I would like to extend my greetings for participating in the 7th course of the extension and initiation in Armored and Combat Simulation. I am Major Paim, currently I perform the function of Chief of the Construction Simulation Section of the South Training Center. Our lecture aims to know the operation of command posts exercises with the support of remote construction simulation, that is, to know the construction simulation in remote mode.
For this, we will follow a brief script that will consist of an introduction, a development addressing the concepts, command posts, situational concepts, our corporate network, also addressing the construction simulation, the infrastructure of command posts exercises with support of construction simulation, which will be addressed briefly, the command posts exercise with support of construction simulation in conventional mode, and then our goal, which is the exercise in remote mode, and finally to address the advantages and disadvantages of the two modalities of construction simulation exercises and some technical needs. Finally, we will close the instruction with a brief conclusion. Due to the technological advance of our society, various areas acquire greater flexibility.
Within these areas, we can cite the teaching area, which makes all educational activities more flexible in remote modalities, in which people are geographically distant, enabling numerous possibilities and providing greater flexibility. We also see a very large advance in the area of the labor market, so the various business segments have the possibility of employment and the adoption of telework, which includes the home office modality, which would be work in the collaborator's own residence. And, still in this context, in relation to this technological possibility, the armed forces perfect their operations and exercises in order to obtain a greater efficiency, a greater economy and, finally, better in their training.
So, an important concept when we talk about command post exercises with support of construction simulation, is the very definition of what the command post comes to be. So, the command post is a campaign-employed facility that gathers personnel and material intended for the planning and operation activities. It is the location where the commander is located, his headquarters, which are the commander's advisors, as, for example, an army division, a brigade and the subordinate units to this brigade or army division.
So, in the image next to it, we have an example of an unfolded command post in a campaign region. The command post has some classifications. So, the types of command posts, we can mention the three main ones, which are the main command post, tactical command post, where it has greater flexibility and provides greater situational awareness of the commander, and an alternative command post, in the case of the main command post.
It becomes available to the possibility of occupying the next command post, enabling the continuity of the operations of a certain brigade, army division or even a subordinate unit. As discussed, the members of the PC, in addition to the commander and the major staff, also occupy the command post, communication elements, specialized elements, such as representatives of the army aviation, intelligence, among others, according to the demands and timelines of a certain operation. The command post also requires criteria for its choice to become more accurate.
So, an example of choice factors of the command post is the distance itself in relation to the reach of the enemy artillery, which has to be taken into account in order to improve its security. If the region provides a greater dispersion between the elements to be unfolded in the command post, the possibility of aircraft landing, helicopters landing in the command post, among many other factors. Here we have some images of the various configurations of the command post.
It is not something rigid. The configuration of the command post depends a lot on the context of each operation. We check the containers' command post, on the right we check the tents, using also pre-established installations in the selected region.
So, the best characteristics that come to support the best possible context of the operation must always be taken into account. We have other examples of command posts. In our image on the right, this command post is installed inside a truck structure, called a command post truck.
So, it is a light command post that has great mobility, being able to move from one place to another in a very fast way. Currently, the command post must maintain its dispersion capacity, that is, it must disperse in order to avoid enemy agglomerations and artillery to have the possibility of performing a large low on the PC, being able to compromise both the operation planned and executed by the command in its greatest state, as well as high mobility capacity. Regarding the exercises of constructive simulation, there is the concept of situational awareness, that is, it is a systemic awareness in which the commander and his greater state can have real-time information of the execution of the entire operation, of all its elements that are being used.
The software currently used by the Brazilian Army in conventional operations is the C2 in Combat Program, which is a program developed entirely by the Brazilian Army. Another component that integrates the execution of a command post exercise with the support of constructive simulation is the private corporate network of the Army, called EBNet. The EBNet allows the traffic of information throughout the Brazilian territory where military organizations are based.
The EBNET has several functionalities and some characteristics, such as grouping digital data, voice and image services. It consists of an infrastructure for the sharing of information between military organizations and services located in the integrated telematics center of the Army, which is the body that manages all the EBNET. It is also the main strategic telecommunications structure of the Brazilian Army.
Its backbone connects the CITEX to telematics centers or daily telematics centers, which form a network based on some technologies, such as the IP protocol. The EBNET also interconnects all military organizations of the Brazilian Army through the CT and CTA networks. At this point, we will talk about some concepts related to constructive simulation.
As seen in another lecture, constructive simulation envisions the use of simulated troops operating simulated systems in a simulated scenario controlled by real people. In this slide, we have the image of a combat system, which is the constructive simulation system currently used by the Brazilian Army. The purpose of the constructive simulation is to demonstrate the command of large units, brigades and commands, which are the divisions of the Army.
