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03 Sep 21. 4GD to exhibit ACIES IntegratedRealities at DSEI 2021. 4GD, close combat immersive technology specialists, will be showcasing their innovative new solutions at DSEI 2021. Taking place at London’s ExCel Centre between 14-17 September, the veteran-run, UK based company will be part of the Brigantes stand H1-480, in the exhibition’s Security Zone.
4GD will exhibit their flagship SmartFacility® solution in the form of a mini-Close Quarters Battle (CQB) lane along with a SimStriker smart target dummy which can record hits from non-ballistic ammunition. The CQB lane will also be equipped with a sample of ACIES IntegratedRealities, a synthetic environment that seamlessly brings together the physical and digital worlds.
While linked to the SmartFacility®, ACIES IntegratedRealities will reflect actions taken in the physical CQB lane into a digital environment, so the SimStriker also appears as the avatar of an enemy combatant to anyone with a portal to the virtual world. Therefore, when the target is engaged in the real-world and drops, the avatar will also be neutralised and anyone viewing its virtual representation will see this.
ACIES was launched as a revolutionary new product in January 2021 alongside ECFECTUS, a tactical performance data collection system. Together, the two solutions aim to extend the range of capabilities that 4GD’s SmartFacility® can offer and drive further performance improvements in close combat training.
DSEI visitors will be invited to wear 4GD’s motion tracking kit, enter the CQB lane equipped with a UTM weapon and clear it from a hostile target. Outside of the range, viewers will be able to see their progress in a synthetic tactical UAS feed. This will also be available on replay afterwards.
Whilst full functionality can only be provided in a fully enabled SmartFacility®, the 4GD team will be available to field questions and elaborate on the exciting opportunities ACIES unlocks. Visitors with an interest in Mortars, Snipers, UAS or any combined arms, will be welcome to explore how 4GD, and their partners D3A, can build these into a joint physical/synthetic battlefield. As is customary at DSEI, 4GD will also host refreshments at the end of each day. Join 4GD at the Brigantes stand, H1-480.
01 Sep 21. US and Israeli naval vessels sail together in Gulf of Aqaba. Four Israeli and US ships conducted the combined milestone maritime patrol. The US Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT) has carried out a combined maritime security patrol with the Israeli Navy in the Red Sea.
The milestone maritime patrol, which was conducted on 30-31 August, saw four Israeli and US Navy ships sailing together in the Gulf of Aqaba. US 5th Fleet and Combined Maritime Forces NAVCENT commander vice-admiral Brad Cooper said: “Our navies are ushering in a new era of expanded cooperation and capacity building.
“We are partnering in new ways, which is essential for preserving security in today’s dynamic maritime environment.”
In the exercise, guided-missile cruiser USS Monterey (CG 61) sailed together with an Israeli Navy corvette and two patrol boats, with the US Navy’s P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft flying overhead.
The four ships conducted air defence, high-value unit defence and other small boat operations. The vessels also conducted tactical manoeuvre training.
NAVCENT Task Force 55 commodore captain Robert Francis said: “Combined patrols like these help maintain regional maritime security and stability.
“The collaboration has been tremendous. We share a common understanding with our international counterparts that there is strength in unity.”
In January 2021, the US shifted Israel’s area of responsibility (AOR) from US European Command (USEUCOM) to US Central Command (USCENTCOM).
This change comes into effect from 1 September.
According to the US Navy, the change in AOR provides new opportunities for cooperation between regional navies across the Middle East. (Source: naval-technology.com)
31 Aug 21. NAVSUP FLC Yokosuka conducts second annual COOPEX exercise. The latest COOPEX focused exclusively on natural disasters and reported improvements in speed and accuracy. The US Naval Supply Systems Command (NAVSUP) Fleet Logistics Center (FLC) Yokosuka has successfully conducted the second annual Continuity of Operations Exercise (COOPEX).
The exercise required synchronisation among NAVSUP FLC Yokosuka’s 14 sites across the Indo-Asia-Pacific region.
It tests the command’s ability and readiness to perform mission essential functions with less disruption during natural disasters, terrorist or military attacks, infrastructure failures, and other emergencies.
The latest COOPEX focused exclusively on natural disasters, with the 1,200 participants placed across multiple sites in the Indo-Pacific region.
NAVSUP FLC Yokosuka commanding officer captain Edward Pidgeon said: “We are always mindful of naval competitors in this region, however, natural disasters are another threat here.
