What USJFCOM Does

What is USJFCOM?

Force Provider

Joint Trainer

Joint Capability Development

Joint Enabling Capabilities

Joint Concept Development and Experimentation

Reserve & Command Support

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Joint Conflict and Tactical Simulation (JCATS)

Modeling and Simulations

Joint Training Directorate

Joint Experimentation

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U.S. Army War College

Defense Modeling and Simulation Office

Recent Joint Training News

Command prepares 10th Mountain Division for Afghanistan A USJFCOM team will conduct Unified Endeavor Mission Rehearsal Exercise 10-3, an exercise designed to prepare the 10th Mountain Division for challenges they will face in their deployment to Afghanistan. • Comment on this article at USJFCOMLive

Joint Theater Level Simulation (JTLS)

Joint Theater Level Simulation (JTLS), an interactive, computer-assisted simulation tool used in joint training programs. U.S. Joint Forces Command’s (USJFCOM) Joint Warfighting Center manages the JTLS program.

While JTLS' primary focus is the operational level of war, it employs significant tactical-level capabilities. Its capability to model a wide spectrum of conflict makes it the only inherently joint model in use for theater operations multi-sided, coalition warfare.

The JTLS models multi-sided air, ground, and naval combat, with logistical, special operation force (SOF), and intelligence support. Additionally, JTLS can represent up to 10 sides of a conflict – each with individual side relationships and rules of engagement. Each individual side can have unlimited factions assigned.

The simulation supports links to most fielded real-world command and control, communications, computers and intelligence (C4I) systems and other models through customized interfaces. This flexibility provides maximum utility and usability - to include high-level architecture (HLA) applications.

JTLS supports a large terrain play box - 2,000 by 2,000 nautical miles and supports operations such as strategic air and ships outside this area. Users interact with the model through the Graphical Input/Output & Replay (GIAC) or a web-enabled graphical user interface (GUI) that will interact with the simulation using a simple web browser – both are fully point-and-click windowed environments.

Development of JTLS began in 1983 as a project funded by the U.S. Readiness Command, U.S. Army Concepts Analysis Agency, and the U.S. Army War College. The program was originally designed for the development and analysis of joint and combined (coalition) operation plans.

Planners frequently used JTLS as a training support model and for mission planning and rehearsals and it has evolved as an important warfighting training tool. It has undergone continuous functional and system upgrades since that time.

JTLS along with the Joint Conflict and Tactical Simulation (JCATS) have recently been integrated into the Joint Multi-Resolution Model (JMRM) Federation as the two core models. In this federation, JTLS provides the high level aggregate representation while JCATS provides the entity level representation. In support of this federation, JTLS is adding an entity-level server to provide entity templating of its aggregate units to further enhance its capabilities.

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