Below we have the image of the assembly of a command post, the commander of that particular element, whether it is a division of the Army, a brigade or a unit. Regarding the organization of the assembly of a constructive simulation exercise, this subject has already been addressed in another opportunity. The person responsible for the planning is the commander of the entire exercise.
Below there is a superior step, which is a superior step of the trained command, that is, of the command that is actually performing the training. It also consists of the superior step of the opposing force, which is the enemy of the trained troop, and a direction of the exercise, composed by the observers and controllers of the training, a white cell, a team of situation cards and a team of simulation. I will not go into these details of the Direx composition because it is not our goal in this instruction.
Below the superior steps there are the subordinate steps, the trained command below its superior step and the opposing force below its superior step. And below the commands, in the trained command step, there is the commander of that particular command in his highest state, who is being trained. And below the trained command there are the controllers and operators, who are the subordinate elements of that trained command.
These controllers and operators are located in the facilities of the construction simulation section, which is responsible for the simulator of the training of the highest command, the CIMASEN. This simulator is installed in the training center in Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul. Also next to the CIMASEN there are the Direx teams, composed by the white cell, a team of situation cards and a team of simulation.
Just a correction, the white cell does not make up the Direx, so it is located in the facilities of the training center in Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul. Here we have the image of an unfolded command post, in which your commander is participating in the operation, in his highest state. We can observe the good dispersion in this command post.
And below we have the figure of the controller and operator, who participate in the exercise in the CIMASEN. The controller is a perfected officer, that is, at least a perfected captain, and the operator is a perfected sergeant, at least a second sergeant. The function of the controller is to pass the orders of his superior squadron to the operator, who has the function of launching this information into the simulation system.
As I said earlier, the combat system. For the correct operation of the combat system, it is necessary to perform the stage of operation of the operator of the combat system. This stage is performed in the CISUM, in the facilities of the construction simulation section.
It has a time load of 40 hours, composed of a phase at a distance and another phase in the CIMASEN itself, which enables all operators to operate the combat functionalities, allowing the insertion of orders from their superior squadron into the system. Contributing to the situational awareness of the command post itself. In relation to the infrastructure of the construction simulation exercise, this slide represents the organization of the CIMASEN.
There are some requirements for the operation of the CIMASEN infrastructure. Basically, the requirements of this infrastructure are an electrical grid, that is, the need for uninterrupted power supply for the power supply of all our equipment. And this electrical grid is guaranteed by a generator system, which is currently installed in our power plant.
This possibility ensures that there is no power outage during the entire construction simulation exercise. Next, we have servers responsible for hosting the various services necessary for the execution of the exercise, including the simulation system itself, services aimed at the area of communications, among others. We also have other intermediate equipment, such as our suites.
At the end of the infrastructure, we have the clients, which are all machines that are operated by the sergeants-operators and managed by the officers-controllers. They are divided into three installations, the exercise direction, the road force, or road command, and the opponent force. This network currently has a dedicated network only for the combat system, making it possible for a greater efficiency of the system.
Some requirements of our system are the following. The minimum hardware configuration, so the system requires that the hardware has a minimum configuration in order to avoid jamming in its use. It is also important to have a standardization of hardware in order to avoid hardware conflicts, damaging the exercise.
The operating system is currently Windows 10 or higher. Our simulator has an entire logical cabling infrastructure, including this cabling network. It was certified at the time of its installation, at the beginning of 2024.
This infrastructure also demands constant maintenance of the equipment, whether preventive or corrective maintenance, in order to maintain the operability of our simulator. It also requires specialized personnel, that is, we have technical and computer military personnel who have sufficient training to operate all the equipment and systems of our Simacen. Currently, Simacen also works with the network monitoring system, the Zabbix system, in which various factors are monitored, including processing capacity, memory capacity, network speed, and other factors.
This possibility is essential for our network analysis team to quickly verify possible abnormalities and make temporary corrections to ensure the continuity of the exercise. Regarding the communication infrastructure, it is basically composed of three segments. We have a telephone based on the IP voice system.
We also have a data transmission and reception system, a support system for constructive simulation, and we have a video conferencing server. Our telephony uses the VoIP standard. We have a server hosted on the Simacen, which supports all clients that require a telephone, either on the Simacen or in the command posts that are being registered.
One of the main characteristics of our telephony system, as mentioned earlier, is that it uses VoIP technology. Its traffic is used exclusively using our eBenet. It has a dedicated telephone center dedicated only to the exercise.
It employs protocols and codecs compatible with various architectures. The main architectures used today, enabling greater interoperability between various telephone equipment. It also has a telephone list that is consolidated and released on our intranet for all clients.
As mentioned earlier, our server has a video conferencing service that allows the issuance of orders, necessary briefings, preliminary meetings, planning, analysis, post-action, exercise, among other purposes. Our server is continuously available here on the Simacen. In relation to the constructive simulation support system, it basically has three functionalities.
