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Virtual Simulations

Fort Indiantown Gap Simulations

Engagement Skills Trainer (EST 2000) is a computer-based weapons trainer simulating weapons training events which can lead to collective live fire exercises and individual/crew served weapons qualification. This system is used primarily as indoor multipurpose, multilane, small arms, weapons training simulators with the following capabilities: (1) The EST 2000 is not a replacement for traditional live fire training, but training enhancers, which are economical to operate and capable of providing safe training regardless of weather.(2) The weapons used on these systems are not capable of firing live rounds, holding actual magazines or chambering live rounds, however, actual function and operation is the same as real weapons, to include amounts of ammunition that can be fired before reloading is required. This system is also capable of conducting limited visibility training, replicating various environmental conditions, and when appropriate the training can be escalated. (3) The EST 2000 has the capabilities to utilize a Close Combat Optic (CCO) and Backup Iron Sight (BIS) on select weapons.


VIRTUAL CONVOY OPERATIONS TRAINER (VCOT)

The VCOT provides training for convoys under realistic conditions through various terrain databases. The VCOT assists in ensuring that soldiers are trained to anticipate/react to ambushes and other insurgent actions from all possible directions by allowing the crew to observe, maneuver, and fire their weapons through a full 360 degree circumference. Crewmembers are not limited by fixed screen projections; they have a complete and continuous view of the entire virtual world around them as they would under real combat conditions.

The VCOT is a medium-fidelity critical task trainer for convoy crew members. The system consists of HMMWV M1025 Truck crew trainers operating on a simulated battlefield to support crew gunnery and convoy operations training. Each vehicle simulator consists of one each driver, gunner and vehicle commander stations.

Driver and gunner crew stations are simulated. The driver station provides a view of the virtual battlefield using three 17” flat panel displays. The driver station provides realistic controls for steering, transmission gear selection, brake and accelerator pedals, and parking brake for control of the vehicle during exercises. The gunner station consists of a ring-mounted .50 cal Heavy barrel Machine Gun. The gunner views the battlefield through a helmet-mounted display. Each vehicle consists of radio equipment to conduct proper command and control during an exercise.

The AAR station is equipped with the tools necessary to conduct a mission brief and full scenario playback including audio. At any time during an exercise or an AAR the point of view can be changed from tethering a certain vehicle or to a “bird’s eye view”.

The VCOT has four gunner stations, in which two of them double as Individual Gunnery Trainer (IGT) stations. The purpose of an IGT is to train Warfighters in proficiency of un-stabilized gunnery. It follows the training guidelines established in the HBCT and CSS gunnery manuals. The VCOT is one of the approved primary simulators for Mounted Machine Gun (MMG) Direct Fire Gunnery table II IAW TC 3-20.31. The IGT supports training on and the sustainment of individual gunnery skills for employing the M2 .50 Cal machine gun, the MK19 Grenade launcher and the M240B machine Gun from the gunner’s position on a HMMWV.

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OPERATOR DRIVER SIMULATOR (ODS)

The Operator Driver Simulator is a high fidelity immersive technical skills trainer for teaching soldiers how to safely drive vehicles in the army inventory. The ODS provides realistic tactile / haptic feedback to the student through the steering wheel, pedals and dashboard controls that replicate the experience of driving the actual respective vehicle. The ODS also models the effects of wind, temperature, precipitation, traction, tire pressure, and road surface on the handling characteristics of the vehicle. The system can simulate driving conditions in most foreign areas of operations including Afghanistan and Iraq. Conditions can be varied from flat open terrain to the treacherous, off-road mountain passes in Afghanistan.

Current configurations allow for training on the following vehicles: M939 5-TON Truck, Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles (FMTV), M1074 PLS Truck, M915 Truck, Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck (HEMTT), M911 Heavy Equipment Transporter (HET) with trailers, COUGAR, and HUMVEE.

