October 27, 2020 - U.S. Marines with
1st Battalion, 3d Marine Regiment, 3d Marine Division,
conduct force on force training during exercise Keen Sword
(KS) 21 on Camp Hansen, Okinawa, Japan. Keen Sword is a bilateral exercise
taking place across Japan, providing realistic training
opportunities to strengthen readiness and interoperability
with the Japan Self-Defense Force.
U.S.
Marine Corps Force-On-Force Training Systems
Instrumented Tactical Engagement
System (I-TESS). I-TESS will be used to support direct
force-on-force tactical engagement training. This system
will consist of the following type components: Small Arms
Transmitter (SAT), Man-worn Detection System (MDS), Command
and Control (C2 - mobile & portable versions), and Military
Operations in Urban Terrain (MOUT) Building Instrumentation,
and Simulated Battlefield Weapons. The SAT will be used on
the M4 and M16 type rifles and the M249 Squad Automatic
Weapon. The MDS and range equipment will be used to
instrument the individual Marine for direct force-on-force
engagement adjudication and to include the ability to
support instrumentation functions such as PLI reporting. The
I-TESS is used in MOUT Facilities and Non-Live Fire Maneuver
Ranges located at various Marine Corp bases and
installations.
Combat Vehicle-Tactical Engagement
System (CV-TESS). CV-TESS is mounted on combat vehicles to
simulate realistic force-on-force training. This system will
use laser, detectors, video and audio on M1A1 tanks, Light
Armored Vehicles (LAV) and Amphibious Assault Vehicles (AAV)
to simulate battlefield engagements with the vehicle’s
primary and secondary weapons as well as provide After
Action Review (AAR) to enhance gunnery proficiency without
expending live ammunition. CV-TESS will provide combat
vehicle crews the ability to communicate, maneuver and
engage against a real thinking adversary. Upon completion of
the developmental efforts, CV-TESS will be fully integrated
with the vehicle fire control system and require crew
members to perform all duties exactly as they would in
combat as well as providing the capability of mechanized
units to train in real time combat simulations.
Mobile Fire Support Trainer (MFST). MFST is a planned future
acquisition project to enhance Force-on-Force (FOF) training
of call-for-fire and close-air support. It is an augmented
reality training system that integrates with the USMC’s
ground combat team training instrumentation system, the
I-TESS II, to display virtual indirect fire effects onto
actual terrain.
Operational Impact
The Marine
Corps requires training systems that provide real-time
situation awareness, exercise control capabilities, and
adjudicate indirect fire engagements so as to help
facilitate the training exercise objectives. There is a need
to collect the training actions/interactions of the Marines
during the training exercise with the ability to provide
immediate access of collected data for After Action Review
purposes.
U.S. Marine Corps video by Cpl.
Michael Jefferson Estillomo