• Military Menu                       

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Industry
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• WMD
• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

TESTIMONY OF
REAR ADMIRAL DAVID T. HART, JR., U.S. NAVY
DIRECTOR, FLEET READINESS DIVISION

BEFORE THE
SUBCOMMITTEE ON READINESS
AND
THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON TERRORISM, UNCONVENTIONAL THREATS AND CAPABILITIES
HOUSE ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE
UNITED STATES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

REGARDING
JOINT NATIONAL TRAINING CAPABILITY

 March 18, 2004
 

Introductory remarks

Chairman Hefley, Chairman Saxton, and distinguished members of these subcommittees, I truly appreciate the opportunity to present you with an update of Navy participation in the Joint National Training Capability (JNTC) development effort.   The Navy is fully engaged in this important transformation of training designed to merge the training and operational environments across the Services.  At the same time as we work toward goals of overall training transformation, we must also preserve our existing high standards of core-skills training, and apply these skills to build joint capabilities across the Department of Defense.  

The Navy works closely with the U.S. Joint Forces Command JNTC Joint Management Office in development and implementation of the Joint National Training Capability.  As one of three capabilities identified in the Department of Defense's training transformation plan, this effort broadens and deepens the reach of joint force training.  The Navy is also engaged in the other DoD transformation of training initiatives -- the Joint Knowledge Development and Distribution Capability, led by the Joint Staff training office, and the Joint Assessment and Enabling Capability, led by the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness.  As the first focus of our transformation efforts, the JNTC promises an enhanced way to train that offers joint forces and the Services a potential spectrum of live, virtual, and constructive (LVC) training environments. 

. Live = real people in real locations using real equipment
. Virtual Simulation = real people in simulators
. Constructive Simulation = simulated entities in a simulated environment 

This training transformation creates joint warfighting conditions through a networked collection of interoperable training sites and nodes that synthesize personnel, doctrine, and technology to achieve both combatant commander and service training requirements.

Providing realistic combat training, offering an adaptive and credible opposing force, establishing common ground truth, and giving high quality feedback, are the founding pillars of this capability.  As a result of this enhanced training environment, participants will have a global, network-centric capability that strengthens military transformation efforts to promote war fighter effectiveness. 

The LVC environment melds existing operational and strategic facets of exercises with live forces, creating a more robust and realistic experience.  JNTC will create an environment where every level of training is orchestrated within a joint context to provide the highest level of training for seamless future military operations.  Events will target the following levels of execution: 

·        Horizontal:    Service-to-Service training to improve interoperability and joint
                      operation issues

·        Vertical:      strategic to tactical components joint training to improve vertical
                      command integration

·        Integration:  enhanced existing joint exercises to address joint interoperability
                      training in a joint context

·        Functional:  dedicated joint training environment to train to specific
                     warfighting capabilities and complex joint tasks 

The long-term mission of this initiative is to incorporate Service branches, interagency, and multinational coalition partners.  By 2009, the goal is to have the capability to train any audience -- unified commands, Services, multinational, and interagency -- in the full joint warfighting context.  The persistent network will focus on joint training, experimentation, testing, education, and mission rehearsal, by linking command and control, training facilities, ranges, and simulation centers throughout the world. 

Navy JNTC Requirements

In keeping with Department of Defense Training Transformation guidance, the Navy is developing requirements for the increased use of modeling and simulation for training, with needs for an integrated synthetic environment capable of connecting geographically dispersed training audiences at sea, ashore, and in the air.   Historically, Navy training has used different architectures, connectivity, modeling, and simulation systems for each event and exercise, which represents a repetitive and expensive, time-consuming process.  In a major effort to rectify these problems and greatly improve training and cost efficiencies, the Chief of Naval Operations has directed the establishment of Task Force SIM, as the single unified voice for Fleet simulation requirements.  It will study alternate acquisition strategies and use of simulation, stimulators and simulators to enhance training and efficiency, and replace outdated training systems.  The goal of the task force is to ensure that the Fleet receives enhanced realistic training using simulation throughout the training cycle within a standardized architecture.  Task Force SIM will focus on the following areas that directly support our participating in the Joint National Training Capability:  

