JFIT participates in Boldquest exercise

  • Published
  • By Casey Bain
  • JFIIT, USJFCOM
CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. --  U.S. servicemembers and coalition partners are assessing combat identification technologies that could reduce the potential of fratricide during a two-week long exercise being conducted here and at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, N.C.

Bold Quest 09, a U.S. Joint Forces Command's coalition combat identification advanced concept technology demonstration, is the sixth in a series of exercises aimed at improving the warfighter's ability to distinguish friendly from enemy forces on the battlefield.

"The principle focus of BQ 09 is fixed-wing, air-to-ground CID," said John Miller, USJFCOM Joint Capability Integration and Fires Division's BQ 09 operational manager. "Simply put, we're assessing the technical and procedural means for an aircrew to identify friendly ground elements by interrogating them or an intended target area. It's a monumental task of assessing CID technologies that could improve our combat effectiveness and reduce fratricide across the services and with our coalition partners alike."

USJFCOM's Joint Fires Integration and Interoperability Team is part of the team that includes representation from all U.S. services and a 10-nation coalition. The countries participating in this event include: Australia, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and the United Kingdom.

"This is a win-win for the Army, Air Force, Navy, Marines, and our allies," said Air Force Maj. Paul Brenner, JFIIT operational lead at BQ. "Anytime you can bring together a comprehensive group of U.S. and coalition military experts to participate in a well synchronized and orchestrated tactical exercise, progress will be made."

Military members participating in the demonstration appreciate the opportunity to provide feedback on technologies that could play a vital role in future conflicts.

"As someone who has recently served in Iraq, it's refreshing to see the military take such a proactive stance in trying to solve the complex problem of fratricide," said Army 1st Sgt. Joseph Gaskin, Company C, 2nd Battalion, 30th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team,10th Mountain Division from Fort Polk, La. "Another advantage of this exercise is the opportunity to work with many of our coalition partners just like we do when we're deployed. It's a vital experience especially for our younger leaders and soldiers."

Coalition partners also see BQ 09 as an important event to assess new CID technologies.

"Bold Quest provides the best opportunity available to test our system in a realistic environment," said German Air Force Lt. Col. Georg Leben, German Air Force Command lead at BQ. "We enjoy working in a live multicultural and multiservice environment that can serve as a catalyst in developing what is needed to achieve a common goal, preventing fratricide."

USJFCOM's CCID ACTD exercises have always been focused on potential joint and coalition CID solutions.

"As in the case today, future conflicts will be fought alongside our coalition partners," Miller continued. "Bold Quest provides another superb opportunity for warfighters to come together and work to improve our CID capabilities as a joint and coalition team."

Two of the air-to-ground CID technologies being assessed here are the tactical fixed-wing aircraft pod-mounted Battlefield Target Identification Device and the Radio Based Combat Identification system.

BTID interrogates a potential target with its onboard weapons targeting system and allows the operator to make near-instantaneous engagement decisions using real-time identification data.

RBCI is a software modification to existing combat radios to provide an interrogation and reply CID capability.

"BTID and RBCI could enhance a pilot's situational awareness by providing another means to detect the presence of friendly forces in a target area before dropping ordnance on a hostile target," said Perry Davis, a contractor supporting JFIIT as its lead BTID and RBCI analyst at BQ. "These technologies could prove to be another important capability to help reduce the potential of fratricide for ground forces during the terminal phase of an air-to-ground attack."

Solving fratricide is a challenge that has spanned all conflicts and countless military operations.

"Progressing from the speed of the foot soldier on ancient battlefields to a jet fighter beaming lasers to scan a target area, the warfighter has relied on the best technology available to accomplish their assigned task," Brenner said. "As weaponry has become more accurate and lethal, CID technologies have become increasingly more reliable, but not perfect. BQ 09 is another important milestone in trying to find potential solutions to this complex challenge."

"Fratricide has historically been a problem facing both our forces and those of our coalition partners," said Army Sgt. 1st Class Jerell Daniels, platoon sergeant, Charlie Company, 2nd Battalion, 30th Infantry Regiment, 4th BCT, 10th Mountain Division. "This exercise is another important step in trying to solve that CID challenge. It's an absolutely essential mission that we've got to accomplish."