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Mine Resistance Ambush Protected Egress Trainer (MRAP MET)

The MRAP MET is a training system designed to support egress training and provide vehicle crew members the confidence needed to safely egress from vehicles in the event of a rollover.  The MRAP MET also trains Soldiers on the critical rollover angles of various versions of the MRAP.  It is also capable of training for dry land and water rollovers.  The simulator is a modified vehicle mounted on a platform allowing for a full 360 degree rotation.  All MRAP MET system vehicle variants consist of a simulated vehicle cab, Instructor/Operator Station (IOS), visual monitoring system, and two-way speaker system.  The instructor is capable of conducting crew training, introducing malfunctions and emergency egress situations, monitoring each trainee’s performance and providing AAR feedback.

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COMMON DRIVER TRAINER (CDT)

The CDT is intended to provide initial and sustainment driver training. The Common Driver Trainer consists of a simulated vehicle cab, instructor/operator station, After Action Review (AAR) station, visual system, full motion platform and a computational system. Via the IOS, the instructor is capable of selecting a visual scene, viewing the scene, introducing malfunctions and emergency control situations, monitoring each trainee's performance and providing recorded AAR feedback. The reconfigurable common platform will allow driver training for various U.S. Army tactical vehicles. Current variants of the CDT are limited to the Stryker family of vehicles and the MRAP family of vehicles (MATV, RG-33, RG-31, CAIMAN, and MAXPRO). Long term planning includes the fielding of cab variants for drivers training on additional vehicle types.

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HMMWV Egress Assistance Trainer (HEAT)

The HEAT is intended to provide training to Soldiers on the effects of rollover and to conduct drills that will provide the skills to react properly during a rollover and/ or egress situation in an up-armored High-Mobility Multi-Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV).  The HEAT also trains Soldiers on the critical rollover angles of up-armored HMMWVs and non up-armored HMMWVs.  It is also capable of training for dry land and water rollovers.  The simulator is a modified HMMWV mounted on a platform allowing the HMMWV to be rotated a full 360 degrees.  The device reinforces the importance of seat positioning, wearing seatbelts, demonstrating the feeling of being disoriented and the actual effort required to execute rollover procedures.  The trainer allows individuals and crews to rehearse and physically execute the necessary steps required to survive a vehicle rollover, without requiring the use of an actual vehicle.

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CALL FOR FIRE TRAINER (CFFT)

The CFFT is a training system that provides simulated battlefield scenarios for the training of Field Artillery Forward Observer (FO) tasks. This system can simulate artillery and mortar fires on a variety of stationary and moving targets, and the CFFT can be used as a CAS (close air support) simulator device with Attack Helicopters and Naval Gunfire. This is a procedural trainer designed to provide basic instruction to the novice and cantonment training to the qualified FO. The student will experience munitions affects, terrain scenes, moving targets and target scenarios that are not practical in garrison or training areas. The CFFT 1:30 training system is a fixed site system and designed to train up to thirty Soldiers with one instructor.

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MOBILE CLOSE COMBAT TACTICAL TRAINER (CCTT)

Close Combat Tactical Trainer (CCTT) supports maneuver training of armor, mechanized infantry, cavalry, transportation, and recon units from Platoon through Company level. The system provides simulated Gunnery ranges for both M1/ M2 crews. The system is fully mobile and can be utilized at Ft Indiantown Gap or at the requesting unit’s armory. The primary training audience operates from full-crew simulators. The system is equipped with the latest Force XXI Battle Command Brigade-and-Below (FBCB2) in support of training the digital force. Semi-automated forces workstations provide additional supporting units (i.e., aviation and air defense artillery) and all opposing forces within the battlefield. Thus, while maneuver units constitute the CCTT primary training audience, all battlefield operating systems are represented in the simulation. This ensures effective simulation within a combined arms training environment that encompasses daylight, night and multiple weather conditions and with multiple terrain options (desert, urban, wooded and mountainous).

