JAGOG's combat scenario simulator

It seems that a bit of tension, or at least miscommunication, is quite common between pilots in the Air Force and Army soldiers holding it down on the western front. As we can all imagine, if communication during a live combat situation is anything less than flawless, things could turn ugly fairly quick. The Joint Air-Ground Operations Group, better known in military circles as JAGOG, is an outfit that addresses both Army ground patrols and Air Force squads to sync up communication patterns that tend to falter under the pressures of combat. It instructs ground units how to best communicate their current position and status, as well as giving them more effective ways to integrate airborne friendlies into their operations. On the flip side, Air Force units are taught how to best interpret ground commands so they can zero in on the targets at hand, basically ensuring a "Who's on first?" debacle doesn't give the enemy an edge. The newest tool at JAGOG's disposal is a 360-degree dome-shaped simulator, which drops students into a virtual "Iraq-esque scenario" featuring lightning-quick moving targets that leave you little choice but to give accurate and precise instructions to the trigger-happy pilots overhead if you want to evade serious injury. The student is tasked with spotting the target and guiding a fighter pilot in to eradicate the threat, thus putting a sense of urgency on getting this communication gig down that textbooks just don't deliver. Currently the simulator is stationed at the Air Force lab in Mesa, Arizona, but should be making the rounds to other facilities soon -- we figure if the military really needs a new way to recruit these days, a 30 second clip of this in action might help get things moving, or at least do a better job of getting the message across.

[Rick @ Aug 10th 2006 11:16AM]

But can it run doom?

[AirForceVet @ Aug 10th 2006 11:17AM]

Actually, in your article, you incorrectly assume that it is the Army personnel on the ground directing the air traffic. This is actually mostly untrue. The Air Force has a specialty called TAC-P (Tactical Air Control Party) and also Comabat Controllers, which are Air Force Special Forces troops that attach to Army units and conduct air traffic routing during combat operations. They usually tag along with Ranger units, but also SEAL units and all other Special Forces Units. So, this technology would benefit mostly the contact between Air Force un its in the air AND on the ground.

[joe @ Aug 10th 2006 11:26AM]

dude 360 degree doom. i would probably shit my pants when that imp attacks me from behind

[Marcus @ Aug 10th 2006 11:55AM]

Good catch, Air Force Vet.

Theres something similar to this for the combat controllers at Hope AFB, NC--it's a more high-level ATC sim, but the realism and complexity is amazing. It uses a similar display.

One of the best features is the voice recognition. EX: Plane does something wrong, Controller can respond with "453 Mike Alpha, you have disobeyed a direct order, now suffer the consequences" at which point the aircraft in question immediately bursts into flames.

Good times.

[codecorvid @ Aug 10th 2006 1:09PM]

Is it just me or does this not look rendered? I know graphics are nearly photorealistic these days, but a lot of things that don't involve sophisticated computers get couched as a "simulator". My guess is this is a panoramic video with a guy jumping around in the sand; much like those "driving simulators" we had in high school that compared your wheel/throttle to correct, scripted responses to a first-person video of someone driving.

By the way, UIUC has a five-sided CAVE that plays Quake. I don't know if they have updated it for new games, though. :)

[jordan @ Aug 10th 2006 1:15PM]

Ground unit to air unit: My location? I'm in a dome with some pretty projector displaying a 360 view of what appears to be photos from the Mars lander!

[Jagopolis @ Aug 10th 2006 2:57PM]

Is that a Klingon behind that dune?! Air force seven-niner, we've got a major bogey over here, over.

Roger ground, serving up a cold dish, over.

....---I think this thing looks like the Apple IIe of holodecks.

[Poet @ Aug 10th 2006 3:47PM]

So when's this being released for the xbox 360?a

[Walter @ Aug 10th 2006 3:50PM]

Is the guy in the sim using binoculars? That's not gonna work too well with a projected display.

[giveaphuk @ Aug 10th 2006 11:41PM]

ohhh, i wonder if the tech guys gave World of warcraft a run on this!! hehehehe..

[chris @ Aug 11th 2006 10:07AM]

teaching CAS http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Close_Air_Support
using a dome simulator http://www.boeing.com/nco/demonstrations.html

[veronica @ Aug 11th 2006 12:10PM]

So it's like the X-Men's power room, but for innocent Iraqi draftees...