The growth of virtual military training approaches is a trend that’s visible all around the world. From the U.S., to the U.K. to Australia, international defense forces are employing the benefits of virtual training to improve their warfighters’ readiness. In this LVC Today Roundup, we take a look at how a few different regions of the world are embracing virtual training programs and what global industry players are addressing that demand.
Global Military Virtual Training Market Analysis (2013-2017) and Forecast (2018 – 2023)
According to a recent article by Steve Taylor on Daily Biz Report, online market intelligence firm Reporte.us released a new report titled Military Virtual Training Market: Global Industry Analysis 2013 – 2017 and Forecast 2018-2023. The report takes a close look at industry market share, trends that have dominated the space over the last five years, and how the virtual training market is expected to change on a global scale in coming years.
Some of the top market players included in the report are Rockwell Collins, Lockheed Martin, CAE, and Thales. The report also delves into the global growth of virtual based military training compared to traditional military virtual training and their applications in medical, battlefield, and flight simulations.
Read the whole report here.
A recent announcement from Rockwell Collins stated that they would be partnering with DRS to bring their Joint Secure Air Combat Training System (JSAS) to the table for an ongoing contract with the U.K. Ministry of Defence (MoD). According to the corresponding press release, “With superior networking features, JSAS lays the foundation for future connectivity to the MoD’s Defence Operational Training Capability (Air) program (DOTC-A) to help deliver the balance of live and synthetic training the MoD seeks to achieve.”
The partnership resembles Rockwell Collins’ and DRS’ work for the U.S. Navy on the Tactical Combat Training System Increment II (TCTS Inc. II) program, which includes similar requirements to the U.K. MoD’s programs addressed in this collaboration.
Read the whole announcement here.
Is the most potent weapon a sharper brain?
David Mackrell of The Australian recently reported on a project involving the Australian Defence, Science and Technology Group, the Australian Army, and six other Australian universities known as the Human Performance Research network (HPRnet). According to Mackrell, the ongoing research with HPRnet may “prove virtual reality (VR) as a way to help real soldiers become more potent warriors in actual warfare.”
The program’s mission is to improve the performance of Australia’s armed forces both cognitively and physically with the use of virtual training. Professor Mark Billinghurst of University of South Australia thinks that by combining AR and VR with cognitive neuroscience, more complex and challenging training situations can be brought into the training process.
Read the whole story here.
25 bloodless battles: Synthetic training will help prepare for current and future operations
Defense News’ Jen Judson reported from the Defense News Conference this week about the development of the U.S. Army’s Synthetic Training Environment (STE), which creates realistic and complex training environments that accurately reflect action that service members will likely see in-theater. At a panel at the event, Maj. Gen. Maria Gervais, the deputy commanding general for the U.S. Army’s Combined Arms Center-Training said, “We see this capability as a capability that allows you to fight, rehearse and train with the same equipment…”
As a result, the U.S. Army is prioritizing the development of the STE, as it aligns nicely with the organizations top modernization efforts including Long Range Precision Fires, Next-Generation Combat Vehicle and Future Vertical Lift.
Read the whole story here.
