The Army’s new tools for coordinating helicopters, tanks and infantry are on track to be delivered to some units in 2024, but are already teaching some soldiers a lesson about modern warfare.

In a recent test exercise with the equipment, the Army used drones to coordinate artillery fire against attacking Denovian soldiers, said Maj. Brandon Dotson. Denovia is a fictional country used in army exercises with borders similar to Russia.

“A horde attacked them and they killed them all,” said Dotson, who helped develop a program called Synthetic Training Environments. “We had to tell them to stop and leave something the tank could shoot at.”

The drill was a reminder of the US’ decisive defeat to Russian mercenaries in Syria in 2018 and the widespread use of drone artillery in Ukraine.

And drone simulation equipment is just one part of a larger package of physical training tools and software that allows soldiers from different branches of the Army to train together.

Currently, the package includes the M1 Abrams Tank, Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicle, Stryker Armored Fighting Vehicle and a Humvee training simulator. These simulators can communicate with several types of helicopter training simulators, representing Blackhawk, Apache and CH-47 Chinook transport helicopters, as well as MQ-1C Gray Eagle and his RQ-7 Shadow drone.

The system replaces clunky contractor-operated simulators of the 1980s and 1990s for land and air combat with limited intercommunication capabilities.

Because of these restrictions, the armored forces had little opportunity to practice air coordination, said Maj.

Dotson said the new tools have allowed troops to train with drones more frequently, but otherwise it would be difficult because the airspace would need to be closed to operate the drones.

The Army hopes the tool’s ease of use will make soldiers more likely to schedule training. Berg said soldiers should be able to set up training “when they want to train, how they want to train” rather than relying on contractors.

That’s why the system is designed to be set up in 30 minutes and shipped in a hard case for easy portability. Each system is also modular, so you can convert your Black Hawk simulator to Apache in no time.

and defense one In Blackhawk simulator testing, virtual reality goggles were quickly calibrated to view the dusty bushland surrounding Fort Cabazos, Texas. The goggles display a real-world view when looking down where the pilot is expected to see the kneeboard.

Dotson said the simulator is also connected via the Internet, allowing tank forces in one location to train with attack helicopters in another location.

Simulator connectivity also allows connection to training simulation software, allowing units to face off against virtual enemy forces played by army intelligence officers. In the future, such forces may be partially controlled by automated systems.

“Being able to automate some of these actions is something we’d like to see,” Major Thane Keller said.

The initial system is deployed in the fort. Cabazos. Fort Novosell, Alabama. and fort. Moore, Georgia.