”Joint 2013”

1. ”Joint 2013”Searching for NewMilitary Learning PracticesIn collaboration with The Royal Military, Air Force and Naval Academies(2010 – 2013) hilde.hafnor@ffi.nodan-helge.bentsen@ffi.noarild.bergh@ffi.no

2. ”Joint 2013” ”Improving the way people think and work together” Aim: To develop the cadets’ ability to think and reflect on the meanings and implications of modern military collaboration, communication and leadership by putting their experience and knowledge in a larger context.

3. Focus Areas • Exploring the effects of modern gaming and lightweight simulation technologies in combination with other social technologies within a distributed learning and collaboration setting • Gain practical experience of possibilities and limitations • Addressing emerging types of military training/learning and experimentation areas that are usually not covered by highly advanced “traditional” M&S technology or in various military “Table Top” exercises (in Norway) • E.g. developing the social/cultural skills required to handle diversity and cross-cultural communication across military branches • Training/Learning people-to-people (peer-to-peer) i.e. how humans interact with other humans to solve real problems in a highly complex and rapidly evolving environment - when face-to-face is not an option • The social dimension of technology: mediator and enabler of social interactions

4. Priming the Ability to Collaborate • Today it is widely acknowledged that there are distinct differences in cultures/practices/-mindsets/terminologies between military branches that can hamper effective collaboration and communication in military operations • The ability to cross-collaborate and cross-communicate effectively is a skill that needs to be addressed and practiced much earlier than is the case today (in Norway at least) • The Academies want to address this problem at the bachelor level to better prepare the cadets for their future service as professional military officers and leaders The Royal Norwegian Naval Academy The Royal Air Force Academy The Royal Military Academy

5. Priming the Ability to Collaborate • The most effective way is through exposure – not only lecturing • Practicing and learning face-to-face is not an option (at least not in the near future...) • So, what do we do? Trondheim Bergen The Royal Air Force Academy The Royal Norwegian Naval Academy Oslo The Royal Military Academy

6. Trysomethingdifferent: SemiExposure

7. Initial Project Premises The Pilot • Should add something substantially new to the learning process • Focus on social and cognitive skills regarding collaboration and communication across the branches within the context of a sharp military scenario (trigger) • Tailor an up-to-date but simplified scenario, but provide enough complexity for genuine learning to happen at appropriate level • Geographically distributed technological set-up to exploit new possibilities within network-based training/-experimentation • Feasible within a research setting • In 2010 we conducted a two-day pilot experiment - ”Joint Experiment 2010” • Given the successful and promising results from the pilot the “Joint 2013” activity was formally established Status today: 2010 – 2012 • Conducted four two-day experiments – minimalistic, compact and intensive • Different types of experiment set-ups • Different types of scenarios • Different types of technologies • Increasingly geographically distributed • Combination of “wargaming, table-top and role playing”

8. Joint 2013 – What it is not • Not JOINT at the operational level! • Not focusing on “hard skills” such as • platform handling and maneuvering, or • technical joint-procedural training, or • handling of weapons, computing missile tracks, or • shooting skills, etc. • Not involving any highly advanced platform simulators • Not simulating “the system” i.e. plans, orders, reports, human behavior, etc. • Not (trad.) “Military Training” –> but learning

9. Joint 2013 – What it is • Learning about “the others” • Develop the cadets’ own understanding and insight of each others concepts, terminology, main capacities and ”modus operandi” • Role playing the “Joint scenario” -> “means to an end” • The purpose is to give the cadets, at their current level, an increased understanding of how to use resources jointly within a modern conflict • Learning from each other • Developing a basis for a shared cognitive frame of understanding • Thus the focus is on practicing collaboration and cross-communication in the frame of doing something collectively, together with the other branches • Skills that requires interactions beyond performing Standard Operating Procedures within their own unit or branch

10. Research Approach - Summary

11. Educational Approach - Summary

12. Experiment Design JOC Air “Walk a mile in someone else’s shoes”–> to experience and learn about the situation from “the others’” perspective • A Simplified operational setting • Playing with four operative cells representing: • Air, Land, Naval and JOC • Total of 15 cadets – one from each branch placed in each operative cell and JOC • No ”pure branch” cells BattleCommand WIKI/Web/FMS Virtual World Naval Land L L L L N N N N A A A A • Moderators: 3 military instructors (officers) from each branch • Also playing Higher HQ

