I-HITS Mobile Technology Represents
Future for Force-on-Force Training

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With continuing deployments to the Middle East, troops need immediate access to the same level of training offered at the U.S. Army’s Combat Training Centers (CTCs). The annual CTC rotations provide forces with objective assessments needed for critical “lessons learned,” which have proven to be a key element in U.S. combat readiness and troop survival.

Now, for the first time, U.S. and allied forces can receive affordable CTC-like training on demand — anywhere in the world — with Cubic’s highly mobile instrumentation training system. Dubbed the “Initial - Homestation Instrumentation Training System (I-HITS) by the U.S. Army, the system represents the new standard for deployable force-on-force training.

I-HITS fulfills the military’s urgent requirement to provide a cost-effective training system with CTC fidelity at homestations, mobilization stations and forward-deployed operational sites.

Based on Cubic’s Deployable System for Training and Readiness (DSTAR) technology, I-HITS is capable of battle tracking, data collection and After Action Reviews (AARs). Packaged in transit cases, the system can be rapidly deployed and easily installed for force-on-force, force-on-target, service, joint and combined exercises. It is also expandable for all levels of training, from platoon through battalion task force training.

Cubic is developing I-HITS for the U.S. Army under a five-year contract potentially worth $71.7 million. Additionally, the company is developing similar deployable systems for international military forces looking to cost-effectively and incrementally augment their training capabilities.

I-HITS leverages Cubic’s combat training and communications technologies developed for the world’s largest and most advanced CTCs, including the U.S. Army’s Joint Readiness Training Center (JRTC), the British Army’s Area Weapons Effects Simulator (AWES), and similar instrumented systems being installed in Canada, Australia and other nations. I-HITS also incorporates new technologies Cubic is developing for the Yukon Training Range in Alaska, which will feature a joint Army and Air Force training capability.

KEY COMPONENTS
The system comprises player instrumentation, GPS player units and portable communications systems that are fully integrated with a software-based exercise control system. These technologies track the positions and casualty status of troops and vehicles in real time and relay exercise data to command centers for post-mission analysis and AAR presentations. Key components include:

EXERCISE CONTROL
The core I-HITS Exercise Control (EXCON) software package provides situational awareness to the training analyst and minimizes time to prepare AARs. The EXCON software allows operators to develop exercise scenarios, control simulated threats, and monitor multiple players on PCs and laptop computers.

AFTER ACTION REVIEWS
I-HITS records the exercise events for replay during AAR presentations. The multimedia presentations help commanders assess the unit performance, including the strengths and weaknesses of each participant. The AARs can be conducted in tents, Humvees, trucks or shelters
at training or operational sites.

PLAYER INSTRUMENTATION
Tracking data is facilitated by GPS-based player units that are integrated into Cubic’s MILES 2000 harnesses that are worn by the soldiers or attached to armored vehicles. The player units provide both MILES direct-fire events and real-time positional data for display on the analyst’s situational display. For air combat training, I-HITS contains options for GPS-based instrumentation pods that collect and relay inflight data and weapons events in
real-time to the EXCON for post-mission debriefs.

COMMUNICATION NETWORKS
PLAYER UNITS – Participants in the exercise are equipped with GPS-based player units that are integrated in the MILES vests. The player units indicate both the GPS position of the players and the MILES weapon events for display in the EXCON. The player units also provide basic Area Weapons Effects assessment, accurately simulating “indirect” events such as artillery, mortar fire, smoke, nuclear, biological, chemical attacks, mines and air-delivered munitions.

PORTABLE RELAY – At the heart of I-HITS are the pre-packaged Communications Subsystem and the EXCON. These can be augmented as required, depending on mission needs. The portable Communications Subsystem also comprises GPS and data link antennas, portable mast units and transit cases that contain the generator, UPS, short-range line-of-site microwave, rangeless satellite dishes and the transportable relay radio.

MAJOR FEATURES

•  Cost-effective, reliable and user-friendly. Requires minimal training and installation (typically
    less than one hour)
•  Provides real-time situational awareness and immediate objective assessments
•  Completely self-contained package is not dependent upon existing infrastructure
•  Operates within military tents, shelters or any wheeled or tracked vehicle (including Humvees
    and commercial trailers)
•  Scalable for all levels of training, from platoon through battalion task force training
•  Supports any training mission, including light forces, heavy forces, urban operations,
    combined arms and joint training
•  Provides direct and indirect weapons effects simulation and assessment
•  Modular, expandable design enables easy hardware replacement and future modification with
  emerging weapon and communication systems