U.S. Marine Corps awards vehicle simulator contract to team of XR companies

In Virtual Reality and Mixed Reality News

July 5, 2023 – VR Training, a company that specializes in XR vehicle training simulators, has recently announced that it has received an award through the Consortium Management Group, Inc., on behalf of Consortium for Command, Control and Communication in Cyberspace (C5) for a mixed reality (MR) vehicle simulator training platform for the U.S. Marines.

The work carried out as part of the award will be for the first increment of a multi-phase Other Transaction Agreement (OTA) that was awarded to a team of companies, which will be led by VR Training. Other companies that are participating include 302 Interactive and Talon Simulations.

The OTA, which was announced to address the urgent training needs of the ACV drive training school, calls for the creation, building and implementation of a mixed-reality based training module that will prepare soldiers for real-world operation of the military’s new Amphibious Combat Vehicle (ACV). 

“In the ACV, training will be top of mind,” VR Training CEO & Founder Neil Levin said. “We respect the speed at which they want to implement new training for today’s digitally raised Marine. Mixed reality can literally save lives. I’m thrilled that the Corps is forward-thinking enough to use MR as a tool to keep soldiers safe.”

Under the agreement, the team of companies will create two configurations of the mixed reality trainer for the U.S. Marines, with the understanding that a follow-on contract or agreement could be forthcoming to build the solution.

“The safety of the men and women of our military has long been one of the most important aspects of national defense,” 302 Interactive CRO Robert Torres said. “The military’s adoption of next-generation technologies through this project and others will enhance that effort.”

The final product will consist of a mixed-reality headset, training modules that can be led by expert instructors and a motion-based chair built by Talon Simulations, whose VR simulators have been used in military training solutions as well as entertainment-related venues.

“When we launched Talon Simulations, we knew we wanted to affect the industries we work with in a positive way,” said Talon Simulations CEO Brandon Slater Naids. “Seeing that our technology will be used to help train the next generation of U.S. Marines represents yet another goal reached.”

VR Training is based in Baltimore, Md., while 302 Interactive and Talon Simulations are both based in Orlando, Fla., a hub of military simulation and training. The city hosts I/ITSEC – the one of the largest industry trade shows on training, simulation and education – at the Orange County Convention Center every year.

To find out more about VR Training and its XR vehicle training simulators, click here. To learn more about Talon Simulations and its virtual reality simulators, click here. To find out more about 302 Interactive and their XR-based interactive experiences, click here.

Image credit: Talon Simulations