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Home Station Training Industry Engagement
Home Station Training (HST) is an innovative training concept underpinned by a combination of Live, Virtual and Constructive (LVC) capabilities that enables the conduct of complex training activities within Combat Brigades’ home locations. These activities range from focused section-level training to participation in Joint/Combined LVC exercises. HST will leverage numerous existing Army training initiatives, major capital acquisitions and existing facilities, which will provide a major step change in Army’s ability to conduct virtual and constructive enabled training. An Instrumented Force on Force (IFoF) capability will provide the land domain the ability to instrument platforms, weapons, targets and battle effects systems and integrate the Live with emerging virtual and constructive capabilities, thus allow for a fully integrated Live-Virtual-Constructive (LVC) capability within the HST construct.
HST will empower units to conduct their own LVC generated activities with lower overhead burdens. HST will be supported by numerous principle enablers and a range of constituent parts, some or all of which may shaped by the required training outcomes.
The underpinning enablers will include: pervasive networks; encapsulating the enhanced Land Simulation Network (LSN) and a digital Land Training Network (LTN); integrated simulators; legacy and future simulators; a common software suite for virtual and constructive interaction; a persistent federation capability through increased LSN points of presence; simulation gateways; and a common federation tool suite.
The intent of HST is improve the operational effectiveness and efficiency of training, increase the opportunity for training in barracks and Close Training Areas (CTAs) and enable units to rapidly apply and learn tactics, techniques and procedures (TTPs) relevant for the contemporary operating environment.
The IFoF capability will be the primary mechanism to support the Live component within the LVC construct. The IFoF will be available for use by any commander from Section to Combat Team, and utilised where the capture of live data enhances the training outcomes. It will support battle field adjudication, geolocation of individuals, vehicles and support battle effects replication with data integrated into the Persistent Land Simulation through compliance with the Generic Training and Ranges Architecture (GTRA) and Generic Simulation Architecture (GSimA) as applicable. The IFoF is anticipated to be used in all environments where Army is likely to operate in the future. Importantly this will include dense urban locations, where IFoF capabilities will seamlessly operate across the spectrum of operational environments. With the focus of HST being up to Combat Team level training, it is not anticipated any more than 160 entities would need to be supported in any one training event.
The IFoF is anticipated to have the following key characteristics:
a. It will be scalable to allow training to occur at various levels of Section to Combat Team within a single location, and be able to be collocated across brigades as needed.
b. It will be adaptable for utilisation across various weapon and vehicle types, and be able to be used with blank and non-lethal ammunition types.
c. It will provide suitable endurance to support training events within the defined HST boundaries
d. It will provide an internal operational range commensurate with that needed for Combat Team operations across war fighting and non-combatant operations.
e. It will integrate into a communications network to allow data backhaul into the LSN for virtual and constructive integration, enabling a common operating picture and data capture into the Common After Action Review (CAAR) tool (provided under LS Core 2.0).
f. It will be simple to use, with no training overhead for general users.
g. It will integrate with current and future Soldier Combat Ensembles (SCE).
h. It will allow integration with Army’s Common Virtual and Constructive simulations through the application of High Level Architecture (HLA).
HST will be enabled by two pervasive and persistent networks, the LSN and the LTN. It is anticipated the LTN will be a 4G Long-Term Evolution (LTE) that covers all locations where HST is to be conducted. In time, this LTN will expand to National Training Areas (NTA) in support of joint collective training, and enable remote access for Army personnel across all Service Categories to access part of the HST components in support of localised training. The initial focus of HST is on the Barracks and CTAs. In addition to hosting all or part of the IFoF data, Army will utilise the LTN to connect other constituent capabilities within the HST construct.
Defence is undertaking an Industry Engagement Activity (IEA) in Jun 22. Defence will be seeking a demonstration from industry on current capabilities which may support the IFoF and any associated network requirements, and how this may support an LVC activity under the HST construct.
Potential Industry suppliers who are interested in providing a capability demonstration should register their interest, provide a company capability statement and answer the information requirement questions via email to dltc.integration-team@defence.gov.au
Conditions for Participation: Potential Industry suppliers who are capable of providing a demonstration of an IFoF can register their interest on AusTender.
Nomination
An email nomination from Industry representatives is required. Receipt of the nomination email will be acknowledged by the CoA by email.
This notice is intended to provide an early indication of opportunities for Industry representatives to participate in a practical demonstration of current or developing IFoF capabilities. Subject to endorsement to proceed, there will be further opportunities for Industry to register their interest in participating in future procurement or sustainment activities. Non-participation in this IEA will not prevent Industry from participating in future product demonstrations and tendering activities.
