Simulating the future

Recent global conflicts have highlighted the importance of ground forces to maintain battlefield superiority.  It’s understood that fighter jets alone cannot win a war, and ground forces need to be adequately trained to secure operational advantages.

Ground forces need to train around the clock to uphold their readiness, and with a high cost of ammunition and hours in a tank as well as inherent risks while using live ammunition, militaries are looking, among others, to simulators to close the gap.

Leveraging years of hands-on experience, Elbit Systems develops, manufactures and supplies a wide range of simulators for land forces, providing trainees with a comprehensive and realistic environment before they head into the field.

Shay, a former Lieutenant Colonel in the IDF’s Armoured corps, now serves as Elbit Systems’ Aerospace Division’s Business Development and Marketing Manager for Land Simulators.

“In the past, the emphasis was on live fire, basic training was in the classroom. Today, the capabilities have evolved, and we are able to do a lot more in simulators,” Shay said. “The simulators give us the opportunity to potentially change the balance, and we have more flexibility to train indoors including with a larger variety of scenarios than we had in the past, that aim to better prepare the trainee for the live training stage.”

Simulators are an educational tool that provide warfighters with tools that assist them to succeed on the battlefield including managing complex urban battlefield scenarios and complex terrain and advanced weaponry in the hands of the enemy. They are used as one step before live training– and therefore save training costs and prepare the unit before they go to live training.

“A simulator can be in some extent a battle lab,” said Shay. “You can define the enemy and level of the enemy’s lethality. It gives a classical environment that allows you to change and add technologies or weapons that the enemy has, and we can do ‘test and evaluation’ scenarios where we can play with the enemy’s parameters and doctrine and the trainee needs to react to each scenario. It’s a rich playground for training.”

The training, he emphasized, “is futuristic yet realistic.”

Designed by tank commanders, Elbit Systems offers a full spectrum of Training and Simulation Systems that have been operationally fielded with the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) and other leading armed forces worldwide for over 20 years.

The solutions range from the individual soldier to full-scale joint forces LVC training systems, using advanced modeling, visualization and networking capabilities. Linked together for interoperability, Elbit Systems’ training solutions simulate complex combat scenarios for which coordination between multiple teams is crucial for success. 

Elbit’s training and simulation includes training solutions for all crew members-from the individual to crew level, platoon level and company level. It allows for training in team up to company level in combined arms formations and allows commanders to practice their command skills and doctrine.

The Tactical and Operational (HQ) training is a complete virtual and constructive training suite for tactical units, battle groups and HQ up to division level. Combat Support Training Systems trains forward observers, JFST (Joint Fires Simulation Training) teams and field intelligence personnel in a variety of sensor to shooter scenarios.

Platform Simulators are for gunnery and driving crews. They are independent, appended and embedded, from medium to high fidelity. Driving Simulators are full motion, wide projection, high-end cabin replicas, physical movement models, and Roll-In Roll-Off (RIRO) for multiple platform training.

In addition to that, Elbit’s Augmented Reality Integrated Training System (ARTIST) unifies live and virtual training methods to create a training solution that aims to overcome limitations of live training. The embedded live training solution, with the trainee in the field, enhances training by injecting a virtual layer with both visual and vocal simulations.

“It’s very real,” said Tal, Vice President Land Simulators Training and Simulation. “Artist is remarkable, it stands out in various aspects.”

Two years ago, Elbit Systems signed a contract with the IDF to develop and deliver the military’s Armored Training Center. The Center allows crews to do part of their training in the simulator before going to live training in the field. It provides high-level of training with detailed and complex training scenarios for the individual up to a company as well as evaluation tools to help sharpen the trainees.

According to Tal, in some cases there is an almost immediate improvement after trainees experience their first simulator training.

“It’s Form, Fit, Function,” he said, explaining that “we are training crew members within their physical operational environment. It’s like it is within the tank.”

According to Tal, lessons learned from current conflicts are embedded relatively quickly into the simulator, so that trainees can learn the proper techniques for battle.

Each one of the training centers include at least 15 years of service support where Elbit maintains the systems to keep them relevant and updated for various threats, terrain, and models as well as keeping relevancy to platform blocks.

“While we might not be the OEM of the vehicle, Elbit has the data and ability to update and maintain various platforms throughout the years,” Tal said.

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