A Look Back on DSALT
26 Nov 20
Collective Training and Services OBU
26 Nov 20
Collective Training and Services OBU
Since 2008, Inzpire’s synthetic training experts have been providing critical training to British and International Armed Forces under the Defence Synthetic Air-Land Training (DSALT) contract.
Working out of the Air Battlespace Training Centre (ABTC) at RAF Waddington, the team has delivered over 400 large-scale exercises with over 5,000 individual training vignettes to thousands of trainees from all three services. The Inzpire team has grown from a handful at the very beginning to a group of well over 20 individuals, who stayed involved in DSALT right through to its conclusion on Friday 2 October 2020.
One of the specialisms of the Inzpire team during DSALT was designing, building, and delivering training which prepared Armed Forces for deployment on operations around the world.
The first Inzpire-led pre-deployment training (PDT) was delivered in January 2008 through the very first Exercise MOUNTAIN DRAGON, which provided a critical training opportunity for Royal Artillery batteries deploying to Afghanistan on Operation HERRICK. Their PDT lasted for six months in total and the Batteries came to the ABTC twice each during that time, with their final event being a really challenging and immersive exercise. Inzpire led the design and delivery of this vital training, working alongside regulars from all three Services. Our personnel provided expertise in a variety of areas including Combat Air, Aviation, Artillery Gunnery, Joint Tactical Air Control (JTAC) and Air Battlespace Management. The training that Royal Artillery personnel undertook at the ABTC was unique; throughout the rest of their PDT, the Batteries were supporting assets. It was only during their training at the ABTC that they were the focus and received the resources they needed to exercise fully.
From there, Inzpire’s provision of PDT training expanded. All RAF Regiment Squadrons ‘went through’ the ABTC before being deployed to protect Camp Bastion Airfield. Inzpire’s experts also built specific training for a number of Tactical Air Control Parties, and every single Joint Terminal Attack Controller (JTAC) who deployed to Op HERRICK from 2009 onwards received training designed and delivered by the Inzpire synthetic training team.
The infrastructure within the ABTC was built to provide training which was as immersive as possible, with Inzpire’s instructors role playing as a number of different air and land capabilities. Only in the ABTC could a Joint Fires Cell operate with three full Fire Support Teams - all with JTACS; armed ISTAR, fast air and attack Helicopter assets; medical emergency response teams (MERTS); UAVs; strategic ISTAR assets such as Rivet Joints and Sentinels, whilst employing the entire UK inventory of surface-to-surface fires! At Inzpire we are immensely proud to have been part of this training for some of the UK’s most demanding ground operations in recent times.
Inzpire’s instructors role-played as a number of different air and land capabilities throughout DSALT
The real jewel in the crown though was the ability to provide extremely high-fidelity briefings for exercise personnel. In the PDT days, a three-hour post-mission debrief was common – the root causes of issues had to be identified and corrected because the very next week the troops boarded their air transport and were on their way to serve in Op HERRICK. Inzpire were once again front and centre in the facilitation of these ‘After Action Reviews’ (AARs). The playback software was new technology at the time, and we had to learn quickly how to manipulate the system to the best effect to ensure that we maximised the learning from each mission. This was truly innovative and ground-breaking stuff at the time. We worked closely with QinetiQ, who were the technical provider, and with our military colleagues and DSTL scientists in order to use the system to its fullest potential. We were able to play back any portion of the mission in both 2D and 3D including all of the communication and computer based ‘chat’. This was ground-breaking and our ability to quickly elicit key learning points through use of this playback facility continues to be unique within the Defence industry. Our AAR technique has frequently been seen as the exemplar by both UK and coalition participants.
Where the magic happens; Inzpire-led AARs enhanced learning throughout DSALT for all trainees
The praise rolled in for the work Inzpire’s team was conducting at the ABTC alongside its DSALT partners, but the most poignant feedback came from the troops themselves. In one example, personnel likened a dangerous situation they had encountered on the ground in Helmand province to a particular mission they had undertaken during Exercise MOUNTAIN DRAGON under Inzpire’s watchful eye at the ABTC. Battery Commanders were interviewed post-deployment and all were unanimous in their belief that Exercise MOUNTAIN DRAGON was the best training they received and that it resulted in them being able to save numerous lives through being supremely prepared for what they might face.
We achieved this level of preparedness by challenging the trainees and pushing them to their limits. A good example is that we would constantly challenge the Batteries to conduct counter-battery fire training. If rounds did not land within two minutes then the mission was debriefed and repeated – in essence, they had to start again, and continued to practice until they got it right!
Trainees were pushed to their limits in a safe environment - and had to adhere to the 'practice makes perfect' motto!
Outside of PDT, pretty much every week throughout DSALT was allocated to training delivery, with the capability of the ABTC being constantly improved in order to provide enhanced training in the air domain, too. With 4 Typhoon and 4 Tornado GR4 cockpits along with an E-3D rear crew trainer, half of all the training we delivered was specifically for the RAF. With a continuous improvement culture we also managed to adapt existing systems to provide strategic ISR training. As a result, Exercise PANOPTICON WARRIOR was born to deliver training for the ISR Qualified Weapons Instructor Course.
In 2014, the success of DSALT 1 allowed investment in to DSALT 2. The focus moved away from PDT to contingency training, and Ex MOUNTAIN DRAGON became Ex STEEL DRAGON, which delivered complex Joint Fires contingency training to the British Army. The ABTC also became the first unit outside of US forces to deliver Decisive Action Training Environment (DATE) based training; this training encompasses generic scenarios from 4 differing regions around the globe.
As the training requirements for Land forces evolved, Inzpire was asked to deliver Divisional level training and as a result Exercise IRON DRAGON was built. For the first time the senior trainee was a 1* officer. The deputy commander of the training cohort, a US Army Brigadier, commented that it was the best synthetic training he’d ever received.
During DSALT2, Inzpire’s experts have also undertaken several multinational events at the ABTC, including connection of the UK E-3D simulator to NATO’s E-3A simulators at Geilenkirchen Air Base and have maintained a proven capability to connect to both NATO and US allies. We were also instrumental in delivering distributed training through connections to the Typhoon Main Operating bases of RAF Coningsby and RAF Lossiemouth – a first for the UK and a key step into understanding how to successfully conduct training in a distributed environment.
With DSALT now coming to an end, Inzpire’s synthetic training experts are looking forward to their next challenge. The team has been awarded the UK RAF Defence Operational Training Capabilty (Air) (DOTC(A)) Interim White Force contract and will manage the transition from DSALT to DOTC(A) over a 42-month period.
28.03.24
GECO
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