Weapons training on target

An airman takes aim at a “terrorist” while undergoing training on the Weapons Training Simular System. Photo by CPL Cindy Ipsen

By Ben Caddaye

THE Air Force’s first state-of-the-art Weapons Training Simulator System (WTSS) has opened at RAAF Base Amberley.

Built at a cost of about $3 million, the system allows Amberley personnel to practice firing a complete range of weapons using computer-generated imagery and interactive video scenarios.

The simulated weapons consist of modified Steyrs which use compressed air and lasers.

But despite the simulated nature of the system’s weapons and environment, Air Force personnel will still employ exactly the same weapons drills used for “live” firing on Amberley’s live fire ranges.

Air Force Project Manager for the WTSS Squadron Leader Gareck Wilson said the new system would complement rather than replace the base’s existing firing ranges, giving personnel a broader range of options when it came to honing their weapons skills.

“The WTSS can be programmed to replicate any weather condition and provides immediate feedback to firers and coaches to assist with improving marksmanship and weapons handling,” SQNLDR Wilson said.

As part of the project, which began in early 2000, computer-generated images and video scenarios were developed to meet Air Force requirements.

The video sequences have been painstakingly put together to create a realistic experience for participants.

The Air Force filmed five video scenarios using actors and Air Force-specific situations, which were added to the 10 sequences that already existed in the Army simulators.

After participants are briefed on the situation that they are about to confront in the simulator, the video tape rolls on the huge 16m x 3m screen and a variety of scenarios unfold depending on whether personnel fire their weapons or not.

The entire sequence can then be replayed and a supervisor will talk through the participants’ techniques and decision-making processes in a short debriefing situation.

“The WTSS is designed for all Air Force members, not just Ground Defence Officers and Airfield Defence Guards,” SQNLDR Wilson said.

“It can be used for basic weapons practice or to prepare someone for an operational deplyment.”

The Amberley facility, the first to be built for the Air Force, will be followed by a second $3 million system to be opened at RAAF Base Williamtown within the next month.

The WTSS is operated by contractors Firearm Training Systems Australia, and will be used on a daily basis by Air Force units at Amberley as well as other ADF units in south-east Queensland.

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