Simulating the execution of one or more ATOs to represent a modern combat environment.

The “Integrated Command and Control software for Air Operations” (ICC) is an integrated command, control, communications, and intelligence (C4I) environment that provides information management and decision support to North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Combined Air Operations Centers (CAOCs) during peacetime, exercise, and wartime. To maximize the operational effectiveness of the ICC, the staffs of NATO and NATO member nations must have frequent training in using the ICC in the context of realistic military operations. The Integrated Training Capability (ITC), formerly known as the ICC Training Capability, makes this training possible and affordable. Operating on a single computer integrated into a site’s ICC architecture, the ITC simulates the execution of one or more ATOs to represent a modern combat environment. Interfaces between the ICC and ITC support the bidirectional exchange of standard NATO messages to allow ICC operators to interact with subordinate and command echelons that are simulated within the ITC.

Air and ground vehicles, sensors, communication devices, computers, weapon systems, and jammers are simulated within the ITC, as are the operations of many different types of units, including air bases, wings, squadrons, individual aircraft, and surface-to-air missile sites for both friendly and opposing forces. Trainees can exercise all the major functions of the ICC during the execution of an operational scenario and directly participate in the conduct of a battle. Exchanging data directly with ICC databases, ITC provides automated scenario definition, simulates ATOs, provides mission status and reports directly to the appropriate ICC application, and supports detailed after-action reviews. ITC can also be used for operational course of action analysis and planned refinement. Through these seamless data exchange mechanisms, ICC is employed exactly as it is in real operations for any ITC-support evolution.

With the guidance and sponsorship of NC3A, Ternion^® developed the ITC using FLAMES^®. The robust and open architecture of FLAMES enabled the development of system models that precisely matched the ICC training requirements. FLAMES’ support for modeling human cognitive behavior enabled the ITC to execute on a single computer with little or no role-player support. The foundation for many essential ITC features, including direct ICC database import and direct messaging interfaces to ICC systems, was supplied by FLAMES’ comprehensive library of support services. Perhaps most importantly, the mature, object-oriented framework provided by FLAMES allowed the ITC to be developed quickly and inexpensively.