Chapter II. Science and Technology Integration With Army XXI
Army Science and Technology Master Plan (ASTMP 1997)

3. Current Status

During the last four years the Battle Lab process has been validated through a succession of Advanced Warfighting Experiments and a related series of "How to Fight" seminars and videos. The concept, through its ever-evolving process, has been continuously updated. The process output can be seen in Force XXI.

Warfighting experiments, large and small, are the keys to Force XXI Joint Venture success. Now the Joint Venture provides the focus for current and future warfighting experiments. (See Figure II-23.)

Six AWEs were approved for the Fall of 1994 through 1995. The first AWE was the Atlantic Resolve REFORGER exercise in November 1994. It provided insights about linking dispa- rate constructive, virtual, and live simulations in a "synthetic theater of war" or STOW. The second AWE was the Theater Missile Defense experiment in April. It was a holistic exploration of ways to integrate national, joint, and Army capabilities into a cohesive tactical missile defense force that is able to counter potential adversaries during pre-attack, attack, and post-attack operational phases. The third AWE was the Mobile Strike Force (MSF) experiment in the Prairie Warrior exercise in May. The MSF explored future division-level organizational, materiel, and operational concepts that will influence the Force XXI division redesign efforts. The fourth AWE, Focused Dispatch, is a follow-on to the Desert Hammer VI AWE conducted in April 1994. It evaluated the processes and functions of digital connectivity among fire support, intelligence, combat service support, and battle command in a mounted battalion task force. The final 1995 AWE was the Warrior Focus experiment in November. It established the baseline for digitization of dismounted battalion task forces and continued the exploration of dismounted "own the night" issues. Finally, the Experimental Force (EXFOR), which is both an AWE and the means to conduct other warfighting experiments, was started in March 1995.

Insights from the most recent AWEs are as follows:

Theater Missile Defense

• Joint and Army Theater Missile Defense Doctrine needs revision
• Force Structure is inadequate
• C4I and Passive defense needs the most work
• Defense of forward maneuver forces against short range ballistic and cruise missiles is deficient

Prairie Warrior '95

• Successful Operational to Tactical level sensor hand-off
• Wide-area ambush appears practical
• Potential of ground maneuver not realized
• Aviation C2 does not support combat/combat support/combat service support mission
• Organization and functions of staffs

Focused Dispatch

• Potential for any sensor to any Fire Support node
• Current digital systems too slow for effective air defense early warning
• Comms pipe to pass info is insufficient
• Direction of individual Combat Service Support assets possible throughout the distribution process
• Execution done by voice
• Confidence in displayed info as "ground truth"

Warrior Focus

• Own-The-Night technology great success
• Connectivity issues remain but improving
• High level of discovery learning
• Technology for individual soldier a challenge

The AWEs completed to date and the "How to Fight" seminars have resulted in a better understanding of Force XXI.