect data all the time and everywhere – even during operations – and thus gain an enormous wealth of data,’ says Lindgren.
Changing locations increases the training effect
The objectives of a training session can be diverse. While individual soldiers can use the immediate feedback mechanisms to practice combat in a realistic way, the training data also provides important insights into whether the methods used and the available technologies are sufficient to achieve the desired results. In this context, mistakes made during training are often more valuable than success, because CTCs provide the space to learn from them, draw conclusions and rethink one's own tactics without endangering a single human life. Along with the sensors and communications software that collect the data, the Excercise Control (EXCON) software is the heart of a Combat Training Centre. It is responsible for planning, executing and evaluating military exercises. The more regularly training is carried out – ideally at different locations – the better the troops' skills become and the higher the data quality, because different factors can be taken into account.
‘More and more customers are deciding in favour of a mobile Combat Training Centre. On the one hand for reasons of space, and on the other because they have recognised that training on different terrain offers numerous advantages,‘ explains Lindgren. Studies and reports show that training in different environments, for example in terms of climate, terrain or enemy threat, leads to increased adaptability and generally improves soldiers’ decision-making skills. Mental resilience also increases because different environments simulate the challenges of real operational scenarios. Furthermore, it is possible to train in terrain that may not be available in one's own country. A mobile CTC can do all this because all the equipment needed for a training exercise can be easily and quickly transported in containers to different locations.
Joining forces
Training centres can provide various levels of training – from individual training to collective training, to combined training of different units, and even multinational training. Even if the requirements or needs of individual armed forces are very different, the equipment of a combat training centre should ideally not be, for precisely this reason. This is because using the same system makes combined training easy. More than 35 nations worldwide, with focus in Europe and North America, including numerous NATO member states, are already using Saab's GAMER live training system. It is interoperable and uses a combination of laser and geometric coupling technology to effectively support various types of operation. The GAMER system has thus become the de facto standard for military training. Particularly in the context of NATO countries, which now also includes Sweden, this market penetration offers enormous advantages. With GAMER, CTCs from different nations can be connected to each other ‘plug-and-play’ and the practising nations have complete interoperability. The system was used, for example, in the recent ‘Nordic Response’ exercise. Nordic Response is part of the NATO exercise Steadfast 2024, in which more than 20,000 participants are taking part. By using a system that has been tried and tested in international operations, global defence cooperation can be effectively strengthened.
A dedicated community of GAMER nations – the ‘Interoperability User Community’ (IUC) – with its current 16 actively participating nations is also working on common requirements and standards that are also incorporated into the development of new technologies in order to continuously develop cooperation within the alliance.
A new level of realism
While many live training systems in CTCs use a single-path laser to simulate the firing of ammunition, Saab relies on the BT46 two-track laser technoglogy for GAMER, which precisely models the speed, flight time and flight path of the ammunition. This system is currently the most accurate and realistic laser-based simulator system in the world. For example, when a vehicle is hiding behind a building, only the real-time trajectory provided by a 2-way laser can determine whether the vehicle or the building has been hit. This factor is extremely important for effective training, especially for longer-range weapons, which are increasingly being used. Among many other features, BT46 offers high accuracy, wireless technology and augmented reality in the sights. The set-up and control functions are carried out compactly via smartphones and tablets. A scaled-down version of Saab's Exercise Control software can also be installed on these tablets, making exercise control even more mobile. The system displays each trainee and their status in real time and records every shot and hit. Sensors can be attached to weapons, various devices, vehicles and even drones, creating a deceptively realistic live training environment.
24/7 support
While in the past large-scale exercises were often only conducted a few times a month or even a year, today training takes place almost daily. Data is collected in a wide range of situations and sometimes even in action, providing important insights into the capabilities of one's own troops and technologies that are needed for future operations. To ensure that armed forces can concentrate on the essentials during these exercises – namely the execution of an exercise – experts are needed in the background to ensure that everything runs smoothly. Saab offers a so-called availability concept as part of its CTC. This means that equipment will be replaced within an hour in the event of damage or malfunction. In addition, there are a variety of services: Saab can take over the entire management of a CTC or just provide a few people to support the armed forces team. From the provision of spare parts, to the implementation of repairs and the management of resources, the entire exercise can be coordinated and controlled by Saab experts. According to Hans Lindgren, head of business development, business unit Training & Simulation at Saab, the needs of individual armed forces vary greatly in this regard. However, in recent years, he has noticed an increasing demand for external support, which is ultimately likely to be linked to the efficient use of scarce resources.
Lessons learnt
Only by recognising tomorrow's challenges can solutions be developed today to meet them. Ultimately, nothing less than the protection of human life is at stake – this applies to the individual soldier in the field and to the societies he protects or defends. In many Western armed forces, the importance of training is already enshrined in the most recent doctrines. According to the NATO Training Directive and the US Army Field Manual, training and the development of capabilities are at the top of the list. They emphasise that sustainable operational readiness cannot be achieved without regular and effective training measures.
Training & Simulation
Realistic training, followed by immediate feedback is the best way to prepare for the real mission. Training experience leads to quick, correct decision making in real situations, saving lives at risk. We provide solutions that suit your precise needs with realistic exercises in both open and urban terrain, from individual and combined arms at platoon level, to joint operations at brigade combat team level.
Read more