“Many of our professionals remember the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and have stories to tell of what it was like, both professionally and personally.”
The training was conducted under simulated severe natural disaster events, such as earthquakes and tsunamis, that led to conditions such as infrastructure failures, loss of communications, and impact to workforce.
NAVSUP FLC Yokosuka assistant operations officer lieutenant commander Kevin Peters said: “If in the event you lose all communications, it is up to you to apply your best judgement to the training scenario.
“Remember to apply the commanding officer’s standing orders.”
The facilitators of COOPEX exercise designed the trial scenarios to enhance interoperability between NAVSUP FLC Yokosuka’s sites to help sustain operations. It was observed that this year’s COOPEX saw improvement in speed and accuracy compared to last year’s exercise. (Source: naval-technology.com)
31 Aug 21. RED FLAG-Alaska 21-3 exercise concludes at Alaska base. This iteration of the exercise involved the Royal Australian Air Force and several US military units. The final iteration of this year’s RED FLAG-Alaska (RF-A) multinational exercise has successfully concluded at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska. RF-A is a series of field training exercises involving counter-air, close air support and large force employment training for forces in a simulated combat environment. The exercises are intended to help enhance interoperability and demonstrate air dominance in the Indo-Pacific region. Around 1,800 US and Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) personnel took part in the RF-A 21-3 iteration, as well as more than 80 jets from more than 20 units. The exercise was sponsored by Pacific Air Forces (PACAF), a major command of the US Air Force. The latest iteration of RED FLAG exercises is the first to feature F-35 Lighting II joint strike fighters from the RAAF and fifth-generation aircraft from the US. Although RF-A 21-3 included only US and Australian forces, armed services from other ally and partner countries have participated in previous RED FLAG exercises.
RAAF Squadron Leader II Squadron Detachment commander John Thornton said: “RED FLAG provides an excellent opportunity for our two countries in continuing to improve our interoperability and integration.
“Not only does this include the aircraft flying the missions, but also between all the support personnel from both countries like the intelligence and maintenance teams.
“This integration and interoperability is essential in developing an intelligent and skilled workforce that is ready to deliver air power when called upon.”
US Air Force Major Gregory Weigel said: “This exercise was a great opportunity for us to work closely with units from Australia and from all around the United States, showing our resolve to keep the Indo-Pacific region free and open.”
RF-A exercises take place three to four times a year. The majority of take-offs during the exercises happen from either Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson or Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska. (Source: airforce-technology.com)
31 Aug 21. USAF Reserve Airmen take part in Patriot Warrior training exercise. The Patriot Warrior exercise involves Airmen training in airlifts, aeromedical evacuations and mobility support.
The US Air Force has announced that 35 Reserve Airmen from the Air Force Reserve Command’s 403rd Wing participated in a recently concluded training exercise, Patriot Warrior 2021.
The Patriot Warrior exercise involves Airmen conducting airlifts, aeromedical evacuations and mobility support drills together with joint and international partners.
The latest edition included wing members from the 36th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron, 403rd Aeromedical Staging Squadron, 403rd Logistics Readiness Squadron, 815th Airlift Squadron, 803rd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron and 403rd Wing Public Affairs.
Around 260 Reserve Citizen Airmen and 4,000 US Army Soldiers also participated in the drills.
During the exercise, a fully operational base with mobile hospitals was established. Simulated patients were flown in on military aircraft, including a C-130J Super Hercules aircraft piloted by the 815th Airlift Squadron.
The Airmen worked to carry out command and control operations, air drops, patient care and logistics operations.
36th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron flight nurse captain Matthew Allen and First Lieutenant Jennifer Alvarez-Billinger were responsible for setting up operations on the ground.
Cpt Allen said: “We can operate anywhere a fixed-wing aircraft can go and can be anywhere in the world in 72 hours.
“In this exercise, we had many scenarios to include point-of-injury pickup, where we had to stabilise our patients.
“Picking up casualties directly from a Black Hawk helicopter, which landed right off our tail, doing rapid assessments and then loading them onto our plane in a matter of minutes is different from your typical [aeromedical evacuation] movement.
“To do this first-hand in a realistic ‘wartime’ environment is very important training.”
Cpt Allen and Lt Alvarez-Billinger said that the exercise had improved their skill sets and that they felt more prepared for their next deployment.
Earlier this month, US Air Force personnel took part in RED FLAG-Alaska, a multinational series of field training exercises. (Source: airforce-technology.com)
23 Aug 21. In this fifth part of Spring Storm In The Baltic Region our focus falls on the SWIFT RESPONSE artillery on the heliborne air assault phase, reports Bob Morrison.
