Army develops 'virtual' drill systems

Army commanders carry out virtual reality-driven war game simulations by wearing a head-mounted display. The military said Thursday it has developed the state-of-the-art training platform and plans to introduce the system to troops across the nation next year. / Courtesy of Republic of Korea Army

By Lee Min-hyung

The Army has developed a series of head-mounted devices for firing and command exercises by incorporating 3D imaging technologies ― such as virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR).

The military held a demonstration ceremony Thursday to celebrate the development of the virtual gunnery and battle command exercise ― powered by the two emerging technologies.

According to the Army, a group of 16 researchers started developing the virtual training platforms in July last year following an investment of 3.2 billion won ($2.88 million). The Army plans to introduce the systems for reserve forces and active duty soldiers by the end of this year.

First off, the Army has developed what it calls the “precise firing exercise simulator” with which soldiers can carry out rifle drills by wearing a VR head-mounted display.

The device also comes with an audio system and produce a realistic firing sound, allowing soldiers to be more immersed in shooting exercises, according to the military.

The system is equipped with mixed reality (MR) ― a combination of VR and AR ― which the military says enables those who wear the device to experience a sense of space in the virtual training world.

The Army also developed the VR-driven command post exercises system, allowing commanders to carry out “war game simulations” in the 3D virtual world.

Military commanders have so far relied on 2D paper when engaging in the military command exercise, but the new system is expected to make strategic planning more systemic and precise for commanders, the Army said.

The new command and control exercise platform will play a crucial role for commanders to make precise decisions when controlling their combat forces, as the system can reproduce geographical features of the real world in 3D.

“The combat training systems ― powered by VR and AR ― are expected to become an alternative drill platform at a time when the number of troops is on the decline amid the ongoing population decrease,” a military official said.

The info-tech training systems have been developed as part of the military's efforts to embrace the Fourth Industrial Revolution and manage troops here in a more efficient and smart way. The new training systems also helps the military prevent accidents from the traditional hands-on training.

The military's introduction of the emerging technologies is still in its infancy, but under its ongoing “Defense Reform 2.0” drive, the Ministry of National Defense plans to speed up the drive by introducing more tech platforms ― such as drones and 3D printing ― in use for military transportation.

The drive is part of military measures to brace for the continuous decline in the number of soldiers here. The number of conscript soldiers will be on a steep decline to 500,000 by 2022, down from 618,000 at the beginning of this year, according to data from the defense ministry.

“We are going to finish comprehensive combat training systems ― based on the two emerging technologies ― by the end of December, and start applying them to reserve forces next year,” the official said.