Introduction

ASTi systems provided the network voice communications infrastructure for an extensive live-virtual warfighting exercise conducted by the U.S. Army. The training exercise, called the Iraq Aviation Training Exercise (IATX), was part of an ongoing, intensive training program to prepare soldiers for service in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Noteworthy is the IATX participation of the Army's first Stryker Brigade Combat Team (SBCT) from Ft. Lewis, WA. Following a year of training at Ft. Lewis, Yakima Firing Range, Ft. Irwin and Ft. Polk, the SBCT recently received initial combat certification and are now beginning deployment to Iraq.

IATX involved three of the Army's premier training facilities, including:

Combat Aviation Simulation Facility (CAVSIM), Ft. Rucker, AL
CAVSIM relies on ASTi DACS systems with customized communications models to provide communications for re-configurable rotary-wing and fixed-wing aircraft simulators, command and control stations and exercise administration stations. ASTi-equipped CAVSIM elements participating in IATX included:

• OH-58D Kiowa Warrior Flight Simulators
• UH-60 Blackhawk Flight Simulators
• Fixed Wing Aircraft Flight Simulator
• Ground Vehicle Simulator
• Army Airborne Command & Control System (A2C2S), helicopter-based command and control mission kit
• Stealth / Observer and Controller Stations
• Battlemaster Station
• White Cell Tactical Operation Center

Air Warfare Simulation Center (AWSC), Ft. Rucker, AL
ASTi's off-the-shelf TOC Radio product provides communications for digital Tactical Operations Centers in the AWSC. These ASTi systems are pre-configured to meet all of the comms requirements of a modern Army TOC. ASTi DACS systems with customized communications models provide communications for exercise administration stations. ASTi-equipped AWSC elements participating in IATX included:

• Stealth / Observer and Controller Stations
• Battlemaster Station
• Simulated Tactical Operations Centers (TOCs) providing: Current Operations, Future Operations, Flight Operations, Combat Trains Command Post, S-2 Intelligence Officer

Stryker Brigade Combat Team (SBCT), Ft. Lewis, WA
Featuring real Stryker combat vehicles and command and staff elements, operating in a live maneuver area.

• Stryker elements were equipped with live SINCGARS crypto / frequency hopping radio transceivers.
• Secure radio traffic was bridged from the Strykers to the simulation network by ASTi Synapse Radio—Data Network Bridges.

Network Intercom—High Fidelity Radio Interoperability Issues
Synapse uses ASTi Network Intercoms for clear, lossless transport of live SINCGARS radio traffic across simulation networks. The simulator facilities at Ft. Rucker use ASTi network radios to provide high fidelity radio environment effects, such as: simulated crypto, frequency hopping/modulation, and ranging. Clear-comms network intercoms and high-fidelity simulated radios are inherently not interoperable.

• An ASTi DACS was installed at Ft. Rucker to provide interoperability between Synapse network intercoms and high fidelity simulated radios.
• The model functionally maps each Synapse intercom net to a simulated radio frequency.
• For example:
  • A Synapse at Ft. Lewis receives live SINCGARS traffic from a Stryker and encodes and transmits the digitized voice stream onto the simulation network on Intercom Net 1.
  • The Radio-Intercom Bridge at Ft. Rucker receives Intercom Net 1 traffic and re-transmits the traffic onto the network on Radio Frequency 40 MHz.
  • High fidelity radios installed in the Ft. Rucker flights simulators, TOCs and Battlemaster stations, tune to 40 MHz and receive the Stryker voice traffic.
  • Simulated radio traffic from Ft. Rucker follows the reverse path back to live Stryker elements at Ft. Lewis.

Networking

• Ft. Lewis—Ft. Rucker long haul link via multiple commercial T1 lines
• Transmission security via KG-194 Encryptors