By 1Lt. Franois-Xavier Miller
First published in
SFOR Informer#108, March 7, 2001
Tuzla - A distant fire is bursting out from the
pillbox position. A shadow is coming towards the platoon. Four
M16A2 toss their owners about. A flare is suddenly flashing in
the darkness. More figures are moving forward in front of the
shooting sectors. The assault rifles carry on rattling out in
the night. The light is switched on. “Scenario Complete”
bluntly appears on the wall-size screen. “Okay, let's see
the result now,” says a metallic voice coming from a loudspeaker.
Opened the 9th of February, the first shooting laser simulator
in the Balkans has just been installed at Eagle Base by the US
Army Training Command. Real weapons were modified so that they
can shoot a laser beam that hits a target on a screen. Under the
stage, a projector casts the chosen scenario, and a camera detects
the laser shots. Everything is coordinated by two computers working
with DVD-Roms. Four different weapons can be used on the eight
lanes, 9mm pistol, M249 SAW “Minimi,” AT-4, and mostly
the M16A2 standart assault rifle in the US Army.
The
rifles are regular ones, about the same weight, using magazines.
They simulate recoil and a shooting noise is heard whenever the
trigger is pulled, of course after loading and cocking procedures
had been properly done. It is so realistic that nothing is missing,
but the acrid smell of gunpowder and the windchill.
What first makes the difference is that the simulator can be used
for much more than just zeroing weapons, or as a simple range.
Realistic combat situations include patrols, personnel or vehicle
checkpoints, don't-shoot restrains, combat house or position defense,
with night and day options. 'Moult' (changing) exercises are comprised,
so that a scenario already played is never exactly the same. “I
play unreal tournament on my Playstation 2, it is also marskmanhip,
soldiers shooting. You can always die, come back and play it again,”
explained Sgt. Marinojose Jerez, from Bco 26 LTF. “I'd prefer
this, it is the real thing. You can see different scenarios and
your reaction, and defend your life or your buddy's life,”
said this practicer, one among the 50 to 75 people coming in a
day.
The accuracy of the immediate feedback also accounts for its success.
“I can do analysis and show them where they went wrong or
right when they fire, and before and after,” said Mr. Steve
Short, system operator from 7th Army Training Command.
In
a nearby room, a M16A2 lies on the table 2 m. away in front of
a monitor linked to a homestation. “We can use this set as
an initial or remedial training regarding the four fundamentals
of rifle marskmanship, which are steady position, aim, breath
control and trigger control, “ explained Mr. Lyndon Tarver,
supervisor, from 7th Army Training Command, Deployable Operations
Group. This basis of shooting can be simulated on a 50 to 300
m digital range on the screen.
Why build such a simulator here, in BiH? The acknowledgement of
the need for this project was based on unit training requirements,
and on the limited use of ranges. “It won't replace the range
but it is designed to prepare them to qualify at the range. They
can come in here and spend more time on zeroing a weapon, and
fixing what's wrong, and continue without firing many bullets
that cost a lot of money,” acknowledged Mr. Short.
Range shooting analysis, realtime combat situations are the keys
of its success, so the simulator is always busy. And Mr Tarver
concluded in a welcoming smile “Units call me for appointments,
just have a go.”
Related link:
Nations of SFOR: US
Training and Exercises