            . Strike group training

            . Multi-platform, mission-linked flight training

            . Integrated internal ship training in operations and engineering

            . Defining integrated training architectures

            . Implementing comprehensive program management

            . Aligning acquisition to support Fleet Response Plan and joint
              requirements 

Joint training opportunities exist from the small unit, tactical level through large staffs at the operational and strategic levels, but are largely unknown among the Services due to lack of visibility into training schedules, practices, and requirements/desires for participation.  

A collaborative scheduling mechanism that informs and enables joint training at all levels would greatly increase opportunities for individual units to coordinate Service specific events into joint events.  Navy views creation of such a tool an important step in achieving the JNTC vision.  

Navy Participation in JNTC Development 

The Navy has been involved in JNTC development from its inception.  As a historically joint Service with the Marine Corps, we truly realize the force multiplying results through leveraging capabilities across Service lines.  The ongoing transformation of  naval forces seeks to dramatically expand the advantage that America's global maritime dominance offers our joint force commanders, by assuring them theater access and a secure and sovereign base from which to mount devastatingly effective offensive and defensive operations.   The emerging transformational capabilities reflect the creation of innovative operational and training concepts that will harness advanced technologies as well as changes across doctrine, organization, training, materiel, leader development, personnel, and facilities to perform critical missions and tasks.   

In support of JNTC development, and to achieve improved oversight and advocacy for range capabilities and sustainment, Navy has established the Navy Range Office, a single entity responsible for all range policy, resourcing, and management oversight.  The Navy Range Office is managed within my Division.  

Navy Efforts in Live, Virtual, Constructive (LVC) Environment 

The Navy's Continuous Training Environment (NCTE), in conjunction with the Joint National Training Capability, will provide the capabilities to conduct training on demand, saving time, manpower and additional costs by providing a persistent network that connects geographically dispersed training simulators and systems with geographically dispersed forces. 

NCTE will:

. Consist of Modeling and Simulation (M&S), federations, software, tactical training ranges, infrastructure, and forces joined in a common network for training events, with a management and scheduling office providing central control of the Services on the network.

. Meet required capabilities through the use of Test and Training Enabling Architecture standards that set data definition and transmission requirements for diverse, Service and joint-specific training, and operational systems and ranges as well as to joint systems.

 . Serve as the Navy's common portal for connecting to individual Services' training networks, M&S systems, and forces.

. Ensure new training systems adhere to defined standards.

. Update legacy systems to meet the new standards.

.  Provide independent communications to support simulation and control functions, with consideration for disadvantaged communication users where this impacts them; i.e., ships at sea.

. Ensure integration of tactical communications and the standards to
            support.

. Control Services' infrastructure standards among Services and common C4I interface standards. 

The focus of Training Transformation is on using modeling and simulation to complement and enhance constrained live training time with virtual training events conducted in a synthetic battle space.  Persistent networking of Service training capabilities will provide a continuous virtual environment for training forces at all levels in LVC environment (single unit through Joint Task Force) in multi-warfare mission areas and meet the Combatant Commanders' tactical and strategic requirements.  

To this effect, NTCE will: 

. Support the Fleet Response Plan for providing qualified and certified surge forces, capable of sustaining readiness levels in support of Combatant Commanders' requirements.  The synthetic battle space provides the capability for rapid refresher training and re-qualification of joint task forces.

 . Support the Fleet Training Strategy as a single model for training, whether on the east coast, west coast, or for forward deployed forces that use virtual training capabilities to implement the training and surge force requirements.

. Provide training validation of joint and Fleet requirements found in Joint and Navy Mission Essential Task Lists .

. Assist in the development of simulation systems to support Fleet training, qualifications and mission rehearsal requirements that are fundamental to sustaining legitimate operational readiness. 