Information provided during this IEA process will inform the CoA on current and emerging technologies which may support HST initiatives. This Industry Engagement is not a procurement and any associated future procurement will be as part of a Request for Tender process.
Industry Engagement Activity
The CoA will conduct an Industry Engagement Activity whereby participating industry representatives will be afforded an opportunity to conduct a demonstration of developing or current IFoF capabilities, including the necessary network requirements that may be needed to support IFoF operations.
The Industry Engagement Activity is broken down as follows:
- Step 1. Registration of Expression of Interest (EoI) to participate in providing a capability demonstration through the submission of a five-page company capability statement including, the capability to be demonstrated and answer the information requirement questions below. Registrations will close at 1630hrs on 11 Feb 2022. This EoI forms Step 1, with the requirements of this step outlined in further detail below under information requirement questions.
- Step 2. Invitation to attend. Based on the responses received, the CoA will select companies to be invited to demonstrate their capabilities and discuss the information requirements. Should your company be selected to participate in the demonstration, a CoA representative will directly engage to gain a better understanding of the capability and any restrictions that may be posed for the conduct of the demonstration. At the conclusion of engagement across all industry representatives, a final plan will be provided including location, available facilities, CoA resources to support the demonstration and schedule. This direct engagement across selected industry representatives will occur between 01-18 Mar 2022, with demonstration coordination details provided by 14 Apr 22. Non-selection will be advised at the earliest opportunity.
- Step 3. Demonstration . Allocation of available demonstration time will be based on the proposed IFoF Technical Readiness Level (TRL). Industry representatives that provide a capability which is at TRL 7 or above will be afforded a two day period of opportunity to conduct the demonstration (TBC). Industry representatives that provide a capability which is at TRL 6 or below will likely be afforded a half day opportunity for demonstration (TBC). The CoA will provide the necessary personnel, vehicles and training facility resources to enable this demonstration, planned during Step 2. The demonstration will be conducted at a major Army training establishment in the Northern Territory. The capability demonstration should include the following:
• Integration with virtual and/or constructive simulation. There will be no integration with Army’s LSN or simulation capabilities for this demonstration.
• Application in open country.
• Application in urban areas, including inside complex urban structures.
• Application for dismounted and mounted operations.
• Provision of any additional/supplementary communication networks needed to support any intra and inter communications requirements.
• Geographical dislocation to replicate Combat Team manoeuvre in combat and non-combatant environments.
Costs will be shared between CoA and industry who take part in the demonstration, with CoA providing reimbursement for reasonable direct costs up to a fixed limit. Finalisation of agreed cost recovery will be conducted post detailed planning with industry representatives and decision on final location.
Information requirement questions:
- Capability. What is the TRL of your proposed IFoF system?
- Adaptability. What systems does your IFoF enable? Where vehicle platforms are supported, is this a common vehicle capability or discreet capabilities for each vehicle type? Does your system support integration into other platforms such as targetry?
- Capacity. What entity capacity does your IFoF enable? Please provide a scale from Xn – Yn.
- Communication methods. What network bearer types and Information Exchange methods does your system utilise for any intra and inter communications?
- Adjudication. What standards, protocols and methods are used to allow force on force adjudication?
- Availability. How many physical entities is your system able to support in a single instance? Please include figures for dismounted and vehicle and note the maximum number anticipated to be needed for this demonstration is 160.
- Software. What planning and management control software is used by your system, who uses it, how is it deployed and what are the key functions?
- Power. What power sources are used by your IFoF, expected duration of life, recharge method and recharge timeframe?
- Services – What services are anticipated to be needed to support the utilisation of your IFoF during the demonstration and on an ongoing basis to support HST? This may include:
a. Network Operation Support
b. Training System Support and Maintenance Support
c. Operation and maintenance
- Training. What is the expected level of training to be competent in the use of the IFoF and for what categories of users?
- Costs. What are the expected costs for supporting this demonstration? ROM costs should assume a demonstration location of Darwin and a duration of 2-4 days per industry representative. Please state any assumptions as part of the provided ROM.
-Safety. All candidate demo systems must be safety certified IAW the relevant AS/NZS standards and be safe for use by Army personnel and materiel. As a part of your response, please provide a system safety description of your candidate IFOF supported by any relevant evidence.
Conditions for Participation: Potential Industry suppliers who are capable of providing a demonstration of an IFoF can register their interest on AusTender.
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Directorate of Land Training Capability (DLTC) Team email at dltc.integration-team@defence.gov.au