Army seeks simulators to train its commandos
MORE STRENGTH Report says virtual reality simulators will provide Special Forces with training for ‘room intervention and urban warfare’
The army is in search of virtual reality (VR) simulators to sharpen the skills of its commandos involved in counter-terror operations in Jammu and Kashmir and the Northeast.
A new army report has highlighted the lack of adequate infrastructure for training soldiers to enter buildings and clear rooms — scenarios they encounter frequently while conducting operations.
The militaries of the US and UK use virtual reality training methods to help soldiers rehearse for missions in dangerous settings by simulating diverse combat situations.
The report prepared by the Army Design Bureau (ADB), headed by army deputy chief Lieutenant General Subrata Saha, made a strong case for providing Special Forces (SF) units with “virtual reality-based training simulators” to impart realistic training for “room intervention/urban warfare”.
These simulators would have a variety of programmed training environments.
The report said the use of virtual reality for training will allow instructors “to portray various permutations and combinations of situations and terrain as desired.”
A lack of such training equipment is one of the problems identified by the ADB in its 72-page report titled Compendium of Problem Statements, Volume II (2017). The army is looking at finding indigenous solutions to at least 78 problem areas — 28 listed in the new report and another 50 spelt out earlier.
“At present, troops are being trained in infrastructure which is permanent and has limited capability for modification as per requirement, thereby depriving troops of realistic training which is a necessity in present day counter insurgency/counter terrorist operational scenario,” the report said.
The army has sought the private sector’s help to build the first prototype in 2-3 years.