Last year the Navy adopted the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency-developed and U.S. Joint Forces Command-sponsored Joint Semi-Automated Forces (JSAF) simulation as the core simulation for its training architecture.  JSAF has been used for over five years by the Navy Warfare Development Command in developing war fighting environments in the Navy's experimentation program.  JSAF was designed from the beginning to support the LVC environment, and its modular simulation architecture allows efficient and effective changes to its representations.  Programmatically it is now a product of the Naval Sea Systems Command Integrated Warfare Systems Directorate, which also develops the Navy's Battle Force Tactical Training shipboard-based stimulation system. 

JSAF also integrates the Ocean and Atmospheric Services Environmental Simulation (OASES) that provides a coupled ocean atmospheric model needed to create a realistic environment for simulated objects to interact in concert with physical kinetics and sensor performance.   This function is required to effectively support the integration of LVC; and without the capability, a fair fight within the LVC environment cannot exist.  OASES was developed in a cooperative program sponsored by the Defense Modeling and Simulation Office, the Navy Warfare Development Command, the Naval Research Laboratory, and the Navy's Oceanographer.  The important area of Anti-Submarine Warfare cannot be effectively represented without an adequately represented, atmospheric-ocean coupled environment. 

The Navy has just completed the successful execution of the first Multi-Battle Group Inport Exercise (MBGIE).  Three Carrier Strike Groups, geographically distributed in three Fleet concentration areas, participated in a common geographical exercise from inport.  The USS JOHN C. STENNIS Strike Group in San Diego, USS CARL VINSON Strike Group in the Pacific Northwest ports of Bremerton and Everett, and USS HARRY S. TRUMAN Strike Group in Norfolk participated in a large Battle Force exercise with Commander, Third Fleet, acting and training in the role of a Joint Force Maritime Component Commander.  The scenario was generated by the JSAF simulation system distributed and federated among Tactical Training Group Pacific, Pt. Loma, California; Tactical Training Group Atlantic, Dam Neck, Virginia; and the Navy Warfare Development Command, Newport, Rhode Island, on commonly configured and configuration controlled simulation systems.  The scenario was distributed to the ships of the strike groups and into their onboard Battle Force Tactical Training systems.  Each ship generated its own component of the Common Operational Picture from its organic sensor systems while JSAF, interfaced to C4I systems, created the additional inorganic strike group inputs and injects.  A professional staff of trainers provided control of the exercise situation and additional injects into the scenario.   

The communications required to execute the MBGIE were developed based upon lessons learned from the Millennium Challenge 02 Exercise and Fleet Battle Experiments.  The Defense Research Engineering Network served to provide connectivity among Pt. Loma, Dam Neck, and Newport and associated high speed Asynchronous Transfer Mode communications equipment was configured and permanently installed.  The communications supported the simulation federation, an exercise control network and services, and geographically distributed services required to effectively "transport" the three Strike Groups into a common geographical virtual battle space.  These services included emulation and transport of voice and data communications systems such as line of sight radios and theater satellite communications systems.  Long haul Link 16 over IP standards were selected and used as well.  The standards used by the Navy are purposely selected to support both the future similar MBGIE training environments at sea and the direction JNTC is developing.  Joint standards for these communications are required.  The work invested into the February 2004 MBGIE event will serve to better integrate Navy forces into future JNTC events.  

All of the above steps are aligned with the concept of JNTC.  The Navy is interested in setting standards for long haul communications, voice transport, simulation federation interfaces, and environmental services.  Integration of these services across the Military Services and joint forces is mandatory to reach JNTC goals.  

Another key in merging Navy training and operational capabilities is FORCEnet.   FORCEnet will emerge as the next generation of Network Centric Warfare.  It will provide the architecture and building blocks that integrate sensors, networks, decision aids, weapons, warriors, and supporting systems into a high adaptive human-centric, comprehensive system that operates from seabed to space and from sea to land.  It will support well-informed, geographically dispersed forces in their execution of missions across the entire range of military operates, and is focused on accelerating the speed and accuracy of assessment, decision, and action at every level of command.  Leveraging profoundly improved situational awareness and understanding of the adversary, we will shape and control the information environment to dissuade, deter, or decisively defeat any enemy.   

