The year 2018 is coming to a close and it’s been another important year in the military training and simulation space. The Modern Military Training team has covered several important trends, challenges, and shifts in the defense industry including the rise of OTAs and LVC’s continually growing impact in training programs. As we approach the new year, we wanted to share our most read content for 2018 to celebrate the progress made in the industry this year. Here are your favorite pieces from 2018:
Acquiring Innovation: Rediscovering OTA Contracts
JANUS Research’s Michael Wright shared with Modern Military Training readers an overview of the rising popularity of OTAs (Other Transaction Authority) in the defense community. OTAs offer a nimbler acquisition process that allows the DoD to acquire cutting-edge technology more rapidly, making more modern technology more readily available for warfighters.
“As with most complex problems, especially those in government, the solution [to the slow acquisition process] is seldom clear or easy to put in place,” stated Wright. “While they won’t solve the larger problem, innovative contracting solutions are a way to solve some of the problem by reducing contracting timelines while also ensuring fair and open competition.”
Read the whole story here.
I/ITSEC Best Paper for Understanding the Minds of Jet Pilots
Selected as I/ITSEC 2017’s Best Paper, “Perceptual Cognitive and Physiological Assessment for Training Effectiveness” took a closer look at the mind of a jet pilot in order to train them more effectively. Dr. Jocelyn Faubert, Director of the Faubert Laboratory at the Université de Montréal, Canada, and Director of the non-profit Faubert Applied Research Centre, worked with Collins Aerospace and the University of Iowa to complete the research.
According to Dr. Faubert, the benefits to more objectively measuring operational readiness of these pilots “would be reduced training fail rates and accelerating learning rates through properly optimized training programs. Additionally, evaluating spare cognitive capacity may also provide a measure of performance readiness.”
Read the whole story here.
The Impact of Emerging Technologies on Training
We connected with Conor McKenna, CEO of Vocavio Technologies, a provider of Speech Analysis Software that is integrated into synthetic training environments, to learn about new sensing technologies that can train warfighters more effectively. These sensing technologies allow for a more seamless training experience for the warfighter.
“From speech recognition to facial recognition, these types of sensing technologies offer clues into the trainee’s understanding and performance, ultimately, boosting training efficacy and fidelity,” we reported in the article.
Read the whole story and watch the video here.
How LVC is Powering More Effective UAV Pilot Training Programs
Dr. Tom “Mach” Schnell, a Professor in Industrial Engineering with a specialization in Human Factors/Ergonomics at the University of Iowa, spoke with us about LVC adoption and what it means for UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) pilots. One element he emphasized was the importance of manned-unmanned teaming and how that dynamic can be effectively addressed in an LVC training program.
“Think about a manned aircraft pilot controlling an unmanned aircraft operationally; even to test for this scenario is a big production,” stated Dr. Schnell. “You have to get permission to fly the unmanned aircraft; you have to work through contingencies if something goes wrong. LVC gives you the ability to make this unmanned aircraft a constructive entity.”
Read the whole story here.
Embracing Gaming Technology to Create Enhanced Synthetic Training Environments to Train Warfighters
Following a panel at Sea Air Space 2018, Modern Military Training covered the concept of adopting gaming technology to power the execution of the STE, or synthetic training environment. This panel featured experts from both industry and the military and provided a well-rounded look at how gaming technology is fueling this innovative training approach.
The panelists for this discussion were Colonel Jay Bullock, Director TRADOC Capability Manager – Integrated Training Environment, Kendy Vierling, USMC Training & Education Command, Future Learning Group, Kristian Bouw, CEO and Founder, NotionTheory, Lucien Parsons, Director, Mixed/Augmented/Virtual Reality Innovation Center (MAVRIC), University of Maryland. In the discussion, Parsons urged military leaders to “build what you need today. Don’t try to predict what you’ll need in the future.”
Read the whole story here.
We are excited to see what 2019 holds for the military training and simulation community and look forward to working with insightful industry experts like these in order to uncover prevalent industry trends.
