| Unit Name: | Sergeant First Class Paul Ray Smith Simulation and Training Technology Center |
| Dates: | 1 October 2002 – present |
| Country: | United States |
| Branch: | Army |
| Type: | Research and development |
| Garrison: | Orlando, Florida |
| Commander1: | Mr. Matthew Clarke |
| Commander1 Label: | STTC Director |
The United States Army Simulation and Training Technology Center (STTC)[1] provides the United States Department of Defense and United States Department of Homeland Security, with applied research to develop simulation technologies, build on current simulation knowledge, and understand system of systems environments where human, agent, and teams are involved.
The STTC traces its lineage to 1983 when the Defense Advanced Projects Research Agency (DARPA) started work on a technology to network a large number of manned simulators, emulators and semi-automated force simulations to form a Distributed Interactive Simulation (DIS) of a battlefield. DARPA ran the project from 1983 to 1989 and convinced the Army to use DIS technology.
The Army Science Board studied the technology in 1991 and found a central management structure was necessary to ensure an integrated system. The Board's recommendation resulted in the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) and United States Army Materiel Command (AMC) sharing management responsibility for the new system. TRADOC designated its National Simulation Center (NSC) as its functional manager for controlling the requirements process. AMC created a new major subordinate command in 1992, the U.S. Army Simulation, Training and Instrumentation Command (STRICOM) (its current name being PEO STRI) headquartered in Orlando, Florida, to serve as the technical manager for system execution. STRICOM consisted of two existing organizations, Project Manager Training Devices (PM TRADE) and Project Manager Instrumentation, Targets and Threat Simulators (PM ITTS), and two new organizations, Project Manager for Combined Arms Tactical Training (PM CATT) and Project Manager for Distributed Interactive Simulation (PM DIS).
In the 1990s, the technology base group of STRICOM formed the Technology Development Center (TDC) and moved to a separate building from the rest of STRICOM. One of TDC's major efforts was the University Affiliated Research Center (UARC) at the University of Southern California. The UARC was later renamed the Institute for Creative Technologies (ICT).
On October 1, 2002, TDC became provisionally part of RDECOM and was redesignated the STTC. The remaining elements of STRICOM became the Program Executive Office of Simulation, Training, and Instrumentation. In November 2003, STTC was renamed in honor of SFC Paul Ray Smith, who was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for actions in Operation Iraqi Freedom. RDECOM took permanent control of STTC effective March 1, 2004 in accordance with AMC Permanent Orders 049–2.[2]
In 1997 the National Research Council's Report "Modeling and Simulation: Linking Entertainment and Defense"[3] identified a technology opportunity for leveraging DoD and Entertainment research. On 10 August 1999, DDRE approved the University of Southern California (USC) Institute for Creative Technologies (ICT) as a DoD University Affiliated Research Center (UARC) as a collaboration between the Army, the University of Southern California, and the entertainment industry.
STTC is the executive agent for the Army's partnership with the ICT. As the executive agent, the STTC co-chairs the Technical Advisory Board with a representative from ASA(ALT) to review and execute research topics. STTC plays a major role in identifying opportunities and assisting the ICT with the integration and transition of technologies to the Army.[4]