IN the middle of 1997 Janes Combat Simulations released 688i Hunter/Killer, a WIN95 simulation that was incredible in its detailing of complicated systems. The sim not only took us on board the enhanced 688 class Hunter/Killer, it also came with an advanced AI structure and a very sophisticated mission editor. Rounded out by multiplayer abilities, 688i is still going strong.

Longbow 2 dripped realism, and 688(I) likewise weighed in beyond many expectations. The combination of Paul Grace, a lover of the blue deeps, Sonalyst's Incorporated, under the guidance of Captain Terry Jones (USN, Retired), and the resources of Janes, the best known and most informed source for information on fighting ships in the world gave us Good Stuff! Jones himself has served as captain in both SSN and SSBN submarines, and Sonalysts has been doing defense contract work for the military and industry since 1973. Recently Mr. Jones gave us some of his time and this interview is the result. (Note: Screen shots are from 688(I)

Make It So

Csim: Mr. Jones, how long did you serve in the US Navy?

TJ: I served on active duty for 26 and a half years.

Csim: Would you list for us the ships and ship classes on which you served?

TJ: USS Henry L. Stimson (SSBN 655)(GOLD Crew) - Benjamin Franklin (SSBN 640) class
USS George Washington Carver (SSBN 656)(BLUE Crew) - Ben Franklin class
USS Groton (SSN 694) - Los Angeles (SSN 688) class
USS Billfish (SSN 676) - Sturgeon (SSN 637) class
USS Nevada (SSBN 733)(GOLD Crew) - Ohio (SSBN 726) class

I also had the opportunity to ride almost every other type of submarine that we built, including the one-of-a-kind ships, during my career.

Csim: Did you join the Navy in the submarine service?

TJ: Yes, I was selected for nuclear power training and volunteered for submarines before I was commisioned. My first duty station was nuclear power school.

Csim: What kind of training is involved in preparation for submarine service and how did you transition to command?

TJ: All line officers (eligible to command ships) receive nuclear power training, which includes six months of school and six months at an operating reactor plant as a student. That is followed by basic submarine school.

Once on board an operating submarine, the junior officer has to qualify as Diving Officer of the Watch, Engineering Officer of the Watch, Officer of the Deck, Engineering Duty Officer (in port), and Duty Officer (in port). With those qualifications completed and a few other things to finish, the officer can be designated Qualified in Submarines and wear gold dolphins. While still assigned to the first submarine, the officer will also complete qualification to serve as an engineer officer of a nuclear powered ship. (This requires a day of written examinations and a day of oral interviews in Washington, DC.)

Usually shore duty follows and an advanced officer submarine school. Once assigned to a second submarine as a department head, the officer will have to complete another demanding Qualification for Command of a submarine.

Shore duty probably follows this second sea tour as well. The third sea assignment will be as an Executive Officer, the second in command on a submarine. This tour really grooms an officer for command of his own.

Another shore tour may follow the XO tour. Before going to command of a submarine, the officer has to complete intensive training as a prospective commanding officer (PCO). This includes three months of detailed study of nuclear power plant design, construction, operation, and safety. This is followed by three months or more of tactical and operational training (weapons, tactics, sensors, combat systems, and submarine missions), which includes periods at sea.

All of this assumes that the officer has done well enough to have been selected for advancement and for assignment to more senior billets along the way. This selection process is extremely competitive, selecting the best of the best to succeed to command.

Csim: What were the more challenging aspects of training?

TJ: Believe me, it's all challenging. The initial qualification in submarines is hard because there is so much to do in addition to your regular duties as a division officer. Engineer Officer qualification is hard because of the huge volume of technical information that must be understood and the many procedures that have to be learned. PCO training is challenging because of its comprehensive nature; a career's worth of learning and experience has to be brought to bear on the situations that are given to the PCOs.

Csim: What was your first undersea cruise experience like?

TJ: My first deployment was a strategic missile deterrent patrol on a Polaris submarine. There were so many qualifications to complete and so much to learn that I don't remember finding much time for sleep or relaxation such as watching a movie. In those days we operated from Rota, Spain, and the patrol was more than two months long without surfacing.

Csim: Describe some of your more interesting missions.

