TORONTO, Digital Journal — Thousands of soldiers scan the terrain. Many grip their rifles, pistols and machine guns as they navigate through enemy territory. In the exercise control centre, the operator analyst views a digital map and commands the computer to unleash a virtual barrage of artillery fire. After the operator pinpoints the targeted location, the computer declares a “catastrophic kill” for troops within 50 metres of that round. In another part of the battlefield, a machine gun mounted on a light armoured vehicle fires its laser at soldiers in the open. The battle begins — without any real casualties.
This is one scenario of what the Canadian army’s state-of-the-art Weapons Effects Simulation (WES) system will look like when it is completed in 2006. The Canadian Army started testing WES — which will measure the performance and readiness of the troops and their equipment — in Edmonton last October. WES is a live simulation system where soldiers use the same weapons and vehicles they would in real-life combat, in a simulated battle exercise designed to train them for actual war and peacekeeping missions. Though the Canadian Forces aren’t known for their technological and military might, they are finally joining the ranks of Western armies that have been using simulation systems for years. Previously, the Canadian military had sent only a handful of soldiers to train with allies who use similar systems, or they borrowed equipment.
“This will show the world we are serious about what we do by putting money in the best training system on par with the Americans and the British,” says Major Greg Burton, project director of WES. Jay Hill, defence critic for the Canadian Alliance, thinks WES can boost the Canadian military’s lacklustre reputation. “I think any new equipment that better prepares our forces for threats in the future is going to improve our stature internationally,” Hill says.
Army officials are also excited because they believe it will significantly increase the prospect for victory, or at least the soldier’s ability to survive. “It has been proven by our allies that using these kinds of live simulation systems do, in fact, improve the chances of mission success,” Burton says.
Modelled after the United States’ MILES 2000, the multiple integrated laser engagement system, WES is comparable to a sophisticated version of Laser Tag that allows opposing forces to hone and evaluate their skills in ground combat. “The WES system will probably be the most advanced system in the world when it’s built,” says Steve Fitzgerald, director of international marketing for Cubic Defense Applications, the San Diego, California-based company that won the $137-million contract to provide WES to Canada’s Department of National Defence. What sets this system above all the others, Fitzgerald says, is it creates the “most realistic combat environment” yet, unlike other virtual reality-based systems that train soldiers with computer games. These systems have advanced greatly since the early days of simulated battle from over two decades ago, when American armies would simply fire blank ammunition. Umpires, not computers, would assess the events on the battlefield.
Once this system is implemented, it will be mandatory for all units to undergo WES training at the Canadian Manoeuvre Training Centre (CMTC), the principal suite in Wainwright, Alberta. Up to 2,200 soldiers and 700 vehicles will participate in exercises at the Wainwright facility. The Wainwright suite is called an “instrumented” system because it contains the Communication and Information System, which transmits radio signals between the players and the exercise control centre (EXCON).
The CMTC will contain the Direct Fire Weapon Effects Simulation (DFWES) system, where lasers will be mounted on all direct-fire weapons such as rifles, machine guns and missiles. Soldiers and vehicles will also sport laser detectors indicating hits or misses. Players will have small, light vests equipped with miniature computers, radios, battery packs and global positioning systems (GPS) to transmit, receive and process all engagement data, or information about the players on the battlefield. The engagement data contains the GPS location of every shooter and target, which is broadcast to EXCON every 15 to 30 seconds through the radio system. The minicomputers will instantly relay the results of each laser- or radio-based engagement to the soldiers and their commanders.
When a player successfully fires a weapon at his opponent, the sound and vibration of the blank rounds will trigger a laser pulse, allowing the targeted player’s sensor to determine the type of weapon that hit him and its lethality. Based on probability, the computer will assess the outcome as a kill or an injury. Wounded soldiers will be subjected to a “life timer,” which is set to worsen their conditions unless they receive medical treatment within a time limit. Using a “God gun,” or Field Observer Controller gun, soldiers can be healed or resurrected. Observers and analysts will later prepare detailed After Action Reviews — the most crucial element of the system — highlighting the strengths and weaknesses of the players’ performance.
WES will include an Area Weapon Effects Simulation (AWES) subsystem, a software-generated, radio-transmitted simulation of area weapon fire. AWES uses GPS information to track players and simulate anything that cannot be imitated by lasers, such as artillery guns that fire in an arc. AWES also includes the effects of mortars, mines and nuclear, biological and chemical agents.
Bert Hall, a professor of military history at the University of Toronto, says there are some advantages to simulation systems that help soldiers adjust to certain battlefield scenarios. However, he isn’t convinced that even live simulation systems, where technology and realism intersect, can be very effective in recreating the unpredictable conditions of warfare in a post-9/11 world. He cites the consistent guerrilla attacks against American troops in Iraq as an example of this technology’s shortcomings. “The gap between virtual reality and real reality is very, very large when it comes to combat, so I’m not surprised that American soldiers are not always able to respond appropriately to protect themselves,” Hall says.
There may be a large gap between the simulated world and the reality of war, but many users of live simulation systems believe these technologies are worthwhile. WES may prove a wise and cost-effective investment because it can identify soldiers’ strengths and weaknesses to better pinpoint where to invest money and training time. With the rollout of WES, the concept of the Canadian army’s leap towards innovation won’t be just a figment of virtual reality.
