Virtual and Then Live Firing Training

A special new characteristic of the live fire exercise was that in the days leading up to the LFX, the participants had practiced how to execute their firing tasks in “virtual" space, on the lane of a simulated range. This simulation marksmanship training lane is operated by the German contingent in the theatre of war. During the days before the live firing exercise, four-man groups of Hungarian soldiers had opportunity to train themselves in computer-generated firing missions while using the THALES Sagittarius Small Arms Trainer simulator.

The simulator can project individual and unit marksmanship training events – including situational and basic-level firing practices – onto a concave mirror placed in a 20 feet container, which provides all soldiers with extraordinary experience and realistic situations. The container is linked to an instructor operation station, which computes the effectiveness and training result of each trainee, provides target view, has controls for ammunition set and indicates the soldiers’ aiming and firing techniques and mistakes.

Early in the morning on the day of the life firing exercise, a column of 10 vehicles left for the range. After a briefing and an introduction to the range and the safety rules, the soldiers commenced executing their tasks in a heat of +47 degrees Celsius.

The objective of the simulation and the live firing exercises was to provide soldiers with realistic training conditions in preparing for combat missions during service, and to make sure that they are able to use the acquired skills confidently and effectively if needed, Col. István Juhász, the commander of the contingent told us.

Photos: MAT-3