Command & Staff trainer

Recent conflicts highlighted it once more: on today’s complex, contested and fast-paced battlefield, taking the right tactical decision at the lower levels of command is a critical challenge.

Thales' Command & Staff Trainer (CST) allows commanders of every branch at up to battlegroup level to practice standard operating procedures, develop their situational awareness and decision-making skills, and communicate effectively with each other.
 

Flexibility 

The CST is an extremely flexible tool. At smaller scale, it can be used to train a particular group of commanders while letting the system’s smart virtual entities act as the superiors and subordinates of the participants. At a larger scale, commanders and their subordinates can be trained simultaneously. In both cases, participants will receive and issue orders through their usual means of communications.

In addition, exercises can be conducted in geo-specific and/or geo-typical terrain, depending on your needs. It is even possible to seamlessly integrate vehicle crews operating Thales virtual AFV Trainers, as these are based on the exact same technology.
 

Powerful

The CST includes a powerful mission editor, featuring complex unit mission assignments, such as screening, reducing the time and effort required to set up scenarios. With more than 60 possible reactions, instructors have full control over the advanced Computer Generated Forces, which exhibit realistic behaviour and even automatically submit situation reports to the participants.

The CST supports large maps and numerous entities, allowing exercises to be run at up to battlegroup level.

Non-combat operations, such as  CBRN, as well as logistic, maintenance and medical evacuation, are also covered, resulting in a truly multi-faceted representation of the battlefield.

Immersive

The CST is compatible with the latest graphical engines, such as Unreal Engine 5. As a consequence, the 3D (stealth) view allows participants to base their decisions, such as the location of assets, based on an ultra-realistic representation of the battlefield environment.

Thanks to the dynamic terrain feature, battlefield effects and engineering actions are also simulated as and when they take place during the exercise.

BMS integration (Battle Management System)

For a faithful representation of the way commanders communicate, the CST simulates radio communications and can either integrate with real battlefield management systems / C4ISR equipment, or simulate them.

Specific GUI (Graphical User Interface)

Depending on his role, branch of service and level, each exercise participant is presented with a distinct graphical user interface with intuitive controls matching his tasks and responsibilities. As a result, learning to use the system is quick and straightforward.
 

In terms of hardware, the CST runs on standard commercial off-the-shelf IT equipment (computers, screens, etc.), and the number of networked stations required simply depends on the scale of the exercises and number of participants.

In terms of software, the system includes:

• a trainee module, configured separately for each trainee station depending on the role of the participant
• an exercise control module, which allows the instructors to monitor and control the exercise
• an after action review module, providing evaluation tools and allowing exercise replays
• a preparation module, to create exercises or modify existing ones, including implementing new behaviors, using new weapon systems, or fighting over different terrain

The exercise environment consists of a terrain database and computer-generated forces representing all entities participating in the exercise, such as air, land and sea forces which can be divided into different forces (friendly, hostile , neutral, etc.).