TJ: When I was the XO of USS Groton, we deployed to the Indian Ocean for a six-month period. We made port visits in Diego Garcia and Perth, Australia, and came home through the Panama Canal, having circumnavigated the world.

When in command of USS Billfish, I was fortunate to do many things. We deployed to the Mediterranean and the North Atlantic. I trained with SEALs, and was the mother submarine for one of the Deep Submergence Rescue Vehicles (DSRVs) during a NATO exercise, actually transferring people out of bottomed allied submarines which were simulated to have been disabled. We also deployed to the Arctic, surfacing through the ice many times and conducting a three-submarine rendezvous at the North Pole with another US SSN and an SSN from the UK.

Csim: What is the crew compliment of a modern attack sub?

TJ: The total number of people assigned would be approximately 135, but they would not necessarily all get underway with the submarine each time.

Csim: How many stations are there and how do the shifts work?

TJ: It will vary with the current mission, but there are typically about 33 people on watch at any given time when the submarine is submerged. Watches are typically six hours long, and people may be in a one-in-three or one-in-four rotation (six on, twelve off or six on, eighteen off).

Csim: Tell us a bit about life at sea.

TJ: There is little slack time at sea on a submarine, especially for those that are in a one-in-three rotation. In the twelve hours off between watches, a person has to attend training, work on qualifications, perform maintenance, attend to administrative tasks, clean, and participate in casualty drills, to say nothing about sleeping, eating, exercising, or showering.

As you would expect, everyone lives in tight quarters on board a submarine. The Crew's Mess (eating area) also has to serve as a training classroom, office area, meeting room, study hall, and movie theater. The only space that anyone has to call their own or that offers any privacy is their bunk.

Don't get the idea that it isn't fun, however. The work is challenging but rewarding. You serve with an all-volunteer group of people that are the best in the Navy. The food is great, and there are opportunities for diversion even within the busy schedule. The morale of a submarine crew is exceptionally high.

Csim: How does the routine of a commander differ from the other officers?

TJ: The Commanding Officer (CO) doesn't stand any watches at sea nor does he have duty days when the ship is in port. (On a duty day, an officer must remain on board to oversee the operation and safety of the ship or the nuclear propulsion plant. Refer to an earlier question on training.) On the other hand, the CO is always on call. When at sea he can count on having interrupted sleep because, for any six-hour watch period, he will receive reports from the Officer of the Deck (OOD) and the Engineering Officer of the Watch when they have been relieved, and he will frequently be called by the OOD on watch to give permission for certain things that require the CO's concurrence. Except when he is trying to rest, the CO is intimately involved in the tactical operation of the ship and with the training of the crew.

Under Naval Regulations, the CO is given great authority to make decisions, but is also held solely responsible for everything on his ship. The "buck" really does stop with the CO.

The Target Motion Analysis Station.

Csim: How did you become involved with Sonalysts?

TJ: When I left active duty, I returned to a home I owned in Connecticut to begin the process of looking for a civilian job. I knew many people that were already working for Sonalysts. As a result, I was interviewed and offered a job.

Csim: Sonalysts seems to be a very diverse organization. What are some of the projects you are working on?

TJ: In addition to the combat simulation work with Electronic Arts, we do modeling and simulation for defense customers internationally, support Navy laboratories in the development of new combat systems and sensors, create computer-based training including intelligent training aids, develop software for government and commercial customers, develop home pages for companies that want a presence on the web, and provide weather and flight tracking systems to commercial airlines and major airports worldwide (Hong Kong, Kuala Lampur).

Other government customers include the Federal Aviation Administration, the Dept of Energy, and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Through a contract with Brookhaven National Laboratory we provide training to operators of nuclear utilities in the former Soviet Union.

The production of training films for government customers has grown into the current capability for video, film, and animation. We have three large sound stages, a unique audio recording studio, and state of the art animation and editing suites. We do a lot of television work and an increasing amount of feature film work.

We also design and build trade show booths (AT&T Olympic Village at the Summer Olympics). We are a "one stop shop" for commercial design, and after success with the Mohegan Sun Resort, we now support Sun Resorts worldwide.

Although this list is varied, it is only the tip of the iceberg. We have almost 500 entrepreneurial partners that are unconstrained with regard to their imagination and the business direction that they want to follow.

Csim: How did Sonalysts become involved with Paul Grace and Janes?

