ORLANDO, Fla. - After successful initial fielding of the Engagement Skills Trainer 2000, a mobile “proof-of-principle” effort, specifically designed for the Army National Guard, Reserve and Reserve Officers Training Corps, is being unveiled for real world battle simulation.
The Product Manager for Ground Combat Tactical Trainers idea is simple - mount a five-lane EST 2000 on a mobile, self-powered, semi-trailer, and bring it to remote armories and readiness centers to support weekend Battle Assembly training.
The mobile EST 2000 will also come with an Instructor/Operator, who will ensure the system is set up to meet the unit’s training plans before the Battle Assembly starts, and will then transport the system to its next scheduled location.
The EST 2000 has three modes of training: marksmanship, collective tasks and judgmental use of force.This provides Soldiers an opportunity to practice with their weapons individually and as a team.
“We’re looking forward to jump-starting this proof-of-principle initiative,” said Army Lt. Col. Charles Stein, who oversees PM GCTT.
“It’s based on the old saying in the reserves, ‘Bring the training to the troops, not troops to training,’” he said.
“The whole idea is to provide this simulator to units that currently don’t have EST 2000s, and allow them to accomplish training objectives that they’d normally have to drive for several hours to accomplish,” Stein said.
He initially observed a mobile EST 2000 being used by the Israeli Defense Forces, who are heavily reserve-based, and said he was impressed by what he saw.
“Even though Israel is a relatively small country, they value the efficiency of not having to relocate entire units to train on a system they don’t normally have at their local reserve centers,” Stein said.
The proof-of-principle is an experiment to document the viability and versatility of making these kinds of big, complex simulators mobile.
The prototype Mobile EST 2000 will be based in the central U.S. starting May 2011, and will be available to Guard, Reserve and ROTC units through February 2012.
Unit commanders and Soldiers who are interested in using the Mobile EST 2000 should contact PM GCTT through their local training offices, or call the PM GCTT Army National Guard Advisor at (407) 208-5030.