Reality check: Learning the art of war in an age of diverse threats

The importance of simulation for military training in the U.S. for diverse war situations is discussed. It has been understood that it is necessary to provide troops in force-on-force combat training centers (CTCs), where there is opposition force (OPFOR) that shoots back using laser weapon simulation. The training employs all the co-ordination, doctrinal, tactical, logistical, equipment and threat-driven training for a fully formed combined-arms unit in complex joint/all-arms operations. Military analysts and contingency planners have resumed for 'massed armed forces' as an estimable future threat. They have also started to attend to the instabilities arising from the expiry of the SALT II nuclear arms limitation treaty. The US Army is continuing to operate three CTCs, including the National Training Center (NTC) at Fort Irwin, the Joint Readiness Training Center (JRTC) at Fort Polk, and the Joint Multinational Readiness Center (JMRC) at Hohenfels in Germany.