Live training systems such as SAAB’s Gamer have been in use by many organisations worldwide for a number of years to deliver effective training in a Live environment. Support for CBRN, however has been minimal, and in general has not extended beyond monitoring if the respirator has been donned.
Argon Electronics and SAAB Training Systems have cooperated to address this limitation by implementing an integration between Argons’ PlumeSIM Live CBRN training system and SAABs’ Gamer system.
This effort has resulted in the ability to generate CBRN threats within PlumeSIM that are reflected within the Gamer EXCON in real time. PlumeSIM also provided integration with Argons’ extensive range of Radiological and Chemical Warfare training simulators and their associated After Action Review capability.
Live concept demonstration - PlumeSIM and Gamer
Originally demonstrated during the premier international Live training symposium, Levels of Fidelity hosted at Walenstadt, Switzerland, Argon and SAAB presented a scenario of a hijacked military vehicle that had been weaponised prior to being driven towards a base guard post.
The guards interdicted the attempted attack only to find their chemical detectors (Smiths Detection M4JCADs / LCD3.2e simulators) activated, resulting in their donning respirators to avoid casualties. The attacking force was effectively dealt with by Gamer simulated Live firing.
The concept, which was recorded by video (above), has attracted a great deal of interest, and subsequently Argon has enhanced both PlumeSIM and the interface capability permitting potential integration with a wide variety of third party Live and Virtual training systems.
Although the demonstration was on this occasion limited to CWA, radiological simulation is readily supported to include simulated survey meters such as the Canberra AN/VDR-2, AN/PDR-77 / RDS100 and simulated personal dosimeters such as the Thermo EPD-Mk2-SIM. While these represent portable instruments, it is entirely feasible to implement vehicle based instruments to simulate CBRN reconnaissance vehicles or robots.
PlumeSIM allows the CBRN exercise controller to define a plumes or hotspots (for example to simulate a hidden radiological dispersion device) based on a variety of specific radionuclides, hazardous substances or chemical agents and implement different release characteristics, such as duration, persistence or radioactive decay, as well as being able to determine precise environmental conditions and other external factors which would influence the dispersion of the simulated threat.
The interface is capable of supporting integration into any Live or Virtual training system to facilitate an effective CBRN training capability within existing or future Live or Virtual training environments, and we welcome approaches from both end users and training systems suppliers.
