SOUTHCOM’s Perspectives on S&T

US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) is one of 11 unified combatant commands in the US Department of Defense.

Complementing the author’s accompanying feature article - Market Growth ... and More in North and South America - the command is responsible for providing contingency planning, operations, and security cooperation in its assigned area of responsibility which includes: Central America; South America; and The Caribbean (except US commonwealths, territories, and possessions). The command is also responsible for the force protection of US military resources at these locations. SOUTHCOM is also responsible for ensuring the defense of the Panama Canal.

A US Southern Command spokesperson provided insights on several aspects of simulation and training, speaking to MS&T exclusively from that command’s perspective, and not those of the broader DoD or other combatant commands.

Consistent with other articles in MS&T focusing on higher echelon US commands, modeling & simulation (M&S) allows combatant commands to train in a complex, multi-domain battlespace that includes US, multinational, enemy, and neutral forces. The SOUTHCOM spokesperson further pointed out, “Using M&S to build a multi-domain environment provides flexibility and a more cost-effective way to provide training that prepares multinational participants for future contingencies.”

For its part, SOUTHCOM relies on the Joint Staff J7 Directorate for Joint Force Development (JS-J7) for M&S support to exercises. Specific to the command, the JS-J7 M&S team is scheduled to provide support for two SOUTHCOM exercises, PANAMAX and INTEGRATED ADVANCE. The spokesperson explained, “PANAMAX is an annual US Southern Command-sponsored multinational exercise series that focuses on ensuring the defense of the Panama Canal. INTEGRATED ADVANCE provides an opportunity for SOUTHCOM and its component commands to exercise working closely with various federal agencies, as well as state and local governments, in a humanitarian crisis scenario.” Of special interest, a command flagship event, UNITAS 2020, was completed live, without simulation; however, much of the planning was conducted virtually.

Speaking to more specific efficiencies gained from using M&S, the spokesperson explained that when available, modeling and simulation enables SOUTHCOM to conduct command-post exercises that train US and multinational staffs for global crises and contingencies. The spokesperson continued, “M&S is a cost-effective alternative that facilitates training of staffs, at multiple levels, without having to deploy forces to our area of responsibility. Additionally, modeling and simulation allows training on scenarios that provide fidelity on outcomes of decisions by staffs. The model allows these decisions to be played out over a short period of time, to maximize training value. Overall, the ability of M&S to replicate actions makes training more efficient and effective.”

In this last year, SOUTHCOM has also enhanced its use of virtual engagement platforms for a variety of events. “These virtual tools allow us to connect with our interagency and international partners with increasing ease,” the spokesperson added.

Asked to share command insights on the challenges of completing M&S-enabled virtual events, the SOUTHCOM spokesperson first pointed out, the pre-exercise stage of M&S integration requires an investment in time, to ensure the model is properly built to support the training requirements of participants and, further, that the simulation accurately portrays the environment, equipment and participating units. And consistent with other observations reported in MS&T articles during the C-19 pandemic, the command spokesperson highlighted that, since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, demands on the bandwidth used to support M&S activities have increased exponentially, placing limitations on the availability of this resource. “However, as mentioned earlier, we have been able to successfully leverage virtual technologies to overcome unexpected challenges resulting from the global pandemic to remain engaged with our security partners and continue the ever-important dialogue, sharing of perspectives and exchange of ideas on our collaborative approach to countering threats, addressing challenges and strengthening regional security,” the spokesperson said and continued, “For example, in 2020, our combatant commander hosted the first-ever SOUTHCOM-sponsored virtual regional security conferences with chiefs of defense from the Caribbean, Central America and South America. This positive outcome, in the midst of a worldwide health crisis, was only possible thanks to the availability of virtual technologies and the expertise of highly skilled, innovative and quick-thinking technicians.”

As for the near-term future, the SOUTHCOM spokesperson concluded, “USSOUTHCOM’s use of modeling and simulation for virtual training events will be paced according to the resource prioritization of the JS-J7 which, at present, supports up to two USSOUTHCOM events per year.”