Joint Red Flag 2005

U.S. Joint Forces Command (USJFCOM) will sponsor Joint Red Flag 05 (JRF05), one of this year’s premier joint training events, March 14 through April 1 to evaluate how the Department of Defense will conduct operations in the future.

One of USJFCOM’s four component commands, the U.S. Air Force’s Air Combat Command (ACC) at Langley Air Force Base, Va., will act as the executive agent for Joint Red Flag 2005 (JRF05). ACC will link a number of traditionally separate training events and locations. It will primarily take place at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M., Fort Hood, Texas, and Fort Bliss, Texas.

One key to combat effectiveness is to train forces as they are going to fight. Ensuring interoperability is one of the key goals of JRF05. By integrating and enhancing several exercises normally run by the individual services, the training audience is better prepared to address joint interoperability issues before they deploy to a joint environment.

More than 10,000 members from the U.S. armed forces, reserves and National Guard, special operations forces and other government agencies will participate in the event. Several coalition partners will play major roles as well, both as participants and observers.

JRF05 will use the Joint National Training Capability (JNTC) to link live, virtual and constructed (L-V-C) forces and create a computer-simulated battlespace distributed to sites across the country. Live forces consist of real people and real systems in a live environment, while virtual forces consist of real people participating in simulators. Constructed forces are computer-generated.

Adding virtual and constructive forces to the event significantly enhances the interoperability training opportunities while minimizing the costs to the taxpayers.

One example of the L-V-C environment in action will be in the Virtual Flag component of JRF05. Aircraft will fly out of numerous airfields in the western U.S., while participants in the eastern U.S. will fly simulators. Computers will merge the data they generate to create a common tactical picture all the participants can see.

What is the purpose of JRF 05?
JRF05 has been designed to (1) save lives and resources by training our potential deployers in the lessons learned from contemporary military operations so they will arrive in theater as prepared for the conditions as we can make them, (2) assess the extent to which a joint force is able to implement the principles outlined in SECDEF’s Joint Training Transformation Implementation Plan, (3) develop improved joint training and experimentation capabilities; and (4) produce recommendations for current doctrine, organization, training, materiel, leadership, personnel, and facilities (DOTMLPF) in order to more effectively use our existing weapons systems by developing and adapting a new set of doctrine, organizational and training principles.

How will this help transform the military?
By testing concepts to allow military commanders to make better decisions and leveraging our information superiority, JRF05 helps support DoD’s six key transformation goals: protecting the homeland and forces overseas; projecting and sustaining power in distant theaters; denying enemy sanctuary; protecting U.S. information networks from attack; using information technology to link up U.S. forces so they can fight jointly; and maintaining unhindered access to space and protect U.S. space capabilities from enemy attack.

Joint exercise and experimentation fosters an operational, decision-making culture in the defense of our nation by exploring the threats of tomorrow today. The basic premise is that critical decisions on future military doctrine, organization or technology should be based on solid empirical results. We are exploring the future of national defense in order to provide better information for national security decision makers. National defense transformation begins with aggressively setting the joint context for concept development and robust joint experimentation.

How do the live events and computer simulation interact?
JRF05 participants will work electronically, through the command and control systems used to provide a common operational picture for the decision-makers. During JRF05, the training audience will use command and control devices to receive and respond to simulated events, tracking and modifying their plans as necessary. Many of the forces and equipment, including their movement and location, will be converted to entities in a simulated battlespace and forces will be able to react to simulated actions, such as sending simulated missiles in response to a simulated attack. Simulation technology allows us to train realistically and at the same time save people, resources, and money.

How will the results better prepare the military for the future?
We are working to create a collaborative environment for future operations that will allow our decision makers to routinely make and execute operational decisions faster than the adversary, thus allowing us to dissuade and defeat them while allowing us to save lives and conserve resources.

FITE demonstration showcases emerging technology
Marines at Camp Lejeune recently tested Future Immersive Training Environment (FITE), an interactive training tool designed by USJFCOM to prepare warfighters so that their first firefight is no worse than their last simulation.
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• See photos from the demonstration