Simulation + Training: Cubic Defence Ausralia on the ground | ADM May 08

1 May 2008

San Diego-based Cubic Corporation has established an Australian subsidiary, Cubic Defence Australia Pty Ltd (CDA), to support and expand its provision of high-end combat training systems to the ADF.

By Julian Kerr, Sydney

Mark Horn, previously Cubic's site manager for Land 134 -the supply and installation of the Combat Training Centre - Live Instrumentation System (CTC-LIS) at Lavarack Barracks, heads the Townsville-based subsidiary as General Manager.

Horn has an extensive background in military training and commanded the second Security Detachment deployed in Baghdad in 2003.

The establishment of Cubic Defence Australia in March coincided with the achievement of Capability Acceptance for the $40 million CTC-LIS, four months after acceptance and 16 months after delivery got underway.

Cubic is now in the second year of a $40 million, seven-year support contract for the system.

The company's other major live training activity in Australia is the Australian Air Combat Manoeuvring Instrument A(ACMI) system for F/A-18s at RAAF Williamstown.

This $22 million project is also in the second year of a $6 million five-year support contract.

Horn told ADM that Cubic had already delivered the baseline capability for both these programs "and we want to be ahead of the game when it comes time to expand them.

"We can obviously get that set up better if we have a physical presence on the ground."

The CTC-LIS can track up to 480 exercise participants by GPS, display their location in near real time on electronic maps, and capture training events to enable replay and analysis.

The system is interoperable with other live, virtual and constructive simulation systems, including ACMI, and can be configured to provide battlefield effects in complex urban terrain.

Horn said CDA's immediate priority was to provide additional support to the CTC-LIS in Townsville, and as the fully relocatable system moved around the country.

The company was currently bidding on a contract to supply observer trainers and exercise controllers for CTC-LIS support - two years work for eight people.

Under pressure
Although Cubic dealt at the high end of collective training, it was apparent that the high operational tempo was putting units under a lot of pressure in performing basic levels of training.

CDA hoped to assist with a training model called SUITS (Small Unit Immersive Training System).

This was in operation in the US at Fort Leavenworth and West Point, and in an undisclosed Southeast Asian country.

"We want to basically frame up some of the capabilities Defence already has and tie them together to deliver a better training outcome at the low end collective," Horn commented.

CDA was also hopeful of substantial new business arising from the RAAF's Super Hornet program.

Horn said the Super Hornet utilised a Cubic P5 air combat manoeuvring instrumentation system.

This was a significant improvement over ACMI, also known as the Kadena instrumented training system (KITS), because it was encrypted.

"This means that joint and multinational training activities are far more effective with the P5 system than with KITS.

"Whether or not the RAAF have listed this as a line item we don't know yet, but it's certainly the right aircraft instrumentation system for the Super Hornet and we're pretty confident it would be part of the purchase package."

Cubic also provides significant support to the ADF's Joint Combined Training Capability (JCTC) project, which was heavily involved in last year's Exercise Talisman Sabre 07 involving nearly 17,000 Australian and US forces.

JCTC is a combined Australian / US initiative designed to enhance high-end bilateral training, increase and measure operational capability, improve interoperability, and facilitate capability development.

To achieve this the JCTC is intended to create an enduring architecture that links Australian and US headquarters, units, training areas and training management systems, constructive simulations and virtual simulators worldwide, into a single high quality training experience.

According to Horn, Cubic is probably providing more support to the JCTC than any other company.

"We instrumented the urban operations training facility at Shoalwater Bay, and we provided the Australian Defence Simulation Office with personnel and technical support to create the Training Experimentation Network Architecture (TENA).

"The TENA simulation bridge enabled the interoperability between the US and Australian simulation systems which was really fundemental to the success of Talisman Sabre 07 as a JCTC enabling event.

"The government now owns that bridge and can use it as often as it wants - it's not a Cubic-corporate thing."

Common standards
Horn said that because of TENA the Defence Training and Experimentation Network (DTEN) now being stood up by the Defence Simulation Office would be largely plug and play with the US Joint Training Experimentation Network.

As an example of what had already been achieved at the time of Talisman Sabre 07, a raid at Lime Creek Junction in Townsville carried out by special operations troops had been supported by an AC-130 virtual gunship flown from Florida.

This had been particularly useful for the joint tactical air controllers in the formation, a number of whom had subsequently been deployed overseas.