ARMY AL&T
However, this workflow often delayed the Army’s ability to use simulation to assist new gunners in the operation, sighting, and familiarity of a new weapon.
In light of two ongoing conflicts, such delays are hardly acceptable, which is why Program Executive Office (PEO) Soldier and PEO Simulation, Training, and Instrumentation (STRI) sought to change the old paradigm by putting weapons development and weapons simulation on a parallel path.
Two significant benefits resulted from this effort. The concurrent fielding of a live weapon system along with its simu- lator counterpart provided units the flexibility to simultaneously train on both their actual weapons and the simu- lators without the constraints of weather or range availability. Second, the work- ing relationship served as a model for future small-arms fieldings that synchro- nize with a New Equipment Training (NET) schedule and are particularly focused on achieving best-value and enhanced training results.
A New Model for Fielding and Training
The initiative began in early 2008 when the two PEOs set out to simultaneously field the new 40mm M320 Grenade Launcher (GL) and its Engagement Skills Trainer (EST) 2000 simulation counterpart through their respective Product Manager (PM) shops: PM Individual Weapons (IW) and PM Ground Combat Tactical Trainer (GCTT). The team wanted to develop an M320 simulator that would capitalize on the EST 2000’s global footprint and not require the M320 program to invest in a costly stand- alone training system. In line with the Army Modernization Strategy, the team felt that this approach would allow Soldiers and NET teams to use virtual rounds in a simulated environment, instead of real ammunition on the range, to conduct familiarization with the weapon system.
“A simulator can allow you to rapidly present a variety of different tactical challenges to the trainee to create oppor- tunities for learning that could take years to acquire in the real world,” said Charles Amburn, Lead Instructional Systems Specialist, EST 2000. “The learning opportunities extend beyond the trainee. Weapon systems designers, unit leaders, authors of the training and tactics, and those responsible for the integration and study of technology in small-arms training also benefit.”
Knowing that the development time to create a new M320 simulated weapon would be unacceptably long, PM IW needed to develop a creative solution to meet its fielding goal.
“Rather than destroy the test sample M320s we had built for the develop- ment phase, we decided to put them to good use,” said Robert Phung, Product Director, PM IW. “Since the test weap- ons could not be fielded anyway, we provided them to PM GCTT so that they could quickly re-engineer the weapons into M320 simulators. The program office saved significant time and money, since they didn’t need to fabricate simulators from scratch.”
PM IW and PM GCTT next pri- oritized their fieldings based on the modular force concept for brigade combat teams (BCTs) deploying into theater, in compliance with the Army Force Generation (ARFORGEN) phases and force pools. During the reset/train phase, a BCT would receive its new M320 equipment and con- duct training using the train-the-trainer model. The Total Package Fielding team trained gunners and leaders selected by their units over a three-day period using classroom time, EST 2000 exercises, and, finally, range time. This plan allowed units to be trained on the actual system while maximizing their training time in both real and virtual environments.
As a unit was fielded its M320 GLs, a NET team moved to the unit’s loca- tion to assist in the initial operator and field maintenance training. Trainers made use of the Soldiers’ M320s as well as the EST 2000 M320s to cover both operator/unit-level and field support maintenance. The EST 2000 provided the NET teams the opportunity to correct deficiencies with new gunners without having to spend valuable and expensive range time to complete the
ENGAGEMENT SKILLS TRAINER 2000
The EST 2000 is the Army’s tactical weapons training system that enables Soldiers to train across three different modes: individual marksmanship, small unit (collective gun- nery and tactical training), and judgmental use of force (shoot/don’t shoot), which includes escalation of force and graduated response scenarios. Each EST 2000 includes small arms (M1200, M9, M16, M4, M203, and attached and stand-alone M320); crew-served weapons (M240B and M249 Squad Automatic Weapon); the AT4 anti-tank weapon; and heavy machine guns (M2 and MK19). This mix of weapon systems provides Soldiers and commanders the capability to build and sustain individual marksmanship as well as team and squad fire distribution and control, using computer-generated imagery and video. (PEO STRI photo by Doug Schaub.)
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