13. The first three experiments@FFI: Physical Set-Up The fourth experiment@FFI: Physical Set-Up FFI Battle Lab (main) FFI Battle Lab (main) White Cell White Cell Game management/ Higher HQ Game management/ Higher HQ FFI Room #1 (physical space) L A L N L L L N L N A N N N A A A A A N L JOC FFI Room #2 ("Bergen") FFI Room #3 ("Oslo") FFI Room #1 ("Trondheim") Trondheim FFI Room #2 (physical space) Air FFI Room #3 (physical space) Digital/Virtual Space Oslo Naval Bergen Land Air FFI Room #4 (physical space) Naval Land

14. Virtual Set-Up JOC Air The remaining setup was unchanged • The same operational setting • The same four operative cells representing: • Air, Land, Naval and JOC • The same layout of 15 cadets – one from each branch placed in each operative cell and JOC • No ”pure branch” cells BattleCommand WIKI/Web/FMS Virtual World Naval Land • “Walk a mile in someone else’s shoes” –> • to experience and learn a situation from “the others” perspective L L L L N N N N A A A A

15. Multiple Overlapping Internet Based Applications • ImmersiveInstantInteractiveIntensive...

16. Virtual Set-Up OpenSourceVirtual World (OpenQwaq) • FFI developed a minimalistic virtual command & control arena containing the four cells: Land, Air, Naval and JOC • For the cadets: Used as the main collaboration arena between the cells • Real time application sharing (Wiki/Web/Battle Command/FMS) • Audio support - formal/informal communication • For the mentors: Used as the main area to monitor the progress of the situation.

17. VT Mäk Battle Command • Simulated course of events (which could easily be changed if required) • Used as a Common Operational Picture (COP) • Mainly used for staff and management training • "Balancing Joint" • Extensively modified by FFI to fit the Joint 2013 scenario setup

18. All background info was available digitally • Background scenario, IPB, ROEs, etc • Blogs used for news alerts • Cadets actively used a wiki in their collaboration (CCIR, logging, communication, presentations, etc) • Chat • Training pages

19. Battle Command (updated in real time) Wiki/Web (updated in real time)

20. Sharing Data and Communicating in the Virtual World

21. The Way Ahead • Final experiment in spring 2013 • Richer content - and technical development of the infrastructure • Refining the demonstrators

22. Towards ”Web Based Wargaming" Breakaway Mosbe VT Mäk Battle Command Battle Command Browser 2013 2010 1. exp (”pilot”) 2. exp 3. exp 4. exp 5. exp

23. «Evolving the richness» of the (5th) experiment 3-4th Experiment 5th Experiment Scenario development • Adding strategic UAV operations • Border surveillance • Identification of hostile units • Monitor key locations Technical development • Use HLA Lib 1.3 to store entity data • Utilize stored data in browsers/mobiledevices and/or virtual world • Use VBS2 as either a UAV or just the optics Open Qwaq - Video Files - Live Display window in Open Qwaq Displayed in browser Other Web Services / Mobile Devices Web Server (Store data for web services) FFI HLA Lib 1.3 VT Mäk Battle Command «CGF» Bohemia Interactive VBS2 «UAV simulator» HLA 1.3 HLA 1.3 HLA 1.3 VT Mäk RTI

24. Deliverables • Develop a new conceptual basis for network-enabled military “joint” basic training and new learning practices at the tactical level for the Norwegian Military Academies (educational) • The concept is fairly fixed – unlike the technical solutions and scenarios • At the end of 2013: A joint report that outlines the basic ideas, concepts, analysis and recommendations • Realization: The Academies need to develop it further to tailor and adapt the concept in to their own fashion, curriculum, timetables and technologies of their choosing. • The fundamental idea is transferable to other domains – also outside the educational system – e.g. civilian sector training, civil–military, etc.

25. ConcludingRemarks • During all the runs the cadets have expressed that they felt they had learned something new • Positive responses to a “new way to learn” • For each experiment – new cadets – various levels (not tested the “repetition effect”) • Tested out an arena for intense and dynamic action-oriented competence training • “low cost – high effects” • The cadets gained experiences and knowledge about each other's branches, at the same time they were able to utilize relatively simple, and low cost, digital tools without much prior training • “Light” and commercial available technology is a good catalyst for learning by experience • The open educational model seemed to work: the cadets were required to find solutions and reflect on these solutions, hence their learning surpassed simple memorizing of procedures and rules • ”Way better than a 17 hr powerpoint!” [cadet feedback] This is a Proof of Concept... in the Lab ...