Live fire training is indispensable. There is no denying that it is critical for crew to train extensively to be efficient and effective when preparing and firing mortars from a vehicle or naval vessel. Yet training is also resource intensive. From organising it and mobilising all the necessary resources to using real ammunition, live firing training requires significant financial, human and time resources.
Conscious that such demands on resources may present a constraint to some armies around the world, Patria has developed the NEMO simulator. Named after the Patria NEMO 120mm mortar system, Patria NEMO simulator provides a safe-to-fail virtual environment where crew can train often, in numbers, and safely. So that when the live firing eventually takes place, using Patria NEMO mortar system has already become second nature.
Safety First
While there is no questioning that live fire training is critical for armed forces to feel prepared, organising such training is no small feat. Preparing to fire mortar ammunition does not just require an expanse vast enough to cover the whole range of the ammunition. It also requires a safety area around the firing range to ensure that there are no accidents.
Typically, Patria NEMO is capable of firing up to 10km, so organising for an extended live fire range can be demanding. With the NEMO simulator, such requirements are no longer a concern – no safety zone is required, and no firing range needs to be guarded. Instead, all that is needed are the three gunner-commander stations (GCS) and the one instructor/operator station (IOS) that make up the platoon level training system. And because the NEMO simulator design is modular, compact and transportable, it is easier to train anytime, anywhere. Modular design also allows combining a loader’s training station with the simulator.
Safe to fail
Beyond organisational concerns, live fire training is also costly. Each round that is being fired, whether successfully or not, must be accounted for. With such financial considerations in mind, it is difficult to imagine a training environment that encourages errors so that forces can learn from their mistakes – a key element of training.
Leveraging Virtual Battle Space 4 (VBS4) technology, which enables a fully customisable extensive synthetic environment library, Patria NEMO simulator provides a safe-to-fail environment where crew can train at will. The GCS is equipped with a real Patria NEMO man-machine interface that utilises the real NEMO Fire Management and Turret Management software.
As such, settled in an environment that replicates what gunner-commanders would find in a Patria NEMO-armed platform, they can train for all kinds of scenarios – from initial basic training to advanced system training, such as resolving malfunction situations. Unafraid to make costly mistakes, armed forces learn better, faster, and develop the confidence needed to safely take on live fire training when the time is right.
Connecting Patria NEMO
It is important for gunner-commanders to train as a one-platform crew, but it is also crucial for them to train as part of a wider force, potentially even allied force. Yet inter-forces live training is even more resource intensive. It requires extensive coordination between different platforms, armed forces, and potentially countries.
Virtual training systems like Patria NEMO simulator, on the other hand, can easily be connected to each other to facilitate such cooperation. Because VBS4 is one of the most widely used virtual simulation environments, it can be seamlessly combined with other systems around the world to improve coordination and cooperation skills across forces. In fact, over the coming years, Patria is exploring the possibility of extending JOINT forces training. So… stay tuned.
Watch the Patria NEMO Training Simulator – Virtual Firepower video