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VIRTUAL BATTLESPACE (VBS)

Virtual Battlespace (VBS) is a fully interactive, three-dimensional training system providing a premium synthetic environment suitable for a wide range of military training and experimentation purposes for up to 45 personnel. The personnel training utilize laptops and off the shelf technology networked together to create the element size required. The VBS can accommodate squad and platoon-sized elements and limited company- and battalion- sized tactical operations.

VBS offers realistic battlefield simulations and the ability to operate land, sea, and air vehicles.

Instructors may create new scenarios and then engage the simulation from multiple viewpoints. The squad management system enables participants to issue orders to squad members.

VB2 may be used to teach doctrine, tactics, techniques, and procedures during squad and platoon offensive, defensive, and patrolling operations. VBS delivers a synthetic environment for the practical exercise of the leadership and organizational behavior skills required to successfully execute unit missions.

VBS is suitable for training small teams in urban tactics, entire combat teams in combined arms operations or even non-military usage such as emergency response procedures in lethal and non-lethal environments or terrain visualization.

VBS provides improved simulation of complex urban areas, including destructible buildings, round penetration through walls and operable and destructible doors. Weapon platforms are capable of thermal imaging, simulation of fire control systems and turret override. Multiple vehicle turrets are possible.

The After-Action-Review module (AAR) allows detailed review of a completed training mission, with every player, AI, vehicle movement being recorded, as well as any bullet path and any destruction to objects or terrain.

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STRYKER MOBILE GUN SYSTEM ADVANCED GUNNERY TRAINING SYSTEM (MGS-AGTS)

The MGS-AGTS is used to develop and sustain individual, crew and platoon precision gunnery skills to a level of proficiency that permits transition to live-fire training. The MGS-AGTS is a gunnery training simulator for vehicle commander/gunner teams for the Stryker MGS vehicle. It is rapidly transportable and deployable. It features a high-fidelity crew compartment replicating the vehicle’s turret and fire control system in both physical and functional aspects. The MGS-AGTS presents the vehicle commander and gunner with a full range of simulated engagement situations. The system trains both fully operational and degraded mode gunnery techniques under a wide variety of conditions. The pre-programmed, computer-controlled exercises vary in target type, number, range, vehicle and target motion, and visibility. This system is capable of networking to provide section, platoon and company collective gunnery training. An AAR capability is provided for exercise management.

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DISMOUNTED SOLDIER TRAINING SYSTEM (DSTS)

DSTS is a fully immersive virtual trainer focused on the individual Soldier and squad-level training that combine gaming technology in a virtual, 360-degree training environment using un-tethered weapons. The DSTS is a stand-alone virtual reality simulator and consists of nine un-tethered manned modules, one exercise control/After Action Review workstation, and an operator workstation. Each manned module contains a head mounted display, replica weapon, sensor system and a wearable computer pack. These networked systems provide an immersive training environment for individual Soldiers and squad members.

DSTS can train a multitude of individual Soldier tasks, as well as collective tasks at the squad level.

Soldiers can go from training in a virtual garrison environment on an IWQ range, to conducting Battle Drill 6 on a virtual Taliban compound in the mountains of Afghanistan. The level of complexity of each training session is completely up to the unit commander.

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MINE RESISTANT AMBUSH PROTECTED-VIRTUAL VEHICLE TRAINER (MRAP-VVT)

The MRAP-VVT is considered the primary convoy and route clearance trainer and it consists of three semi-trailers. Trailer one contains one RG-31 vehicle station, TALON and an IOS/AAR station. Trailer two contains two BUFFALO and two HUSKY vehicle stations. Trailer three contains four RG-31 vehicle stations. Each trailer can be operated separately to focus on individual training or the three trailers can be interlinked to provide a collective training experience.

The MRAP-VVT can be used to train basic and advanced skills for route clearance operations including proper response to a wide array of IEDs and explosive hazards while realistically simulating combat conditions such as weather, terrain, visibility, vehicle operating conditions, IEDs and customizable opposing enemy forces. The MRAP- VVT can also be used to train operating skills of the BUFFALO and HUSKY.

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