Problem: US ground combat forces currently have no way of rapidly and accurately simulating and assessing the effects of artillery and other indirect and area-effects weapons during training exercises.

Solution: The Combined Arms Integrated Evaluation System - (CATIES) simulates and helps measure the effects of conventional and tactical nuclear indirect fire support, nuclear - biological - chemical (NBC) contamination, and mine warfare. CATIES was developed to meet the Army's longstanding need for an indirect fire training device which would complement and interface with the direct fire Multiple Integrated Laser Engagement Simulation System (MILES). It also: has the potential to simulate the lethal and suppressive effects of Navy and Marine sea and air delivered munitions and Air Force munitions delivered during close air support and air interdiction missions.

Application: CATIES applies to all combined arms, force-on-force training from small unit exercises to major joint training exercises worldwide. With CATIES, the total Army and Marine Corps forces - combat, combat support and combat service support units, will be able to train to doctrine in a more realistic indirect, as well as direct fire training environment.

Technical Approach: CATIES uses modern spread-spectrum radio frequency technology, employing pseudo-ranging, time-division multiplexing and surface acoustic wave signal processing techniques. The system can simulate up to 50 different effects per second which allows the replication of a multitude of indirect battlefield effects. Variable "hit" and "near miss" area sizes and shapes, in conjunction with expected fractional damages and casualties from approved munitions effects manuals, and unique audio-visual effects, ensure realistic battlefield training. Direct interface with MILES-type direct fire simulation systems provides an integrated solution to the indirect fire training problem. CATIES consists of three basic elements; 1) a Master Station, which receives voice or digital data from a fire direction or support element and transforms it into digital timing and weapon data. This data is transmitted to 2) Actuators which in turn retransmit this data at precise time intervals to 3) Appliques located on vehicles, personnel and/or terrain features. The Player Detection Devices respond to the arrival time of the transmitted pulses, the weapon-munitions type, and the target type and size. The capability to relay data through other Actuators and electronic line-of-sight technology assure wide area coverage, with optimal message routing determined by the Master Station.

Joseph Miller

Affiliation

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Caties An Innovative Solution to a Training Challenge