Defence

TNO | Knowledge for business

Forward Air Controller

Training Simulator (FACSIM)
FACSIM fills the gap in current FAC training capabilities - it enables the
Armed Forces to fulfil the growing demand for highly qualified combat ready
Forward Air Controllers.

Maintaining a force of combat ready Forward Air

Insufficient training facilities

Controllers is not easily done. Armed Forces are

Classical classroom training techniques are not

faced with both a growing demand for highly

effective in reaching the required controller

qualified controllers, and a lack of training

skills. As a result, current training programs

facilities that are required to fulfil this demand.

for Forward Air Controllers heavily rely on live

FACSIM now provides a solution to this problem

training as the only effective training tool. The

by effectively supporting the building and

problems with this approach are evident:

maintaining of Forward Air Controller skills.

z

Live training sorties suffer from restrictions:

Demand for qualified controllers

limited aircraft availability, environmental

Current military operations strongly depend on

restrictions, weather dependence, cost.

effective air operations. Time and again this

has proved to be true in military conflicts all

the classroom training and live training. The

over the world. Accuracy of weapons delivery

is required in all cases - not only to achieve

Novice trainees experience a gap between

first runs in the field are thus not effective.

Currency training programs that ensure

effectiveness, but in the case of close air

maintenance of combat readiness are diffi-

support also to ensure the safety of own

cult to schedule due to restricted availability

troops. Forward Air Controllers play a crucial

role in this.

of live training opportunities.

z

Exposing trainees to live training

without sufficient preparation, available live
training is not used efficiently.

Forward Air Controller Training Simulator (FACSIM)

TNO Defence, Security and Safety

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higher standards for initial training

improved proficiency of combat ready
controllers
optimal use of live training controls

Proven effectiveness
FACSIM has been used by hundreds of
trainees, both within TNO's Electronic
Battlespace Facility (EBF) - the development
site for the system - and within the first
operational installation at the Dutch Air
Ground Operations School (AGOS). Trainees
and instructors from the Dutch and Belgium
Armed Forces and from the US Air Force who
have used the system on a structural basis
all give consistent positive feedback on the
system, proving a very high level of
acceptance of the system as an effective
training tool. The resulting combat readiness
is clearly demonstrated in the field.
System features
A brief overview of the key features of the
system as currently available:
z trainee has unrestricted vision around and
above, through a head mounted display
with high resolution images
z instructor pilot has single screen desktop
flight simulator
z Laser target designation officer (LTDO)
operates simulated laser target designation device employing a simulated GPS
receiver and laser range finder to acquire
target position information.

z
z

z
z

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simulation of different aircraft and weapon

types
simulated radio connection
easily switching between different terrains
and weather conditions
simulation of a large number of different
entity types, entity movement and firing
simulation of artillery delivery
supervising instructor has console for scenario creation, exercise execution and after
action review control
exercise recording and playback
three large screens for briefing, exercise
monitoring and debriefing supporting
multiple views: map view, view as seen by
FAC, view as seen by pilot, Stealth view
extendable through networking with other
simulators
DIS compatible, HLA through gateway

Evolution
The system installed at the Dutch AGOS back
in 2001 was the first system release in an
evolutionary system approach. The first
phase of evolution has been realised early
2003, bringing the system to the level as
described above. The system has been
designed with an open architecture so that
new requirements can be fit into the system
as they mature. The current version of
FACSIM is entirely based on a PC hardware /
LINUX operating system platform.
Readily, FACSIM offers great potential in a
wide range of applications including
personnel selection, initial training, currency
training, mission rehearsel and Distributed
Mission Training (DMT) exercises. As far as
FACSIM goes, all is set for a future in which
simulation is an indispensable element of
Forward Air Controller training practice.

'TNO Defence, Security and Safety' is the title

under which TNO operates as a strategic partner for the Dutch Ministry of Defence and
makes innovative contributions to enhancing
the security of the Netherlands both at home
and abroad. We also use our accumulated
knowledge for foreign governments and for
defence-related industries.

F. (Frido) Kuijper
Project Manager
J. (Jaap) Middelburg
Business Development
Oude Waalsdorperweg 63
P.O. Box 96864
2509 JG The Hague
The Netherlands
P +31 70 374 00 28
F +31 70 374 06 42
info-DenV@tno.nl
www.tno.nl

S050113

Filling the gap: FACSIM

FACSIM provides the solution to the training
problems: it fills the gap between classical
classroom training and live training. The
system provides a simulated environment in
which the trainees can fully build-up skills,
thus preparing for the real work.
Rather than a simple procedure trainer, the
system is an integral task trainer. It creates
the required training environment in which
the trainees can experience all the
responsibilities involved in the controller
task, thus learning to apply the correct skills
at the right time in a confident and effective
manner.
The training simulator thus is an
indispensable tool that yields: