Modern combat training still relies heavily on live exercises, but virtual simulation and constructive training are also key to mimicking real-world challenges in virtual and artificial intelligence-driven training environments. Such LVC (Live, Virtual, Constructive) training prepares trainees for operations in varied scenarios, including multi-domain operations without the cost and time commitment required for live training.
We spoke with Nick Yates, former Air Force division chief for operations training infrastructure now with CAE USA Defense & Security, about how the organization’s training systems are evolving to adapt to new threat environments.
Breaking Defense: What are the threat scenarios necessitating the need for LVC training?
Yates: The potential adversary is no longer predictable. Unlike previous decades, where adversaries operated within predicable integrated air defense systems, today’s threats are decentralized and agile. This shift requires us to be adaptable, flexible and responsive – in real time.
The need to be able to shift quickly and dynamically is similar to a football game when the defense changes its game plan mid-quarter and the offense needs to adjust. Unpredictability combined with advancing capabilities of potential adversaries is a complete change to today’s training approach versus what we did 10-20 years ago.
The Air Force conducts live training all the time in exercises like Red Flag and Agile Flag. Why are they not sufficient?
I want to stress that live training is extremely important to the overall training ecosystem. It must include airmanship, the ability to integrate with the joint force in a common/shared/collaborative environment, and tactics such as getting aircraft to the tanker for refueling are essential. You have to train for all potential events and requirements.
There is absolute value to conducting live training for the mentioned, but as our technology advances we have outgrown many of our physical airspaces and ranges. There are some alternatives – locations with the range and space to train, which are cost and time prohibitive. We need to overcome the challenge of multi-force training exercises.
The answer is in the virtual environment, where we can build out an actual real-world replica where airspace constraints are not a factor. We can create an environment that reproduces the actual situation in quality, quantity and depth by using a virtual, synthetic environment. The goal is to provide the warfighter his or her first 10 combat sorties before they get into the cockpit so they’re totally familiar and experienced when they get into the actual aircraft.
CAE talks about how the LVC environment is dependent on good data. Explain.
Every event that we run and every parameter and performance criteria measurable plays into ensuring we are accurately reproducing the environment. Every piece of information needs to be assessed, synthesized, organized and stored so it can be exploited as data. Constant inputs dynamically impact to make continuous adjustments to mirror the live and virtual for a fully realistic shared experience.
It’s about educating all of our systems using the data harvested from all participants, elements and factors. The same for all domains. Data from all domains and environments will combine into a training ecosystem for a true, collaborative LVC environment.
We haven’t talked about constructive training. Tell us about it.
With LVC, entities that are not physically there but are presenting accurately to the warfighter. This enables planning, training and rehearsal of multiple and complex scenarios including red forces from all domains.
Constructive training is the third arm of LVC which uses computer-based simulation to replicate real-world scenarios without deploying actual troops or equipment. The simulated environment is digitally modeled and is integrated into the overall environment which includes the “live” and “virtual” elements and participants. It enables the operating theater to incorporate an almost endless number of entities.
For a couple of significant exercises in the INDOPACOM theater, we successfully integrated simulators on the ground, live aircraft, ships from the US Navy, live threats that are actually airborne, and constructive red and blue players. The ability to combine the Air Force, Navy and Army with missile defense helps bolster success to effectively reproduce the real-world conditions and dynamic operating tempo of today’s threat environment for effective training and optimal mission readiness.