12 December 2019

Meggitt Training Systems rolls out new immersive marksmanship training system

by Giles Ebbutt

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.

An M2 machine gun being used in the FATS 180MIL in the immersive 3D configuration. (Meggitt Training Systems )

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.

Meggitt Training Systems showcased its latest military immersive virtual weapons and tactical traini...

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