The U.S. Army has exercised a seventh option year for support of pre-deployment training services for U.S. troops by Cubic Applications Inc.

The training consists of exercises that include situational interactions, live fire, force-on-force and integrated Live-Virtual-Constructive training. Included is expanded role play, technical help with combat training instrumentation, battlefield effects and interaction with cultural role players speaking foreign languages.

CAI has been the incumbent Joint Readiness Training Center mission support contractor since 2001, providing its services for a variety of units at Fort Polk, La. About 1,500 full-time and part-time company employees are engaged in the training for deploying forces and also for units undergoing periodic, rotational JRTC courses at Fort Polk and at other locations in the United States.

The option exercise is worth more than $60 million.

"As mission support contractor, CAI assists the JRTC in fully integrating all military participants into rotational exercises via scenarios involving multi-national operations," Cubic said. "Standard rotational training exercises last 14 days and require contractor support 24 hours a day, seven days a week."

"However, since November 2003, JRTC has conducted numerous 21-day mission rehearsal exercises for units scheduled for deployment to both Iraq and Afghanistan."