Background for those who may not have yet read Parts 1 to 4: SWIFT RESPONSE 2021 was a US-led multinational exercise held near simultaneously across several countries, linked into the DEFENDER-Europe 2021 deployment of troops from the United States into several European countries, aimed at demonstrating the US and NATO Alliance commitment and ability to rapidly reinforce in times of crisis. SWIFT RESPONSE activities in Europe commenced in Estonia in early May, just ahead of the national KEVADTORM / SWIFT STORM field exercises, with a Transatlantic Joint Forcible Entry (JFE) phase which was immediately followed up by an Air Assault phase and then a package of live-fire exercises involving American and British airborne troops.
As is often the case with a NATO airborne insertion exercise, artillery (known as Fires in US parlance) assets were parachuted in as part of the Heavy Drop which in peacetime is usually dropped close to, but on safety grounds not on top of, the Drop Zone used to insert the Paratroopers. The airborne gunners who have parachuted in alongside the infantry companies and other supporting troops then make their way speedily to their guns, de-rig and manhandle them off the airdrop platforms they were parachuted on, then set up a gun line to provide cover and counter-battery fire as the airborne infantry fans out to clear any enemy troops in the immediate area and to secure the bridgehead behind enemy lines for follow-on operations.
The British-made M777, originally the Vickers Ultralight Field Howitzer, weighs just 4.2 tonnes and can be parachuted with a supply of ready ammunition on a heavy airdrop platform [©BM]
Dependent on the size of the formation dropped, and the assets of the NATO nation undertaking the parachute insertion, the artillery support can vary from mortars, either 81mm or 120mm, to towed howitzers, from 105mm to 155mm, or a combination of all. Normally the Joint Forcible Entry would me made onto, or reasonably close by, an airfield capable of accepting a follow-on TALO (Tactical Air Land Operation) phase undertaken by transport aircraft carrying heavier vehicles and equipment plus resupplies of expendables to sustain the operation beyond the limited period (days rather than weeks) that Paratroopers are self-sufficient for when they drop. Self-propelled artillery and bulk ammunition would usually follow on with the TALO, but a quantity of ready ammunition to allow the artillery to operate until the designated airfield has been secured by the Paras is delivered with the Heavy Drop (see SWIFT RESPONSE 2021 ~ Drop Zone Vehicles Album for library images of a US Heavy Drop).
By the afternoon of the parachute insertion onto Nurmsi airfield in Estonia, which took place in the early hours of 8th May 2021 following a day’s safety delay as a major storm front passed through the Baltic region, the joint formation of Paratroopers – drawn from the US 82nd Airborne Division (primarily 1st Battalion of the 508th Infantry Regiment) and the UK 16th Air Assault Brigade (primarily 2nd Battalion of the Parachute Regiment) – had secured the airfield’s perimeter, expanded north-east into the forest to mop up all remnants of enemy forces in the area, and were reorganising for an evening heliborne move from Nurmsi to link up with Estonian and NATO eFP allies on and around the Central Training Area near Tapa. With this initial phase of the JFE successfully completed, the airborne gunners from 1st Battalion of 319th Field Artillery Regiment or 1-319 AFAR were now free to also move forward to Tapa by helicopter so they packed away their howitzers and moved to their designated area on the PZ (or Pickup Zone) as the DZ (or Drop Zone) was now designated; for SWIFT RESPONSE 2021 in Estonia the same location was used for both DZ and PZ, but on previous larger JFE exercises I have covered, which did not have not have to be run under COVID-19 restrictions, different DZ and PZ locations were used.
The PZ at Nurmsi was split into parallel Staging Area Light and Staging Area Heavy sectors, running with the direction of the old Cold War-era grass runway military airfield and each stretching for several hundred metres / yards. A total of seven lifts was scheduled to fly forward, with each helicopter making repeat round trips to move over 600 personnel and their equipment:-
- The Artillery elements [LOYALTY] took two lifts, consisting of six chalks and then two chalks.
- The Infantry [FURY] took two lifts, in mixed serials of twelve chalks and then eight chalks.
- The Headquarters and Headquarters Company [3 BCT HHC] took one lift of three chalks.
- The Reconnaissance Company [RECON] took two lifts, each of five chalks.
