Multiple Integrated Laser Engagement System

Multiple Integrated Laser Engagement System
Name	Multiple Integrated Laser Engagement System
Caption	Training system kit
Origin	United States
Type	Training instrumentation system
Used by	United States Army, United States Marine Corps, United States Navy, United States Air Force, British Army, Canadian Armed Forces, Australian Army
Manufacturer	Instrumentation Technology Systems / Cubic Corporation
Produced	1987–present

Multiple Integrated Laser Engagement System

The Multiple Integrated Laser Engagement System is a battlefield simulation training instrumentation suite used by United States Army, United States Marine Corps, United States Air Force, and allied forces such as the British Army, Canadian Armed Forces, and Australian Army. It enables live-force rehearsals that link simulated fires, weapon effects, sensors, and after-action review for units from platoon to corps level under programs like Joint Forces Command and exercises such as Operation Bright Star and RIMPAC. Developed and fielded during the late Cold War and refined through conflicts including the Gulf War and operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, it supports training managed by institutions like the National Training Center (Fort Irwin), Joint Readiness Training Center, and service schools including United States Military Academy and Royal Military Academy Sandhurst.

Overview

MILES is an instrumentation and simulation system that records exposure to simulated direct and indirect fires using coded lasers and laser receptors integrated with individual weapon replicas, vehicles, and role players from units such as airborne, mechanized, and armor formations. It provides after-action review capability used in exercises run by organizations such as TRADOC and NATO Training Mission. The system interfaces with range instrumentation at facilities including the Combat Training Center at Fort Irwin and multinational events like Exercise Unified Vision.

Design and Components

Core components include laser transmitters fitted to replicas of systems like the M16 rifle, M4 carbine, M249 SAW, and crew-served systems such as the M2 Browning and Mk 19 grenade launcher. Personnel wear harness-mounted receptor assemblies and engagement indicators interoperable with vehicle-mounted assemblies for platforms like the M1 Abrams, M2 Bradley, and light vehicles such as the Humvee. Command elements employ laptops and servers that run after-action review software originally provided by companies including Cubic Corporation and instrumentation firms working under contracts with Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency-sponsored programs. Ancillary gear includes GPS receivers compatible with systems like NAVSTAR GPS, laser simulators for indirect fires modeled on artillery pieces such as the M777, and smoke/marking modules coordinated through range control agencies like US Army Combined Arms Center.

Operation and Training Use

During live-force maneuvers, units mount laser emitters on weapons and vehicles; when a weapon is fired, the emitter sends a coded pulse recognized by receptors on personnel and platforms, generating casualty assessments and scenario effects. Training officers and observers from organizations like Observer Coach Trainer teams collect data for debriefs held at facilities such as the Battle Command Training Center. Uses include small-unit tactics, convoy operations practiced in venues like National Training Center (Fort Irwin), urban operations rehearsals tied to doctrine promulgated by Marine Corps Warfighting Publication 3-11, and combined-arms training linked to doctrine from Field Manual 3-0.

Variants and International Adoptions

Variants include baseline kits fielded in the 1980s, digital upgrades incorporating encrypted coding and GPS stamping, and laser engagement systems integrated into virtual and constructive training suites used in programs managed by NATO and regional partners. International operators extend to the Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force, German Army, French Army, Italian Army, and smaller users participating in exercises like Exercise Trident Juncture. Commercial evolutions were produced by firms including Cubic Corporation and subcontractors providing modifications for law enforcement training used by agencies such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation and select municipal police departments.

Technical Specifications and Performance

Typical emitters produce infrared pulses encoded with weapon type and engagement parameters approximating ballistic effects; receptors detect pulses and log hits with time-stamping often synchronized to GPS time. Effective simulation ranges vary by emitter and attachment, approximating real-world weapon effective ranges for small arms and crew-served weapons; system latency, bit-error rates, and pulse repeatability are documented in procurement specifications provided to contractors like Lockheed Martin and system integrators participating in defense acquisition programs overseen by Defense Contract Management Agency. Data outputs include kill attribution, suppression effects, and proximity assessments used during debrief.

Limitations and Criticisms

Critiques have focused on fidelity gaps between laser line-of-sight detection and real ballistic behavior discussed in studies from institutions like RAND Corporation and academic analyses by scholars affiliated with United States Naval War College and King's College London. Limitations cited include environmental sensitivity (fog, foliage), difficulty modeling indirect fire and fragmentation effects accurately, and potential for wear or tampering cited in after-action audits by Inspector General of the Department of Defense. Cost, sustainment, and interoperability issues during multinational exercises have prompted procurement reviews by agencies such as Congressional Budget Office.

Historical Development and Deployment

Originating from earlier laser-simulation concepts explored at laboratories like Sandia National Laboratories and research programs funded by Office of Naval Research, the system matured through contractor developments in the 1980s and formal fielding in the late 1980s and early 1990s. It was employed extensively in pre-deployment training for operations during Operation Desert Storm and later adapted to counterinsurgency training needs for deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. Program milestones include integration into collective training at the National Training Center (Fort Irwin) and software modernization efforts aligned with initiatives from U.S. Army Futures Command.

Safety and Legal Considerations

Safety protocols align with standards from organizations such as American National Standards Institute and military occupational safety directives under authorities like Assistant Secretary of Defense for Readiness and Force Management. Legal reviews address use of lasers under regulations influenced by international agreements referenced in forums like NATO, and range safety is coordinated with entities including Range Commanders Council and host-nation authorities during multinational exercises. Training safety measures include eye-safety testing, unit-level risk assessments, and medical data recording procedures in accordance with guidance from Department of Defense health agencies.

Category:Training equipment