Army Training Center Picks Unmanned Systems Integrator

Forterra, an autonomous mission systems company, has been selected as the Systems Integration Partner for unmanned systems under Project LAUNCH Box at the Joint Readiness Training Center (JRTC) in Fort Polk, Louisiana. Under the program, Forterra will manage and integrate unmanned systems for Geronimo, the resident opposing force that fights every rotational brigade at JRTC. This Combat Training Center (CTC) modernization effort is expected to increase the realism and value of each rotation and enable cost and time reduction in the evaluation of emerging autonomous capabilities.

Forterra will source Army-prioritized systems from multiple vendors and connect them through a common network architecture and unified data layer, so the different systems can operate together. Forterra will also train and sustain Geronimo to fight with these systems during training rotations.

Forterra’s platform-agnostic approach lets JRTC tailor the mix and number of unmanned systems in each rotation to achieve the desired threat picture. Rather than replacing equipment the opposing force already has, Forterra integrates new technologies and existing equipment into a connected unmanned force through OASIS-Fabric (Fabric), providing trainers and the exercise operations center a shared, live picture of the operation.

“Every rotation we support prepares the force to defeat these systems in real combat while giving the Army even more of an edge to carry into any fight. It also allows the Army to generate quantitative data during rotations to make more informed tactical and acquisition decisions,” said Forterra Head of Growth, Sustainment and Shaping Operations Phil Cotter. 

Each training cycle will produce data on how these systems perform and work together. Fabric’s Government Purpose Rights (GPR) environment enables the JRTC to reuse and build upon results from one rotation to the next.