Experimenting Today to Shape the Fires Force of Tomorrow

FORT SILL, OKLA. – As the Army transforms for large-scale combat operations, future Fires formations must deliver greater lethality and survivability wh… FORT SILL, OKLA. – As the Army transforms for large-scale combat operations, future Fires formations must deliver greater lethality and survivability while remaining sustainable. The Fires Experimentation Division, Fires Future Capability Directorate, recently brought together experts from across the Army, joint force, and defense community for the Mid-Range Fires Tabletop Experiment to examine how future Fires formations and capabilities could meet that challenge. FED used Fire Support Simulation for the 21st Century and Extended Air Defense Simulation, U.S. Army constructive combat modeling and simulation tools, to execute a tabletop experiment supporting a Total Army Analysis.

FIRESIM XXI provides the Field Artillery simulation capability, while EADSIM provides the Air Defense simulation capability. Subject Matter Experts from across the enterprise compared a Blue Base Case representing current capabilities with three advanced Blue force designs incorporating projected capabilities against the 2040 threat. The simulations account for variability in battlefield conditions, allowing the team to examine how different force designs perform. The resulting data helps inform future force structure decisions focused on lethality, survivability, and sustainment. FIRESIM XXI supports Army and Joint experimentation, demonstrations, Fires training exercises, and tactical training. By interfacing with tactical command-and-control systems, the simulation can represent indirect fire