The first is the management of military problems related to the PMS, which are managed by the White Cell team. SASC also has certification notebooks, which are checked by observers and controllers at this time. And the operational message service.
It allows the delivery and reception of operational messages to users who demand this type of service, facilitating the flow of information. In relation to conventional constructive simulation, this concept refers to the deployment of command posts in a geographic region close to the construction simulation section. So, in this illustrative figure, we have the PCs of a division of the Army, along with the PCs of their subordinate brigades, in the region of the Instruction Field in Santa Maria and in the region of Boi Morto, in a region close to the Southern Training Center.
This configuration employs the means of communication, such as the military communication system by satellite and the tactical communication system represented by the modal path on our Simacen. For the correct installation of all means of communication, several preliminary studies are carried out. Here we have an example of the analysis of the terrain, the characteristics of the terrain, in order to enable all links between the various communication equipment.
At this time, we will watch a video of the command post exercise of the 3rd Division of the Army, which illustrates how a command post exercise is carried out with the support of constructive simulation in the conventional modality. The largest construction simulation exercise ever carried out by the Southern Military Command. In the setting, the tactical theme of war, a conflict between Brazil and the coalition of two countries, Cretan and Sulaw.
The context is crisis. In the border area, the coalition area, in search of military solutions. Also known as a war game, the exercise is a training to prepare the combat decision-makers.
They are the ones who plan and give the commands for solutions to simulated military problems, according to the military doctrine in force. The fundamental of this exercise is to create a mentality in our higher official of mission fulfillment within a modern combat structure, considering what is and what represents Brazil in the context of the nations. Having an understanding of its strategic environment and applying, administering the force in a correct way, following not only our doctrine, but also the international legislation that deals with human rights and conflict situations.
At the command posts, all elements of maneuver were attentive to the letter. The C2 in combat is the software that manages the battlefield and situational awareness. You can see there on the screen of that television, there we manage, I have situational awareness of all my maneuvering pieces and my support in combat.
However, if I suffer an electronic war attack from the enemy or have an electrical or data breakdown, it is essential that I have my board. The 6th Armored Infantry Brigade completed its training year with the certification of its strength of readiness of the Brazilian Army. For us, this exercise is very important, because it crowned the year of instruction and not only that, it also refers us to all these problems that are being simulated, which are very modern things that are happening.
The war in Ukraine, now in the conflict in Israel-Hamas, we discuss the subjects, we not only limit ourselves to the simulated military programs, but also the impact of these novelties that are happening in the battlefield. Among the teachings, the use of mobile devices can be true traps for the troops. Faced with this reality, the 1st Mechanized Cavalry Brigade created the "Digital Trace Reduction" folder.
What we did was try to educate our troops, in the sense that when it goes to the field, when it goes to operate, it has to cut all these location connections that sometimes it does not realize that it is still providing. The division artillery of the 3rd DE was fundamental with the fire support. We have several elements of the D3, group of artillery, we coordinate the fire of the campaign artillery groups of the brigades, in this effort to give support in the part of firing for the maneuvering of the 3rd Army Division.
Even as an opposing force, the 3rd Mechanized Cavalry Brigade was also trained. We are having a great opportunity to train the command of our brigade for our commanders, for our General Staffs. Especially in this phase of the year of instruction, in which we precede important activities that we will still perform as part of our period of advanced training.
The simulation had special elements of the Paraquedist Brigade, Army Aviation, Aircraft, Electronic Warfare and rockets. The Brazilian Air Force had a primordial performance with air attack and reconnaissance. We will use the attack for specific targets and some strategic targets that are behind the enemy's offensive position.
And the reconnaissance targets are basically when you don't know if there are troops on the ground. So we will do an exercise there in front, do the reconnaissance of the area, having the positive point that there are troops on the ground, they will make an offensive at that point. The change of location of the command posts were part of the training and were carried out according to the plan, without loss of communication, with the Simulator of Command and Major State Training, the SIMASEN.
Located in the South Training Center, where more than 60 operators and controllers put into action a total of 91 simulated military problems, which involved 119 troops. The Combat Software translates the decisions of the commanders. In this exercise, the Artificial Intelligence represented 55,000 men and women on the ground.
The reports showed the evolution of each clash, according to the characteristics of the troops. To finish, in the post-action analysis meeting, the strong points, improvement opportunities and correct teachings were demonstrated. It is a very important exercise, it is a crowning of a year of instruction within the South Military Command, where all efforts are focused so that we can join the main mission of the Brazilian Army, which is war, conventional combat.
