One program has been keeping Soldiers safe on the battlefield as well as on the computer screen.

Started in 1989, the Extended Air Defense Simulation is a computer simulation program managed by the Models and Simulations Division of U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command/Army Forces Strategic Command as the executive agent for the Missile Defense Agency, and is one of the most widely used force-on-force simulations in the world, with more than 350 users worldwide.

EADSIM is a simulation of air, missile and space warfare that provides an integrated tool to support joint and combined force operations and analysis with analysis, training and operational planning provided to the Warfighter in one single package. Its extensive use has resulted in refinements that make it highly desirable for evaluation and validation of a wide range of weapon systems and capabilities.

“EADSIM is a constructive simulation used for operational analysis to organizations that make plans on how they would defend an area as well as conduct attacks,” said Kevin Crumlish, chief of Models and Simulations Division, USASMDC/ARSTRAT Future Warfare Center. “It is used for training and instead of having live assets in the field EADSIM can simulate air and missile defense systems and see how they act and react to a range of situations.”

EADSIM is used to augment exercises at all echelons with realistic air, space, missile and Battle Management Command, Control, Communications and Intelligence warfare.

It is used by operational commanders, trainers, combat developers and analysts to model the performance and predict the effectiveness of ballistic missiles, surface to air missiles, aircraft and cruise missiles in a variety of user-developed scenarios.

“The goal of the EADSIM program is to help decision makers make informed decisions about acquisitions, help planners develop the best set of plans for various contingencies,” Crumlish said. “In the role of testing, it can be expensive to bring in actual hardware and EADSIM can lower those costs. It also provides training to units that might not be able to receive training if they did not have a simulation available.”

EADSIM has software for three basic functions: simulation setup, execution of a scenario and post-processing and analysis. The simulation setup and post-processing and analysis tools are contained almost entirely in a graphic window manager that provides the primary user interface.

The execution of a scenario is performed by a set of run-time models that can be optionally linked to other models, operator stations, and tactical hardware. The simulation setup provides the tools to input, visualize and manage the simulation data with tools to run the model.

The post simulation analysis tools provide the ability to visualize the combat along with tools to analyze the data.

EADSIM provides a wide range of graphics to present the scenario generation, preview and post run information to the user. This includes basic full color terrain data with overlaid scenario icons, three dimensional displays of the situation from any location on the battlefield, previews of the scenario with flight paths and cross sections through the terrain, among many others. The displays are easy to access, presentation is fast, and they provide great information content to the user.

"You have fielded systems, and EADSIM can put those systems in the context of an actual battlefield to give realistic results quickly and without putting people in harm’s way," Crumlish said. "EADSIM can communicate via tactical data links with different systems and use the information provided to give realistic results in various scenarios.

"Or if we need an AEGIS Ballistic Missile Defense ship and it is not available, we can put a representation of an AEGIS BMD ship in the system and the rest of the systems involved will behave just as if we had the (real) asset," he added.

EADSIM is used for scenarios ranging from few-on-few to many-on-many. It represents all the missions on both sides. Each platform, such as a ground-based missile defense interceptor, is individually modeled, as is the interaction among platforms, sensors launchers and battle managers. EADSIM models the Command and Control decision processes and the communications among platforms on a message-by-message basis.

“One of the great things we do is that when we run our simulations we can take an 8-to-10-day ‘battle’ that could theoretically run in 30 minutes. It is a great learning tool because it can run the same scenario numerous times and the commanders can learn something new each and every time,” Crumlish said.

Intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance are also modeled to support offensive and defensive applications.

“Some of the systems EADSIM simulates are air and missile defense systems, aircraft systems, airbase operations, air refueling, electronic jammers, communications, space systems, theater ballistic missile launches and interceptors as well as directed energy weapons,” Crumlish said.

EADSIM models fixed and rotary-wing aircraft, tactical ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, infrared and radar sensors, satellites, command and control structures, sensor and communications networks and devices, and fire support in a dynamic environment which includes the effects of terrain and attrition on the outcome of the “battle.”

“The base program cost of EADSIM is shared between MDA and USASMDC/ARSTRAT and we have various customers which also help fund new functionalities in the software so that helps lower the costs while also modernizing and adding to the functions and that helps everyone, both operationally and financially,” Crumlish said.

As for its effectiveness, EADSIM was used successfully by the U.S. Air Force Studies and Analysis Agency to analyze attrition, Suppression of Enemy Air Defense missions and aircraft refueling operations during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. The 32nd Army Air Defense Command used EADSIM during both operations to analyze proper positioning of Patriot missiles in Israel and Turkey.

EADSIM is being used today in Operations Enduring Freedom and New Dawn to help commanders plan for contingencies as well as help save American and allied forces lives.

“Through EADSIM, we can inform combatant commanders in the field on how best to deploy their assets to protect their forces and give them the best opportunity to be successful and come home safe,” Crumlish said.