The U.S. Army will award contracts to support the testing and development of a new set of simulators and virtual reality-based training systems this summer, Army Times reported Monday. Service officials aim to bring advanced simulators to four to five installations over the next two years and to begin fielding the training systems at all major Army facilities in mid-2020s.Â
The Army is testing the Squad Advanced Marksmanship Trainer at Fort Drum, N.Y., and six other installations. The platform enables users to move and shoot together in a room and around obstacles, untethered. Ongoing tests hope to improve SAM-T to remove the wall-based projection screen and integrate VR-style goggles to connect soldiers from different areas or bases.Â
The Army is also working on the Reconfigurable Virtual Collective Trainer, which supports training for both Army and Marine air and ground systems. The new Common Synthetic Environment also received the attention in April during tests. The technology combines dismounted ground and aviation systems to provide a “One World Terrain†based on real-world areas.
