When Replicas Train Better Than Originals

Introduction

In training programmes built around captured foreign military technology, the instinct is often to assume that the original system is always the best training aid. In practice, many organisations reach the opposite conclusion. Once engineers have measured, analysed and understood a captured radar, vehicle, missile system or aircraft, a carefully designed replica may provide more useful training value than the rare original itself. The reason is simple: training requires repetition, availability, safety and scalability. A captured system may be scarce, fragile, politically sensitive or too classified to expose widely, whereas a replica can be deployed across multiple ranges and tailored to produce the exact training effects crews need.[Aerospace America]aerospaceamerica.aiaa.orgAerospace America Simulating threatsAerospace AmericaSimulating threats - Aerospace America - AIAAJune 1, 2021 — by B FRIEDEN — Most likely the aircraft is a foe, and the pi…Published: June 1, 2021

Within the broader effort of reverse engineering foreign military technology, replicas, visual modifications and threat emitters are therefore not second-best substitutes. They are often the mechanism that converts lessons learned from a handful of exploited systems into training for thousands of personnel.

Why Originals Cannot Be Everywhere

Captured equipment is usually a limited resource. A military may possess only one or a few examples of a foreign system, and those examples are often reserved for technical intelligence, testing or preservation rather than routine field training.

Even when an original system is available, using it continuously can create practical problems. Maintenance may depend on scarce spare parts. Technical characteristics may remain classified. Operating the system may require specialists, unique safety procedures or facilities that cannot be replicated across every training location. In some cases, merely exposing the hardware to large numbers of personnel could reveal sensitive intelligence gains about what has been captured and analysed.

The result is a familiar pattern: exploitation programmes extract measurements, signatures and behavioural data from the original system, then transfer those findings into training surrogates. The trainees receive realistic threat effects while the original equipment remains protected for research, validation and intelligence purposes. This relationship between exploitation and simulation has long been recognised in defence programmes, where foreign materiel analysis feeds threat simulators, modelling, testing and training systems.[U.S. Department of War]media.defense.govDepartment of WarDoD Management of Electronic Warfare Threat Simulators…15 Jul 1992 — Realistic training is conducted using EW threat…

A further advantage is distribution. A single captured radar can train one unit at a time. A validated threat-emitter replica can be installed at numerous ranges, allowing many crews to experience similar threat conditions without competing for access to the original hardware.[Leonardo DRS]leonardodrs.comLeonardo DRSElectronic Warfare (EW) Threat SimulatorsEW Threat Simulators prepare combat pilots for missile threats. Our EW threat simula…

What A Replica Must Get Right

A replica does not need to duplicate every detail of the original system. It must reproduce the aspects that affect the trainee’s decisions.

For ground combat training, that may mean visual appearance, movement patterns and battlefield signatures. During Cold War training at the National Training Center, the US Army used visually modified vehicles, commonly known as VISMODs, to resemble Soviet tanks, infantry fighting vehicles and air-defence systems. The goal was not perfect engineering duplication but creating a battlefield environment that looked and behaved like the expected threat. U.S. Army Center of Military History[history.army.mil]history.army.milArmy Center of Military HistoryThe Origins and Development of the National Training…by AW Chapman · Cited by 5 — The combat training r…

Modern VISMOD programmes follow the same logic. New modification kits have been developed to make existing vehicles resemble foreign armoured systems more convincingly, improving threat recognition and tactical realism during exercises.[National Guard]nationalguard.milNational Guard New vehicle Vismods could transform Army trainingNational GuardNew vehicle Vismods could transform Army trainingOctober 29, 2019 — 29 Oct 2019 — The improvements involve a new visual mod…Published: October 29, 2019

For electronic warfare training, visual similarity matters far less than electromagnetic behaviour. In that environment, the critical requirement is that aircraft warning receivers, jammers and sensors encounter signals that resemble real adversary systems. Threat emitters and radar simulators are therefore designed to reproduce relevant radio-frequency characteristics rather than the complete physical radar installation.[aiaa.org]aerospaceamerica.aiaa.orgAerospace America Simulating threatsAerospace AmericaSimulating threats - Aerospace America - AIAAJune 1, 2021 — by B FRIEDEN — Most likely the aircraft is a foe, and the pi…Published: June 1, 2021

A useful rule emerges: fidelity should be concentrated on the features that influence trainee behaviour. Anything beyond that may add cost and complexity without improving learning outcomes.

When A Replica Is Actually Better

There are several situations where replicas provide advantages that originals cannot.

Repeatable scenarios. Training often requires the same threat to appear again and again under controlled conditions. Simulators allow instructors to reproduce identical situations, vary difficulty levels and collect performance data. Original equipment may be too unpredictable, fragile or difficult to schedule for this purpose.[Aerospace America]aerospaceamerica.aiaa.orgAerospace America Simulating threatsAerospace AmericaSimulating threats - Aerospace America - AIAAJune 1, 2021 — by B FRIEDEN — Most likely the aircraft is a foe, and the pi…Published: June 1, 2021

Large-scale training. A training centre can field many surrogate vehicles or emitter systems simultaneously. Even if an original system exists, there are rarely enough examples to create the density of threats required for brigade-sized or air-wing-level exercises. VISMOD fleets and electronic threat ranges solve this scaling problem. U.S. Army Center of Military History+2National Guard[history.army.mil]history.army.milArmy Center of Military HistoryThe Origins and Development of the National Training…by AW Chapman · Cited by 5 — The combat training r…

Protection of sensitive intelligence. Once a foreign system has been exploited, intelligence agencies may wish to conceal exactly what they know about it. Training with a replica allows realistic preparation without exposing the original hardware or revealing exploitation methods.

