It’s the nerd world war!
Army aims to recruit computer gamers to f ight hi-tech battles
THE Army is seeking to recruit video gamers to help it adapt to the demands of modern warfare.
In an attempt to attract a new breed of tech-savvy young people into military service, the Ministry of Defence is targeting the Call Of Duty generation.
This weekend the Army has taken a stall at Scotland’s biggest ever video-gaming festival in the hope of reaching out to those for whom complex and realistic computer simulations are second nature.
In recent years, the numbers of traditional infantry have dwindled, while the reliance on hi-tech weapons and equipment has grown to the extent that the military are increasingly dependent on robotic weapons systems and satellites.
Unmanned aerial vehicles can be used to remotely launch precise attacks without putting soldiers at risk, and micro-drones fitted with cameras can carry out reconnaissance without detection.
In response, the Army wants to sign up gamers to take advantage of skills – such as strategic thinking, co-ordination, quick reflexes and grasp of technology – which have often been learned in the virtual worlds of blockbuster games such as Doom, Battlefield and Red Dead Redemption.
Army recruiters are targeting the estimated 10,000 visitors at this weekend’s Insomnia X Resonate festival in Glasgow to highlight how technological advances have created roles from ‘IT and communications to those involving GPS and lasers’. Army spokesman Martine McNee said: ‘Everything is becoming more technological and electronic devices are a big part of jobs today. The people attending gaming events like this have the skillset and appetite needed.’ Nine soldiers will attend the event to discuss roles such as tank operator and drone warfare. Using simulators and virtual reality headsets, potential recruits are able to put their gaming abilities to the test and experience real-world situations from the safety of their seat. A Virtual Battlespace simulator is used to recreate a long-distance combat scenario, with a soldier replicating what it is like to fire heavy artillery at an enemy compound in the distance. Using a complex computer system, it takes 23 seconds from the round’s release until its eventual on-screen explosion, with the slightest adjustment transforming the outcome. Staff Sergeant Jamie Gould said: ‘The technology is great, you can go through the whole scenario and you’ve never even left the room.’
Meanwhile, virtual reality headsets offer the chance to take part in four immersive experiences, including operating a tank, parachuting from a plane or joining in adventure training.
One set-up sees the user become a member of an infantry unit whose mission includes scaling fences, climbing ladders and crawling through small spaces to secure a building.
But Miss McNee said the possibilities were endless and the gaming event provided the perfect platform to show how the Army has changed.
She added: ‘Today’s technology means computers can call in missiles from miles away. This event is all about electronic technology, so we are addressing how the Army uses this.’ With 76 entry-level jobs on offer and up to 200 roles to work towards, career adviser Peter Sinclair said that the need for technology in the Armed Forces was only increasing.
He added: ‘The Army has an incredible number of jobs on offer, from apprenticeships to tech teams and electronic warfare to IT and radio systems.’
‘About 80 to 90 per cent of those roles would require some use of technology.’
Among the early visitors to the event on Friday was 18-year-old Shaun Flynn from Grangemouth, Stirlingshire, who said using the virtual reality headsets and simulators had given him a new outlook on the Army.
He added: ‘It is really interesting to see what goes on, especially as a casual gamer.’
Gaming is one of the UK’s most popular activities, with an estimated 30 million people playing some form of electronic game on their mobile phones or consoles last year.
Research has also suggested that gaming can be beneficial. A recent University of Glasgow study found that young people who game gain skills such as critical thinking and resourcefulness, traits favoured by employers.
Insomnia X Resonate was designed to provide gaming enthusiasts an opportunity to meet exhibitors and discover the latest technology.
The three-day event features Virtual Reality Zones dedicated to the latest in headset experiences, YouTube battles, retro zones for classic games, and the opportunity to see new consoles such as the Nintendo Switch.
‘Call in missiles from miles away’