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| Soldiers of the Republic of Korea Army at the Korea Combat Training Center demonstrate an advanced training system utilizing the multiple integrated laser engagement system installed in their equipment to simulate combat using lasers and blank cartridges. Korea Times photo by Jung Da-min |
By Jung Da-min
INJE ― Along with the government's Defense 2.0 Reform plans to counter the demographic cliff the military faces, the Republic of Korea (ROK) Army is making efforts to be "slimmer but smarter" by strengthening individual soldiers' combat capability.
As part of such efforts, the Army has been pushing ahead with the introduction of the Warrior Platform, an advanced combat system consisting of 33 pieces of clothing and combat equipment for individual soldiers, and employing the Army Tiger 4.0 system, an artificial intelligence (AI)-based hyper-connected ground combat system. The Army is also introducing its "dronebot" combat system which uses drones and robots.
But to strengthen the ROK Army thoroughly, cutting-edge technologies should be applied not just to equipment but also battalion training models and systems.
Located in Inje County, Gangwon Province, the Army's Korea Combat Training Center (KCTC) offers special training for soldiers utilizing the latest technology to simulate battlefields.
On Tuesday, Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo visited the training center to experience a live-fire exercise himself.
Jeong noted that the KCTC establishes a synthetic training environment based on a Live, Virtual and Constructive (LVC) simulation where virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) technologies were applied.
"I expect that the Army specify requirements for combat development through its know-how and big data accumulated through training at the KCTC, and this will lead to the development of advanced training systems using technologies that enable more realistic and diverse training experiences through integration of the LVC system," Jeong said.
The KCTC now offers larger-scale exercises for two brigades. The number of troops in a brigade varies from 2,000 to 5,000, while a regiment is around 1,000 to 3,000 and a battalion is 300 to 1,000. Before undergoing seven years and seven months of renovation, the KCTC had enabled exercises by two battalions.
During the renovation from 2010 to 2018, the KCTC was expanded to accommodate 5,000 troops and 1,000 pieces of equipment, a five times increase from the previous 1,400 troops with 200 pieces of equipment.
The area of the KCTC's training field is 120 square kilometers, about 41.6 times the area of Seoul's Yeouido.
Soldiers receive 15 days of training at the KCTC, experiencing a full intensity battle ― force deployment, combat training, defensive operations, offensive operations, clearing the battlefield and returning equipment.
During the training, soldiers wear weapons and equipment with the multiple integrated laser engagement system (MILES) installed to simulate actual battle, but using lasers and blank cartridges. Sensors are also attached to equipment such as helmets to detect if and where a soldier wearing it has been hit.
The Army has been collecting and analyzing battle data from the training conducted at the KCTC through its central control headquarters to further improve training.
The training at the KCTC can also involve the Air Force through an integrated network system that involves the Air Force's Air Combat Maneuvering Instrumentation (ACMI) system. Soldiers on the battlefield can request an aircraft from a nearby Air Force base to fly to the site deliver supporting ground attacks.
Jeong and reporters visiting the center saw a combat demonstration as well as training equipment including a grenade, Korean Panzerfaust 3s antitank weaponry, 106-millimeter recoilless rifle, 105-millimeter towed howitzer and personal weapons for soldiers.
Before visiting the KCTC, Minister Jeong also visited an Army training area in Yangpyeong, Gyeonggi Province, to inspect a simulator-based training site for the K2 Black Panther battle tank.