TJ: A former Sonalysts partner, Rob Batchelder, approached Paul about licensing EA's Seawolf sub game so that Sonalysts could upgrade and market the game. Instead, Paul offered Sonalysts the opportunity to develop, from a clean sheet of paper, a new sub game for EA and Jane's. We accepted Paul's offer, and the result was 688(I) Hunter/Killer.

Csim: How does 688i compare to a real military simulation?

TJ: 688I was designed with entertainment value in mind (3D animation, music, humor). The graphic user interface (GUI) is somewhat simplified and is more appealing to the eye. The irony is that the trend in military software is to do just that - to adopt commercial standards for ease of learning and ease of navigation through a series of tasks. As far as the fidelity of the simulation is concerned, it is extremely high. The capabilities of the platforms and weapons are very realistic.

Csim: What areas of submarine life are the hardest to simulate?

TJ: Teamwork. What seems straightforward to the player of 688I really results from the work of an entire crew; you can't be successful in submarines as a "one man show".

Time. For playability reasons, the scenarios can be played in a matter of hours. In real life, the missions could take days or even weeks.

Environment. For the game, we could not model the temporal and spatial variability of the ocean and the atmosphere. In real life, that is a real concern for the submarine crew.

Csim: How much accuracy are we seeing in weapon and systems modelling?

TJ: We used Jane's as the source of all platform and weapons performance data. Jane's has a well earned, international reputation for accuracy and thoroughness.

Csim: If there was one area you could expand on or feature you could add to 688i what would it be?

TJ: I think it would be interoperability with other combat sims so that multiplayer would offer the opportunity to put together a task force or battle group.

Csim: In what areas are soviet subs keeping pace with western technology?

TJ: Most. Quoting from an unclassified publication from the Office of Naval Intelligence, "The Russian submarine force continues to set the most competitive technology pace for U.S. submarines and antisubmarine warfare (ASW) forces. Sophisticated proplusion, quieting, and weapons systems are at sea now and are being incorporated into new construction submarines."

Csim: In what areas are they still far behind?

TJ:: Probably in training and operations. Because of economic difficulties, their ships do not operate at sea or deploy as much as their western counterparts.

Csim: Some analysts argue that the end of the cold war has reduced the need for this kind of stealth technology. What do you think?

TJ: Just the opposite. The end of the Cold War has resulted in high technology being made available for sale on the world market. The former Soviet republics need hard currency, so very capable platforms can be purchased easily. This proliferation makes it imperative for the U.S. and its allies to continue to push the envelope with regard to stealth and extremely sensitive sensors.

Csim: Other analysts argue that air power for sea control has many advantages over submarines and few disadvantages. Please comment.

TJ: Air power is flexible and responsive and is essential in many situations. However, an aircraft has the ability to remain on station for minutes or hours. A submarine can remain on station AND UNDETECTED for months. So you pick your weapon of choice depending on the situation. If you want to intimidate, putting an aircraft carrier and its air wing in the region will do that. If you want to be ready without the chance of escalation, putting a submarine on station will give you weapons and surveillance capability without the need for a logistics tail. Air power and a strong submarine force are complementary and are both necessary.

Csim: Sonalysts is involved in the production of an under ice campaign for 688i. Why under ice? What is unique about that environment that makes it the best candidate for an add on campaign?

TJ: We wanted to do this because of the opportunity for spectacular graphics and because the environment would provide a new set of challenges to the player. The under ice environment is noisy for passive sonar and very difficult for active sonar. Communications is challenging because you can't go to periscope depth whenever you choose to.

Csim: Sonalysts is also involved in the production of the Aegis simulation that will interface with 688i. Why Aegis and how will the addition of the surface sim add scope to the battlefield environment?

TJ: This will provide combat sim enthusiasts the opportunity to use state of the art systems in missions very different from the 688I scenarios. The player will be able to control air engagements and particpate in land attack, strike, and surface warfare. Eventually, coordinated operations will be possible, but we don't want to say too much about that yet.

Csim: Thanks Terry and all the best to you and Sonalysts on your future endeavours!

For more information on the coming AEGIS sim go to Paul Grace 688/Aegis Interview

Go to Janes Combat Simulations.

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Last Updated January 19, 1997