Army Uses Virtual Reality Soldier Training

New military training technology is allowing Australian Army troops to deploy to foreign zones without leaving home ground.

The virtual training device provides a realistic simulation of overseas territory in order to prepare Australian soldiers for future international deployments. It shows local landmarks and surrounding features, allowing Australian military personnel to function and engage within a simulated environment.

“We operate in this virtual world”, Lieutenant Cameron McDougall of the Royal Tasmania Regiment explained to Sky News. “We've got all the same vehicles, the same equipment, the same weapons, everything we would have in reality”.

Virtual Soldier Training

The virtual soldier training technology lets the troops drive off-road and exchange data with other security forces and with local communities, just as would take place in the real world.

The Royal Tasmania Regiment is 50 years old this year and it belongs to the 9th Brigade, 2nd Division of the Australian Army. Men from the unit have taken part in multiple historic campaigns including the Battle of the Somme and Passchendale.

The virtual training precedes a five-month deployment for these troops to the Solomon Islands, where they’ll be carrying out peacekeeping duties. The Solomon Islands does not presently have a dedicated Army, Air Force or Navy – bar Australian forces on detachment there - but does have police officials, who carry out a number of roles including maritime reconnaissance and disaster relief efforts.

Military Virtual Reality Technologies

Military virtual reality technologies have been a feature of training syllabi for many years, now. Flight simulators provide flying training for Air Force, Navy and Army pilots alike, while ground vehicle and water vehicle simulators complement them. These all work proactively but, earlier this year, plans were laid out for military virtual reality appliances to be used reactively, too, as US Army researchers explored their use for soldiers with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

The Australian Army itself is one component of the Australian Defence Force, and is made up of almost 28,000 front-line personnel, along with a similar number of reserves. In recent times, Australian troops have been active in Iraq and Afghanistan, and also engaged in small-scale peacekeeping missions in Africa.