MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. -- A ceremonial ribbon was cut Sept. 4 marking the completion of two, $5.5 million Combat Convoy Simulator buildings at the Tactical Vehicle Simulation Center in Las Pulgas. Pendleton’s new simulators are the first of their kind throughout the Department of Defense. The project is part of the Corps’ $52 million contract with the Lockheed Martin Corporation. The contract also includes simulator construction at Camp Lejeune, N.C.; Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii; Okinawa, Japan; Twentynine Palms, Calif. and several reserve sites.
“This is head and shoulders above what we were using to train our Marines and Sailors four years ago,” emphasized Col. James B. Seaton III, commanding officer, Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton.
Each simulator building contains four high-mobility, multipurpose wheeled vehicles and two medium tactical vehicle replacement trainers that all interact in realistic, virtual Iraqi cities. Training scenarios are projected onto 360-degree screens, which display the other vehicles within the convoy in real time as they progress through the simulation.
“We worked so hard to get a convoy simulator out there at Twentynine Palms four years ago and I thought that was amazing, but this is more than amazing,” said Seaton, former assistant Chief of Staff, Operations and Plans, Marine Air Ground Task Force Training Command, Twentynine Palms.
Roughly 30 Marines can train simultaneously in a single exercise. The six simulators are linked to a workstation that is controlled by a single operator. As the training exercise proceeds, the operator can inject different threats and situations to stress the crews that are being trained, according to the Lockheed Martin official Web site.
The first two generations of convoy simulators used fake humvees as opposed to the real chassis used by the CSS. The new simulator also utilizes the latest artificial intelligence and has geographically accurate maps of Iraq. Lockheed Martin is in the process of adding maps of Afghanistan.
Previous simulator’s weapons were tethered to computers. As Marines fired the weapons, machines would send pressurized air through the cord to simulate recoil. Now, recoil is simulated through pressurized air in the magazine cartridge on the M16-A4’s and M4’s. The weapons also have wireless Bluetooth-like capabilities.
In the past, convoy trainer scenarios were projected onto five screens that partially surrounded the crews. The visuals on the new trainer are rendered by a more realistic graphics engine, which improves the images that are displayed on eight screens, and on the vehicles’ rearview mirrors, to give Marines a full 360-degree view of the scenarios, said Andre Elias, director of virtual training solutions, Lockheed Martin.
“We have been able to train more than 150,000 service members in various convoy trainers in the past four years," said Jim Craig, vice president, maritime and civil solutions, Lockheed Martin Simulation. “The potential of this technology is unparalleled.”
According to Lockheed Martin’s Web site, the facility uses the Firearms Training System, providing realistic weapons firing simulation that registers “hits” on the screen. The wireless weapons allow Marines to move outside and around the vehicles. Although the vehicle cabs are stationary, the sense of movement is maintained by the video projection and sound feedback. As the vehicles move over hills and around corners, the scenery also moves, providing a real sense of riding in the vehicle.
“The simulator itself is only a small piece of the actual exercise, the majority and most beneficial portion is in the preplanning and after-action review,” said Sgt. Victor M. Salazar-Mexicano, Headquarters Company, Training Support Division, MCB Camp Pendleton. “Everything from where you shot and what was said is recorded so you can learn from your mistakes.”
After each training scenario, an after-action review is conducted using portions of the recorded mission. This recording can be played back providing instant feedback, allowing Marines to better understand if their actions were done correctly. The system allows for each scenario to be set up differently with on-the-fly changes.
“This is not an Xbox on steroids, this is training,” exclaimed Salazar-Mexicano, who has logged more than 8,000 miles on convoys while deployed in Iraq. “The simulator is very effective, but it all depends on the unit. Treat it like a training exercise and prepare correctly and it will teach you everything you need to know.”