MOD and Industry Team Up For World's Largest 'Virtual Battle'

UK Ministry of Defence, For many the idea of being paid to take part in a fortnight's computer gaming would be a dream come true. 
 
That was the case for a number of British military personnel this week when they joined forces with key players from defence, IT and communication industries to hold the world's biggest virtual war game. They did so to try out pioneering technology that will soon be available to forces on deployed operations. 
 
Coalition Warrior Interoperability Demonstration (CWID) is a real-time simulated battle in which forces from different countries communicate via satellite links to coordinate movements of their battle groups against a virtual foe. 
 
Instructions are beamed out from a Joint Task Force Headquarters to tented Component Headquarters in the field. In turn they liaise with global allies to produce a composite game plan – all in real time. 
 
Troops are shown how to use ground breaking future military technology at first hand from the companies who produce them while the boffins get to spot potential pitfalls ahead of production. 
 
Wing Commander Steven Borthwick, CWID UK National lead, said: 
 
“The exercise is designed to test future crucial communications networks and interoperability for our Armed Forces. In turn, these will help to improve the effectiveness of multinational operations and reduce the risk of friendly fire. 
 
“CWID UK is a unique, self-funding annual research partnership between MOD and industry. Run as part of a wider US-led Coalition event it aims to demonstrate, assess and leverage the interoperability of new and emerging technology to enable secure single service, joint, and coalition interoperability, including links with UK rear based assets and other Government departments. 
 
“Using real military role players, from across the front line commands, CWID uses real data sat on real in-service or planned communications bearers with real infrastructure and security. By providing this architecture, CWID UK aims to demonstrate solutions that will increase tempo and reduce friction in order to support capability superiority. 
 
“Within the UK, CWID is particularly focussed towards filling defence capability gaps, de-risking current projects as well as demonstrating innovation in support of the MOD's Network Enabled Capabilities vision.” 
 
The annual exercise is coordinated by the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) site at Portsdown West, Fareham and involves players from fifteen countries including Britain, Canada New Zealand and the United States. It began on 4 June and will run until Friday 22 June 2007. 
 
Deputy lead Major Gavin Saunders says the exercise shows the value of industry experts seeing for themselves how their equipment works in a battle situation, adding: 
 
“Its equally beneficial to our troops who get the chance to learn how to use state of the art technology that will soon become available to them. 
 
“CWID has been running for nine years now and the real time lessons learned have allowed £85 million to be freed from the DII (Defence Information Infrastucture) risk budget allowing it to be spent on other projects.” 
 
John Money of BAe Systems added: 
 
“Industry enjoys the opportunity to take part in military exercises. It allows us to take a range of products that can be evaluated and expanded by personnel who have experience of front line operations. Their assessment allows us to feedback to our development team. The exercise also allows companies who might normally be in competition to discuss ways of improving each other's products.” 
 
Its not just Senior Officers who have been involved, SAC Kevin Jones an imagery analyst at RAF Marham is also taking part in the CWID exercise. He says his glimpse of the future has been a revelation: 
 
“Its totally fascinating to see this equipment working exactly as it is meant to. The lessons learned will help us become quicker and more efficient and allow users to delver services in a more timely manner. It’s been a fantastic experience to work with kit that does exactly what it says on the tin.”