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NewswireToday - /newswire/ -
Daytona Beach, FL, United States, 01/15/2008 - In direct response to an urgent need from the Army’s engineer school in Ft. Hood, Texas, the first-ever Virtual Route Clearance Trainer (VRCT) to support soldiers who operate the U.S. Army’s newly introduced MRAP family of vehicles has been developed.
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Raydon developed and delivered the first VRCT to the field 90 days from contract award. The U.S. military is currently utilizing fewer than 500 MRAP vehicles, but has placed orders for the production of an additional 10,000.
The only one of its kind, the VRCT is specifically designed to prepare soldiers who will operate the Mine Protected Clearance Vehicles (MPCV) Buffalo, Vehicle Mounted Mine Detectors (VMMD) Husky, and the Medium Mine Protected Vehicles (MMPV) RG-31, which interrogate, spot, mark and sweep for IEDs and hidden land mines in Iraq.
On Nov. 28, 2007, 16 NCOs began the training process to become instructors of the VRCT system. Starting December 10, 2007, soldiers of the 36th Engineer Brigade/937 Company, under the command of Lt. Col. Robert Walker, underwent the 40-hour course training curriculum in preparation for their January deployment.
"The deployment of MRAP vehicles into the theater of operations has proven to be invaluable to ensuring the survivability of our troops that might encounter complex ambushes and IEDs. Getting our troops trained to use this new MRAP technology is a critical need for our warfighters on the ground,” stated Raydon President Kevin Freese. “The current terrain in Iraq is littered with IEDs and mines, which not only maim and kill soldiers, but also innocent civilians. Now, and in years to come, these MRAP vehicles will continue to prove a vital element to protect individuals from these hidden explosives. Raydon is committed to providing the necessary and immediate training that will support our troops, and, more importantly, save lives.”
Different from other virtual training programs that include virtual exercises only, the VRCT training incorporates classroom curriculum with the virtual exercises to complete the 40-hour course training program. With the VRCT, soldiers will conduct training missions on the exact virtual terrain of Baghdad, Tikrit, Samarra, Kabul and other battle locations where warriors are being deployed. Realistic movement, weapons effects, and 360-degree spherical field of view and action provide real world experience in the safety of a virtual environment. To achieve the level of realism essential to effective MRAP operations training, the VRCT uses geo-specific battle terrain imagery which places soldiers into a “Virtual Baghdad” and other locations.
The mobile trainer includes two 53-foot trailer suites with a Collective Route Clearance Training area for two MMPVs, and one each MPCV and VMMD; an Individual Crew Training area for four PMCVs, which operate simultaneously; and an After Action Review area, which also accommodates the curriculum instruction segment. The MMPV trains for driver, commander and gunner positions, while the MPCV prepares for driver and co-driver positions. The MPCV positions include real crane controls and an articulated arm operator with specific camera operation techniques.
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