And so the simulated war ended, with the overcoming of the challenges to the commanders, with the results of a new conception of preparing the Earth Force, which provides immediate correction and effectiveness in training. At this point, we will specify in more detail the Remote Constructive Simulation mode. This Remote Constructive Simulation, unlike the conventional mode, refers to the fact that the command posts of the commander and the opposing force are deployed in a geographically distant area from where the South Training Center is located.
As an example, we have cities in Cascavel, cities in Dourados, in which command posts are deployed, and the simulation occurs in the Greater State Command Training Simulator in Santa Maria. For the flow of all information about the Remote Constructive Simulation exercise, the entire eBnet infrastructure is used. So, still in relation to the eBnet, as the command posts are often deployed in campaign and field areas, there is sometimes a need to expand this signal to these locations, which are under the command of the military of communications, along with the military of information technology, which enable the availability of this signal to all users participating in the exercise.
In this context, there is still a need for redundant means of communication. So, as an example, if the main means is optical fiber, there is a need for a redundant means, such as the satellite itself or wireless communication using the radio. In this way, the continuity of network support to the entire exercise is ensured, avoiding unnecessary interruptions that can harm the achievement of the objectives of the training exercise.
The advantages of the Remote Simulation are as follows. The reduction of the time of departure of the commands from their headquarters. So, in a conventional simulation, there is a need for the displacement of all members of the command posts to the city of Santa Maria.
In this way, the time of displacement is consumed. There is also a reduction of the displacement of troops, including the reduction of risks and costs. And there is also a proximity.
The Remote Conductive Simulation allows a proximity of the command post with its own elements, its organic elements. So, it makes the exercise richer in this regard. That is, if there is a specific demand for some subordinate element of that particular road command, it is close to the supply of this demand.
As disadvantages, there is a dependence on the signal of the internet or even the signal of the network. So, there is a greater possibility of signal instability, requiring complementary measures to ensure the availability of the data network. The coordination becomes more complex, given that the Direx is geographically distant from the application command and can also make it difficult to immerse in the exercise.
In relation to technical needs, there is a need for compatibility between telephones. So, telephones of different technologies may not be interoperable, thus not enabling communication. There is a need for a minimum bandwidth, so as not to interrupt a certain service.
And there is also a need for video conference rooms. So, currently, the ground operations command makes the rooms available to be used in the exercise of the constructive simulation. And the Simacen itself, as previously mentioned, also enables a server for video conference support.
So, we have a redundancy in relation to video conference activities, thus ensuring the execution of all necessary coordination and briefings during the exercise. There is also a need for preliminary technical adjustments before the exercise, such as phone tests, connectivity tests between devices, connectivity tests between the customer and the combat system. It is also important that all technical configurations of all systems are carried out correctly, so as not to make a certain service unavailable during the exercise.
And as a conclusion, we realize that remote simulation is different from conventional simulation. However, the two simulation modalities address the four pillars of the simulation addressed in the previous instruction, which are an opponent force, the employment of observers and adjustment controllers, the simulation devices and a post-action analysis. With this, both the conventional simulation and the remote simulation contribute to the adjustment and certification of the various commands to be adjusted.
These are my data to count, my email. We are available for any clarification or removal of doubts. And finally, we will present a video of the command post exercise of the 15th Mechanized Infantry Brigade, which illustrates the execution of the remote constructive simulation modality.
The 15th Mechanized Infantry Brigade started the third cycle of its certification as a force of readiness through the constructive simulation, also known as war games, which aims to carry out the work of the brigade's higher staff in a simulated tactical situation, with the support of information technology tools. Combat software, one of the most modern in the world in military simulations, was used to evaluate the brigade's planning and its maneuvering parts in an offensive action. The brigade's command post was unfolded in the Marechal Hermes training field, in the city of Três Barras, Santa Catarina, and this allowed us to evaluate the brigade's command and control structures at the height of what would be carried out in a real combat situation.
We are verifying the ability of our command company to provide the necessary structures to the higher staff, and also of the 15th Mechanized Infantry Brigade to provide the necessary command and control means for the connection with the command posts of the subordinated AMs. All decisions made by the higher staff and by the members of the enemy army are launched in software operated remotely from the South Training Center, in the city of Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul, which compares the combat power of the troops involved and brings the most likely result of happening in a real combat. The command of the 5th Army Division was the certifying step of the Guarani Brigade.
We are here today in Três Barras, continuing the certification of the 15th Mechanized Infantry Brigade. We were already in Santa Maria, training our crews in the modules of the South Training Center and the South Training Center. And this week, we are testing the construction simulation of the higher staff and all members of the 15th Brigade, Commanders of Fraction and Commanders of Unity, in a construction simulation that aims at the exercise that will be carried out next week, which is an exercise to certify the Brigade itself.
As a final part of the training, an analysis was carried out after the action, which aims to highlight the strengths and present opportunities for improvement.
