"The 5th CTS is the U.S. Air Force's premiere distributed training center in Europe," said NIC B-4 Kris Luyckx, Operations Wing Senior Mission Simulator Operator. "They provide enhanced joint and combined warfighter readiness training through live, virtual and constructive (LVC) simulation capabilities."
The training through the 5th CTS, provides support training for joint, allied and partner-nation warfighters at tactical, operation and strategic levels which use integrated systems connected by diverse modeling and simulated networks. The exercise consists of a combination of mission sets, covering the full spectrum of the air battle, to include air-to-air, air-to-ground and ground-to-air components.
"Spartan Warrior is a premier tactical level virtual Large Force Employment Exercise (LFE)," said NIC B-4 Kris Luyckx, Operations Wing Senior Mission Simulator Operator. "It's a multilateral engagement opportunity to provide coalition partners persistent connectivity over the Combined Federated Battle Laboratories Network at a NATO Secret classification level for coalition focused, unit-led training."
UAWC is able to control the scenarios while NATO participants remote into the simulation from their home-stations and engage in the training, real-time.
The UAWC staff was internally augmented by Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian Armies with JTAC, US Army with Patriot and multiple "constructive" players flying F-15C, F-15E, F-16, FGR-4, EF-2000, A-10C, CV-22, E-8 JSTARS and MQ-9. A mission crew from Squadron 1 represented the E-3A AWACS, conducting the exercise in Mission Training Center 2.
The Spartan Warrior exercise was conducted over four days with multiple external units participating along with NATO. Although virtual, this exercise provides a realistic simulation enabling all participants to achieve greater interoperability and integration.
"A grand total of two hundred military and contractors were involved in a joint effort to provide the best training opportunity to the participating units," Kris said. "All elements of a typical LFE exercise were present."
The Spartan Warrior exercise, although virtual, provides a realistic simulation enabling all participants to achieve greater interoperability and integration.
According to USAF Lieutenant General Steven Bashan, USAFE-AFAFRICA deputy Commander, the future Spartan Warrior exercises will become venues to validate NATO tactics, techniques and procedures including 4th and 5th generation integration, and further develop the vision for Joint All Domain Command and Control, and Agile Combat Employment.