The military has moved many training exercises into the virtual world. And simulations – in some instances – have cut costs. An indoor shooting range at Fort Campbell is saving an estimated $4 million a month in ammunition.
The Army is quickly recouping the tens of millions of dollars it has spent developing virtual target practice facilities, which are now on posts around the country.
“Come on machine guns. Get those helicopters.”
At Fort Campbell, instructor Jim Hall barks out commands over machine guns and M4 rifles pointed at a video screen the width of the room. The weapons look and feel like the real thing, with pressurized hoses that make the guns recoil with each shot. Hall says this has become the place every marksman begins.
“They have to come here and practice before the actually go to the real range and shoot.”
At the real range, soldiers might fire off a thousand rounds a day, which is why practice gets so pricey.
The Army also happens to like the capabilities of the virtual firing ranges, so mobile versions are hitting the road this year on tractor trailers and in shipping containers. That way soldiers can train more cheaply, even while deployed.
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