There are three key shifts which are increasingly impacting the way our military forces train.
- Threats are changing – they are ever-evolving and becoming increasingly more destructive and coercive, blending together of the physical and digital worlds.
- Technology is changing – it is rapidly advancing at a pace which we’ve never seen before, allowing us to innovate more than ever.
- Trainees are different – the forces of the future are digital natives and demand a different learning experience utilising technology in more immersive and engaging ways.
As we gear up for the future battlespace, where multi-domain threats are more complex and sophisticated, our forces are recognising the need to train collectively across domains and alongside their allies.
Consequently, training has now become a forethought, rather than an afterthought that is sold alongside a support package after delivering a major equipment sale. A large part of what has enabled this shift are simulation capabilities, which thanks to digital innovations, are now much more realistic.
Combining synthetics, supercomputing, data analytics and augmented reality, we are integrating world-leading systems and technologies to create Project OdySSEy, which provides collaborative and immersive synthetic training for tomorrow’s military forces. This single synthetic environment enables military forces in the air, land, sea, space and cyber to train as one. With vast data libraries that offer a variety of terrains and threats, Project OdySSEy brings training environments to life in the digital realm, anytime, anywhere and for any scenario.
The digital environment combats some of the challenges of live training, for example, enabling geographic freedom. The modern battlespace has evolved to a position where no single government or nation can tackle threats alone, and training operations are largely conducted alongside allies located across the globe.
In the real world, this is a logistical nightmare, involving high costs and environmentally harmful exercises, plus, in the UK air domain, there is not enough airspace to conduct the type of modern training required. Going digital provides a secure and sustainable platform for joint training exercises whereby nations can ‘plug-and-play’, and use the actual tactics they would deploy in a real-life situation without prying eyes.
With this in mind, it’s important to note that there will always be a need for live training. It is essential that pilots experience the physiological demands of flying before deployment, and understand the real-life sense of jeopardy that comes with conducting vital missions. But paired with synthetic training, live training can be much safer – pilots can make mistakes in the digital environment, and learn from them, so they’re not repeated during live exercises.
The realism of Project OdySSEy is not just concentrated on the training environment, but the trainees themselves. Integrating artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms, we can enrich the training experience by turning data into actionable insights.
Every move, decision and response in the simulation is recorded, from a subtle change in heart rate to a complex battlefield decision. We have the tools to understand, analyse and optimise future training to focus on a trainee’s weaknesses, or to build on their strengths in a particular environment or mission.
The success of Project OdySSEy is made possible by our partnerships with leading technology providers and small to medium enterprises – all specialists in their areas. Our role as a Lead Systems Integrator (LSI) enables us to collaborate with Hadean, a supercomputing specialist, data analytics provider VRAI, simulation specialists Bohemia Interactive Simulations, Pitch Technologies and PLEXSYS, VR/AR experts Pauley Interactive, and military training specialists D3A Defence and Inzpire, integrating unique capabilities that deliver limitless benefits for our customers.
Armed with agility and technical know-how, we are moulding the future of military training at the forefront of innovation to achieve mission readiness, together.
Project OdySSEy
Project OdySSEy is a single synthetic environment for collective training, enabling forces across air, land, sea, space and cyber to plug in and train together.
Senior Communications Advisor
BAE Systems