Meggitt Training Systems rolls out new immersive marksmanship training system

Meggitt Training Systems showcased its latest military immersive virtual weapons and tactical training system at the 2019 Interservice/Industry Training, Simulation and Education Conference (I/ITSEC) in Orlando in December. The FATS 180MIL is an immersive, three-screen simulator from which the US Army’s Squad Advanced Marksmanship Trainer (SAMT) is derived.

The FATS 180MIL features an immersive multi-screen simulator based on Meggitt’s FATS 100MIL and 300MIL products and consists of three borderless 3.8×2.14 m screens that provide a 16:9 aspect ratio. The screens can be arranged either in a flat or wrap around configuration. The immersive environment is provided by three ultra-short throw projectors and a 5:1 surround sound audio system. The hit detection system uses three digital cameras that interface directly with the same off-CPU processor used in the FATS100.

The system supports up to 60 simulated weapons – including small arms, crew served weapons, and less-lethal weapons – according to Meggitt. Up to four weapons can be assigned to a single user. The weapon range includes Meggitt’s BlueFire wireless weapons and BlueRail devices, which convert real weapons for training. These are used with a high-pressure air smart magazine, which provides recoil.

The FATS 180MIL can be used in three modes: marksmanship training, with the screens in a flat configuration; individual and squad tactical training; and judgemental training, said Meggitt representative Jay Ayala. The latter two modes use the screens in a wrap-around configuration. For marksmanship training, the system tracks and records a range of individual weapon handling aspects such as cant, trigger pressure, and point of aim.