By Calvin Biesecker
The Coast Guard this week took delivery of a new C4ISR simulator as part of its Deepwater modernization program that will allow the entire watch team for its National Security Cutters to train together before heading to sea.
The $20 million C4ISR simulator is located at the Training Center Petaluma in Petaluma, Calif., and was completed by the Coast Guard, Integrated Coast Guard Systems (ICGS) and Lockheed Martin [LMT]. ICGS is a joint venture between Northrop Grumman [NOC] and Lockheed Martin, which is responsible for the aircraft and C4ISR assets under Deepwater.
This month 30 members of the first National Security Cutter, the USCGS BERTHOLF, will begin training on the new simulator. The new capability essentially brings together the entire watch team of a ship crew for training on a simulator, which hasn’t occurred before in the Coast Guard, Cmdr. Mark Ruckstuhl, training lead for Deepwater, told Defense Daily yesterday. Prior to the use of the simulator, radar and radio crews would train in various Coast Guard and Navy schools and then practice at sea with the rest of the ship’s crew. Now the radar and radio operators will be able to integrate with other key members of the vessel before ever going to sea, which will increase their competency, he said.
“This is a new concept for us,” Ruckstuhl said.
The Coast Guard eventually hopes to have simulator mock ups for each of its new cutter classes such as the Fast Response Cutter and Offshore Patrol Cutter, Ruckstuhl said. The service is currently working on a bridge control simulation system that would be co-located with the C4ISR simulator to improve the future training of the bridge and operations centers of the National Security Cutter, he added.
So far, over 80 Coast Guard and 20 Navy students have attended nine courses at the new facility.