As the driver moves an M1A2 Abrams main battle tank into position, the crew commander identifies an enemy infantry fighting vehicle. 

He directs the loader to load a sabot round and delivers a fire control order to the gunner to engage. 

Target destroyed.

This was not done in the field, but inside Army’s newest M1A2 SEPv3 Abrams immersive tactical trainer (ITT). 

Housed in a cargo container, the trainer replicates each tank crew station with displays, buttons and sighting systems, down to the last toggle.

Warrant Officer Class Two (WO2) Craig Cole, of the 2nd Cavalry Regiment, said the ITT provided crews with realistic training and imagery to hone their skills and speed up crew drills, without putting wear and tear on the actual vehicle, while saving fuel and ammunition.

WO2 Cole said the realism was unmatched compared to previous simulators, with the effects of firing engagements creating authenticity.

“When firing machine guns or the main armament in real life, dust and smoke blur the sighting systems. The ITT now replicates these consequences of fire, which wasn’t available on the previous simulation systems,” WO2 Cole said.

In this generation of simulator, he said the enemy was smarter, faster and more elusive. 

The simulations also introduce vehicle failure modes, such as losing equipment to enemy fire, which forces crews to adapt and operate in degraded environments.

Crew Commander Sergeant Aidan Jackson said the new features helped to promote crew cohesion, boost their confidence and provide a higher level of proficiency before deploying on exercises. 

Australian designed and built in NSW, the ITTs can be scaled up and networked into troops, squadrons and higher to achieve specific Army Training Levels across multiple units.

A total of 16 ITTs are to be delivered under Army’s Land 907 Armoured Combat $2.4 billion project, comprising both containerised fixed classroom variants.