Loading a weapon, aiming at the target, shooting – but the laser beam hits the opponent and the sound sensor and bracelet, which hits the opponent with a short electric pulse, informs that the target has been hit. This is how training on tactical simulators takes place; A realistic and innovative way to prepare warriors for the toughest scenarios on the battlefield.

What has become a game changer in the field of tactical simulators military training? So, what role does the Ukrainian tactical simulator manufacturer based on Skiftech’s laser technologies play in this?

UKRAINIAN FIRST MANUFACTURER

Ukrainian tactical simulator manufacturer Skiftech came up with the most opportune time for this – in 2014, during the first Russian invasion of Ukraine. Then the military approached the company with a request to create laser tag equipment for the training of soldiers. The team already had experience in manufacturing laser label equipment, exporting abroad and organizing large-scale corporate events and laser label competitions. Sometimes tactical simulators are confused with “laser tag”, although the visual appearance, functionality and components of the equipment are radically different.

After several years of development and close communication with the military, the first prototypes of tactical simulator equipment of the Ukrainian manufacturer for training soldiers appeared. And since 2017, the company regularly provides simulators to the Armed Forces, National Guard, State Border Service, SSO and other state military organizations of Ukraine. While such technological solutions have been offered by giant companies such as Lockheed Martin, Cubic and Saab in the world for many years, Skiftech has been a pioneer in this field in Ukraine.

HOW DO TACTICAL SIMULATORS WORK?

The flagship among tactical simulators a fighter’s personal kit. Every fighter wears clothes for training cover with damage sensors on his helmet, he’s got it weaponry (machine gun, machine gun or rifle) has an attached laser emitter and also waistcoat damage sensors and stress beltwhich the company calls “Bumblebee”. The last component has a similar name for some reason. When a fighter is “hit” with a laser shot, he receives a small impact charge from the stress belt in his hand, in addition to the sound from the damage sensor and the sensors starting to flash. So “Bumblebee” gives an electric shock when hit. The impulse is safe and short-lived (no more than 1 second), but it is important for the psycho-emotional effect – the fighter, firstly, that this is not a game, and secondly, in real combat conditions, the damage will not be infrared rays.

Personal weapons are far from the only weapon among tactical simulator simulators. Over the years, Skiftech has developed a complete ecosystem of military equipment that interacts with each other and can be combined into a single training complex for different types of troops for simultaneous training. IT imitators explosive devices, armored vehicles (tanks, armored personnel carriers, BMPs, etc.), cannons, mortars, ATGMs, MANPADS and other types of military equipment.

Consider, for example, how a laser grenade simulator works. During training, the fighter pulls a check and then throws a mock grenade. The grenade “explodes” and disables anyone within the laser’s radius. Vests, sensors and stress belts on the fighters’ helmets inform the fighter of damage.

The company also develops software for managing all simulators. A special program allows you to monitor the movement of soldiers, military equipment and the location of explosive device simulators on the training ground. The program allows you to adjust the number of cartridges, magazines, fire rate of weapons, conditional lethality of damage and other parameters.

Another useful feature of tactical simulators is that they provide information for post-training analysis. A military trainer can monitor actions, movements, number of shots fired, hits, and contingent wounds. All this makes it possible to analyze the effectiveness of training both for each fighter individually and for the unit as a whole. These high-tech solutions allow you to train as close as possible to real combat conditions..

ONE INSIDE POLLY IS NOT A WARRIOR

For a long time, military training in Ukraine was one-sided. What does it mean? The traditional enemy of warriors were fixed targets that did not pose a threat in response. Training in tactical simulators allows for two-way training – when you have a real soldier on the battlefield, shooting, moving, hiding, etc. With simulators, you can perform effective team training: develop tactical maneuverability, combat communication, cooperation with each other in stressful situations, appropriate attack and defense of territory or object.

Another important fact: In Skiftech tactical simulators you can train all year round, in all weather conditions and temperatures. This is as close as possible to the real conditions of combat, because training is not held indoors such as a pavilion or indoor arena.

The company states that the best thing is to take photos and videos of military training on tactical simulators and hear: “It’s a completely different feeling!”. Having been “killed” several times by a laser on the battlefield, you change tactics and understand what mistakes to avoid or how to properly conduct contact with fire.

According to the company’s estimates, during Skiftech’s last nine years of operation, tens of thousands of Ukrainian soldiers have been trained on tactical simulators. Accurate data is difficult to collect, and in the past year and a half this is almost impossible – equipment circulates around the country: military trainers are regularly “borrowed” to train new recruits, simulators are transferred from one brigade to another.

Military technology company Skiftech for Ukrinform