As afternoon turned to evening and the day’s incessant drizzle turned to squally showers, I relocated to the south side of the Staging Area Heavy with the intermittent bright sunshine behind me to wait for the first lift to commence. Both CH-47 Chinook and UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters from the US Army 1st Infantry Division’s 1st Combat Aviation Brigade, deployed to Europe on the ATLANTIC RESOLVE 7 mission, were used to transport guns and personnel forward, with the first wave consisting of three Chinooks plus three Black Hawks and the second consisting of four Black Hawks. Before commencing the lifts the helicopter pilots, who had flown in from the west, set down line astern on the Staging Area Light to conduct the necessary peacetime safety briefings with representatives from the units who had crossed the Atlantic the night before to parachute onto a different continent; as always with military operations, ‘hurry up and wait’ was the mantra of the day while everyone ensured the other parties were reading from the same script.
With all briefings complete, those helicopters tasked with lifting the artillery took off and crabbed across to the Staging Area Heavy to conduct a trial lift of the howitzers. This is another peacetime precaution and one which prevents the loadmaster having to dump a potentially unsafe load (which I have witnessed myself in the past) to protect the aircraft and its occupants in the case of something unexpectedly going wrong in the air. A Hum-vee carrying a new artillery locating system, packed away in its hard cases for transit, was also lifted by a Chinook during this trial phase to give the crews experience of both rigging and air-lifting, but although its crew were flown forward in Lift 1 the vehicle itself was unhooked and left on the PZ.
Once the trial heavy lifts were completed, by three Chinooks and one Black Hawk, the pilots crabbed them off to the side and settled down to allow the personnel from LOYALTY to board the aircraft and take their seats as the rotors turned and burned. Just before the appointed hour, the three aircraft designated to lift the gun line howitzers (2x 155mm and 1x 105mm) took of and moved sideways again where handlers once again hooked the loads up and once this was speedily accomplished all six helicopters assigned to Lift 1 took to the skies and headed north towards the Tapa polygon, where a new gun line would be established to support the following live-fire attacks by the parachute infantry company from 508 PIR. (Source: www.joint-forcescom)
31 Aug 21. NAVSUP FLC Yokosuka conducts second annual COOPEX exercise. The latest COOPEX focused exclusively on natural disasters and reported improvements in speed and accuracy.
The US Naval Supply Systems Command (NAVSUP) Fleet Logistics Center (FLC) Yokosuka has successfully conducted the second annual Continuity of Operations Exercise (COOPEX).
The exercise required synchronisation among NAVSUP FLC Yokosuka’s 14 sites across the Indo-Asia-Pacific region.
It tests the command’s ability and readiness to perform mission essential functions with less disruption during natural disasters, terrorist or military attacks, infrastructure failures, and other emergencies.
The latest COOPEX focused exclusively on natural disasters, with the 1,200 participants placed across multiple sites in the Indo-Pacific region.
NAVSUP FLC Yokosuka commanding officer captain Edward Pidgeon said: “We are always mindful of naval competitors in this region, however, natural disasters are another threat here.
“Many of our professionals remember the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and have stories to tell of what it was like, both professionally and personally.”
The training was conducted under simulated severe natural disaster events, such as earthquakes and tsunamis, that led to conditions such as infrastructure failures, loss of communications, and impact to workforce.
NAVSUP FLC Yokosuka assistant operations officer lieutenant commander Kevin Peters said: “If in the event you lose all communications, it is up to you to apply your best judgement to the training scenario.
“Remember to apply the commanding officer’s standing orders.”
The facilitators of COOPEX exercise designed the trial scenarios to enhance interoperability between NAVSUP FLC Yokosuka’s sites to help sustain operations.
It was observed that this year’s COOPEX saw improvement in speed and accuracy compared to last year’s exercise. (Source: naval-technology.com)
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About InVeris Training Solutions
InVeris Training Solutions combines an agile approach with an unmatched expertise in training technology to design and deliver customized, cutting-edge, first-rate training solutions that keep military, law enforcement, private and commercial range clients safe, prepared and ready to serve – Because Seconds Matter™. With a portfolio of technology-enabled training solutions, and a team of 400 employees driven to innovate, InVeris Training Solutions is the global leader in integrated live-fire and virtual weapons training solutions. With its legacy companies, FATS® and Caswell, InVeris Training Solutions has fielded over 15,000 live-fire ranges and 7,500 virtual systems globally during its 90-year history. The Company is headquartered in Suwanee, Georgia and partners with clients in the US and around the world from facilities on five continents.
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