The evolving landscape brought about by advancements in weapons and systems, along with the need for increased operational excellence in an environment of reduced budgets, continues to impact how the military find new and creative ways to ensure that their forces are ready for the mission ahead through technology and innovation.

One critical area of military operations is training, where it is sometimes no longer safe or cost-effective to have armed forces train in real-world environments. This is where simulated training can help to enhance mission effectiveness that span the entire training continuum, from instructional systems design through fully integrated, high-fidelity simulators, blending the real world with the virtual world.

In addition, simulated training allows for more people to be trained at the same time and alleviates the need for using actual vehicles and equipment – which results in cost savings.

Another benefit of simulation not often considered is that exercises can be planned and executed in a short amount of time with less overhead than a live exercise, and as simulation technology continues to improve, more and more visual systems are becoming standard training options for today’s militaries while giving trainees a highly immersive experience. Other benefits possible from this training approach include:

• Faster monitoring of results and corrective action
• Ability to create different scenarios “on the fly” as required
• Improved battle efficiencies via large scale wargaming support

Although simulation-based training can’t ensure true real-world experience for trainees, systems have become so advanced that they help today’s armed forces give their members the experience they need to feel confident in today’s challenging military environments, and as we look to the future, a key consideration for governmental and military leaders is keeping pace with ever-changing platforms and the corresponding need for ongoing equipment upgrades. After all, as hardware is updated, software and training solutions must be updated to ensure that India is always on the leading edge of military power.

-The writer is senior business development manager (India subcontinent, Malaysia and Indonesia), Mission Systems – Collins Aerospace