Sig Matthew McDonald, I CSR, operating BCSS at JWID 2002, Enoggera Barracks, Brisbane. Photo by Pte Sean Burton, 1JPAU(P)

THE ADF has played its largest role to date in this years Joint Warrior Interoperability Demonstration (JWID) as the Land Component Commander.

This was the first time the overall commander, the United States, had asked another nation to fulfil this particular role during the worldwide virtual warfare demonstration.

Joint Warrior 2002 was held at DJFHQ, Gallipoli Barracks in Brisbane, DSTO Fernhill in ACT and DSTO Edinburgh in South Australia along with sites in the US, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and some NATO countries.

JWID 2002 was a four-week capability demonstration and assessment activity conducted in a simulated Timor-like scenario.

Warfighters were tested through the range of military operations and various phases of a peacekeeping operation, from the insertion of the force to a stable peacekeeping operation.

JWID originated as a US-sponsored command, control, communications, computers and intelligence (C41) technology demonstration initiative, which has expanded multi-nationally.

The demonstration showed how data, map overlays and navigation information could be passed between the Australian Joint Command Support System, Battlefield Command Support System and the US Global Command and Control System to provide a combined operating picture.

The development of combined command, control, computer intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (C4ISR) war-fighting capabilities were also a focus between participating national systems.

Australian National Director for JWID Andrew Tape, who has been involved in the activity since 1997, said although the demonstration was not yet aimed at the individual soldier, the technology would eventually enhance capabilities.

"You will see more and more networking and information management pushing its way down to the sharp end," he said.

The IT combat soldier of the future is getting closer to reality and Mr Tape can see it as reality rather than a pipe dream.

"I believe in the future you will get IT connectivity personally attached to individual soldiers.

"Within 10 years the system network should filter down to the soldier on the ground."

Also at the JWID 2002 was the US Air Force Research Laboratory aircraft, based at Brisbane Airport for the exercise.

The laboratory was there to demonstrate interoperability between the Theatre Broadcast System (TBS) and the American, Global Broadcast system, proving coalition data could be moved between the two systems to support the warfighter on the ground.

Australian Project director for the TBS Gary Moran said he was happy with what the demonstration had achieved.

"This was the first successful demonstration of interoperability between these military broadcast systems," he said.

By Pte Sean Burton