Safety and security. Some systems contain hazardous components, ageing materials or operational restrictions. Simulated emitters can reproduce radar threats without requiring the operation of actual foreign equipment. Aerospace training organisations have emphasised that threat simulators can provide realistic radio-frequency environments while avoiding many of the costs and security concerns associated with operating genuine systems.[Aerospace America]aerospaceamerica.aiaa.orgAerospace America Simulating threatsAerospace AmericaSimulating threats - Aerospace America - AIAAJune 1, 2021 — by B FRIEDEN — Most likely the aircraft is a foe, and the pi…Published: June 1, 2021

Rapid updates. Modern threats evolve. Software-driven simulators can often be modified faster than physical captured systems can be acquired, repaired or integrated into training. High-fidelity threat simulators are specifically designed to incorporate new threat modes and changing electronic behaviours as adversary capabilities develop.[Leonardo DRS]leonardodrs.comLeonardo DRSElectronic Warfare (EW) Threat SimulatorsEW Threat Simulators prepare combat pilots for missile threats. Our EW threat simula…

The Trade-Off Between Fidelity And Safety

The central implementation challenge is deciding how closely a replica should match the original.

Low-fidelity replicas are inexpensive and easy to field, but they risk teaching the wrong lessons. A vehicle that merely looks like an adversary platform may be adequate for recognition training yet insufficient for tactical exercises involving mobility, sensors or weapons employment.

High-fidelity replicas provide more realistic experiences but can become expensive and technically demanding. Electronic warfare ranges illustrate this tension clearly. Training organisations seek emitters that produce realistic warning indications and engagement sequences, yet they must avoid unnecessary complexity, excessive cost or disclosure of sensitive intelligence.[Leonardo DRS]leonardodrs.comLeonardo DRSElectronic Warfare (EW) Threat SimulatorsEW Threat Simulators prepare combat pilots for missile threats. Our EW threat simula…

Historical reviews of threat simulation programmes have repeatedly stressed that training systems must be validated against real intelligence data. Otherwise, simulations can drift away from actual adversary capabilities and create false confidence. The value of captured hardware therefore does not disappear once replicas are built; it remains essential as the benchmark used to verify that the replica is still accurate.[U.S. Department of War]media.defense.govDepartment of WarDoD Management of Electronic Warfare Threat Simulators…15 Jul 1992 — Realistic training is conducted using EW threat…

The most effective training ecosystems combine both elements. Captured equipment provides ground truth. Replicas and simulators distribute that knowledge across the force.

The Lasting Value Of Surrogates

The most important lesson from decades of threat-replication programmes is that realism is not the same as authenticity. A training aid succeeds when it produces the correct decisions, reactions and tactics from the trainee. In many cases, that outcome is easier to achieve with a carefully engineered surrogate than with a scarce original system.

For organisations training against foreign military technology, replicas turn a limited intelligence asset into a scalable training capability. They allow lessons extracted from a handful of captured systems to influence entire forces, making them one of the most practical outcomes of the reverse-engineering process.

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Endnotes

1. Source: media.defense.gov
Link:https://media.defense.gov/1992/Jul/15/2001714601/-1/-1/1/92-125.pdf

2. Source: history.army.mil
Link:https://history.army.mil/portals/143/Images/Publications/catalog/69-3.pdf

3. Source: leonardodrs.com
Link:https://www.leonardodrs.com/what-we-do/products-and-services/electronic-warfare-ew-threat-simulators/

4. Source: aerospaceamerica.aiaa.org
Title: Aerospace America Simulating threats
Link:https://aerospaceamerica.aiaa.org/departments/simulating-threats/

Published: June 1, 2021

5. Source: nationalguard.mil
Title: National Guard New vehicle Vismods could transform Army training
Link:https://www.nationalguard.mil/News/Article/2001429/new-vehicle-vismods-could-transform-army-training/

Published: October 29, 2019

Additional References

6. Source: facebook.com
Link:https://www.facebook.com/MalaysiaMilitaryPower/posts/mrtes-mobile-radar-threat-emitter-simulator/3517468661609458/

7. Source: sigmadefense.com
Link:https://sigmadefense.com/capabilities/radar-threat-simulators/

8. Source: twz.com
Title: army has newly modified vehicles for impersonating russian and french types
Link:https://www.twz.com/army-has-newly-modified-vehicles-for-impersonating-russian-and-french-types

9. Source: gtri.gatech.edu
Title: advanced radar threat system helps aircrews train evade enemy missiles
Link:https://www.gtri.gatech.edu/newsroom/advanced-radar-threat-system-helps-aircrews-train-evade-enemy-missiles

10. Source: skyradar.com
Title: counter stealth radar techniques seeing the hidden threats
Link:https://www.skyradar.com/blog/counter-stealth-radar-techniques-seeing-the-hidden-threats

11. Source: twz.com
Title: china has modified these trucks as himars lookalikes
Link:https://www.twz.com/land/china-has-modified-these-trucks-as-himars-lookalikes

12. Source: jhuapl.edu
Link:https://www.jhuapl.edu/sites/default/files/2024-09/36-02-Casterline.pdf

13. Source: files.eric.ed.gov
Link:https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED369659.pdf

14. Source: youtube.com
Title: Advanced Radar Threat System Helps Aircrews Train to Evade Enemy Missiles
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1TNLGXpxWUg

15. Source: youtube.com
Title: M113A3 OPFOR Surrogate Vehicle: The Armored Trainer Built for Modern Warfare
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3BBS6RMgyxc