Coordination of Navy LVC Efforts With JNTC LVC Architecture 

JNTC joint services and representations can be divided into two distinct areas.  The first is the intersection of Service warfighting capabilities.  These representations and the integration of LVC environments can be accomplished by the Services engineering solutions among one another.  A prioritization of these services and efforts is required.  The second area of joint representation includes those capabilities and functions that are inherently joint in nature and the result of joint commands.  These services and representation need to be specified and prioritized by Joint Forces Command.  Whether they are designed and built under management of Joint Forces Command or one of the Services is less important than specification and prioritization.

Representation of the Intelligence Community is another area where JNTC and all other simulation services may need further investment.  The responsibility for providing intelligence representation is often confused by the complicated nature of intelligence organizations and relationships and the classification constraints.  Multi-level security capability and multi-security level technology are required to include coalition training in this environment.  This is an issue not isolated to the training community, but certainly impacts all training concerns.

 Value Added of JNTC 

The Navy's Fleet Response Plan requires the capability to train Strike Groups in geographically distributed Fleet concentration areas.  The infrastructure of

JNTC can and will support this requirement.  Addition of joint forces to Navy training events will enhance our overall effectiveness in achieving our goal of training as we fight.  A concerted and collaborative joint effort is essential to create JNTC in a way that supports all of the Service needs and joint needs.    

Navy Participation in Horizontal Training Exercise, January 2004.

The Western Range Complex JNTC Horizontal Training Exercise 03/01 was the first full tactical exercise of joint close air support to be conducted with an enhanced joint context, assessed to defined conditions and measures.  It was also the first full integration of live, virtual and constructive simulations based on improvements to capabilities demonstrated in Exercise Millennium Challenge 02.  In a significant improvement to previous events, the Horizontal Training Exercise incorporated an adaptive and credible opposing force, fully integrated asymmetric forces including fixed and rotary wing threats, unmanned aerial vehicles, threat emitters, threat targets and decoys, in addition to existing live red forces.  While Navy participation in this event was limited, it included elements across the LVC environment.  Two Navy Guided Missile Destroyers, USS PREBLE and USS HOPPER, participated from Naval Station San Diego, via a Battle Force Tactical Training event and integrated through the Inport Training Architecture described above.   This event also included a Sea Launched Land Attack Missile Exercise (SLAMEX).   Additionally, the Navy provided an E-2 C Hawkeye flying live from  Pt Mugu, an EP-3 MAST (Mission Avionics System Trainer) from NAS Fallon, and live F/A 18's from Nellis Air Force Base.  Aircraft were integrated through range tracking and Link 16 live networks.  Tactical Training Group Pacific served as the primary Fleet concentration node in providing services to the event.   

Where We're Headed 

The Navy plans to aggressively incorporate many of our previously scheduled events into a joint context, using the JNTC architecture, as noted in the following roadmap.  Other JNTC exercises planned for 2004 include a June integration event, Combined Joint Task Force Exercise 04-2 (CJTFX 04-2), and  another horizontal experiment, Joint National Training Command-Joint Readiness Training Center, in August.

It is important from a Service perspective to build our JNTC participation upon existing Service training and the existing Chairman's Exercise Program.  We must retain the training that builds individual Service core capabilities while improving the joint context of training, in order to maintain the operational tempo levels important to the well-being of our Sailors and their families.  

Conclusion

I would like again to thank the members of these subcommittees for all you have done for our Navy.  We are committed to establishing the environment, culture, and processes required to generate and sustain transformation training, thinking, and action.  Co-evolving the emerging technologies and innovative training and operational concepts provided by JNTC, while allowing organizational relationships to exploit them, will allow us to develop new dimensions of military capability.