Joint Army-Navy-Air Force Training in Virtual Reality

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter] Metaverse, which is considered a key food source for future industries, is considered a playground for the MZ generation (Millennials + Generation Z) around the world. Metaverse, a compound word of ‘meta’, meaning transcendence and change, and ‘universe’, meaning universe, refers to a virtual reality world on the Internet. With the development of virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and 3D image technology, it has become possible to implement the virtual reality world in a more sophisticated manner, and it has now become a key industry that even domestic defense companies are paying attention to. On the 7th, I visited Naviworks, located in the Smart Square Industrial Complex in Anyang-si, Gyeonggi-do, to look into defense-related metaverse technology.

As soon as I entered the company entrance, a company official explained, “Naviworks has been developing military training software and simulators based on VR technology since the 2010s, before the term metaverse was coined.” When I went up to the 4th floor, there were sports goggles on the desk in a small office. When I put on the goggles, a hologram appeared before my eyes within arm’s reach. When I pressed the start button, a forward observation post (GP) appeared before my eyes. It was like watching a movie. An operational order was given to my ears. “The enemy has appeared and has entered our military outpost. Commander, occupy the building and block their infiltration.” In the past, military commanders would set up virtual models of buildings on the dirt floor and explain the operation to their subordinates. Soldiers who were unfamiliar with the geography had a hard time understanding the operation. However, when the operation was explained to them through a hologram, they understood all the necessary procedures for the operation in just 3 minutes. When I went down to the first floor, a small indoor gymnasium-like space measuring 1,160㎡ (350 pyeong) and 12m high came into view. This was where the small unit tactical training game (RealBX) developed by Naviworks in 2014 and the helicopter, tank, and fighter simulator (VRSP) that allows virtual operations by incorporating VR were gathered. A company official said, "The new concept virtual augmented training platform 'VTB-X (Virtual Training Block-XR)' is a system that can operate all existing simulators in the metaverse," and "It is a comprehensive version of virtual training." He added, "In the metaverse, the battalion-level army and the squadron-level navy and air force can perform operations simultaneously, which can simultaneously reduce complaints due to costs and noise."

The K1A1 tank simulator was complicated. Although there was only one seat, it could perform the duties of the gunner, driver, and tank commander. When I put on the headset, the tank's internal environment unfolded before my eyes. When I changed to the gunner's role, the gunner's seat was recreated exactly as it was. I turned on the power and loaded the ammunition according to the procedures that an actual tank gunner would perform. This time, I moved the tank handle on the instrument panel to the center and changed it to driver mode, and the environment that an actual driver would see was displayed exactly as it was. The driver ran toward the enemy ambushing an apartment complex in Deokso-eup, Namyangju-si, Gyeonggi-do, and when it came into range, the gunner fired a bullet.

It was a system that could conduct virtual ‘joint tactical training’ by implementing K1A1 tanks, armored vehicles, helicopters, etc. based on the specifications of actual weapons. The company explained that you can create an opposing force learned with artificial intelligence (AI) technology and fight. In particular, the Navy plans to apply it to the ‘submarine crew training system’ to implement a realistic submarine environment, and the Air Force plans to apply it to the ‘base operation training system’ to describe virtual enemy attack situations and enhance operational capabilities. When I came down to the simulator and looked around the first floor, it felt like a very small space, unlike the virtual reality where operations were carried out across the Korean Peninsula. However, there is also an expectation that domestic technology will be able to sufficiently occupy the metaverse market, which is expected to reach approximately 315 trillion won in 2025.

Source: https://www.asiae.co.kr/article/nationaldefense-diplomacy/2021101806461836906