Starting today, VirTra is at I/ITSEC at Booth #641 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, FL! It is also our first Orlando-based event since the grand opening of VirTra’s new facility in the same city.
Every year we add new training scenarios, marksmanship capabilities, and add to our list of supported weapons. I/ITSEC is where we display the latest technology available to military units with the goal of keeping servicemembers well-prepared for the field.
If you are at the show, or will be in the next few days, come visit Booth #641 or reserve a private demonstration. Contact a product specialist to skip the lines and schedule time to experience the V-300 4K!
The topic of “active threat” and what is being done to prepare for a potential event is a highly relevant one in the law enforcement world. And, though an active threat may look different for them, the military must also prepare for such instances.
An active threat is identified as an event where a populated area is being targeted by one or more people with the intent to obtain a high number of casualties. When faced with an active threat, the attacker/attackers are often individuals whose beliefs do not align with their targets. Generally, firearms or explosives are the weapons utilized in these situations.
Firearms are a frequently used method in green-on-blue attacks; however, explosives tend to be more common overseas within military active threat situations. There are a variety of ways that explosives can be utilized such as in mines and hidden bombs, launched grenades, vehicle-borne devices or even attached to an individual.
In a statistic provided by the Defense Department, “…improvised explosive devices account for 50 percent of all daily attacks…Of the three types of IEDs (roadside bombs, vehicle-born bombs and suicide bombs), roadside bombs are responsible for the most casualties.”
Despite the circumstance, the main goal is for military teams to eliminate the threat as quickly as possible and keep as many lives safe as possible, including their own.
It is important for servicemembers to have access to real-world training for these situations. However, replicating such a high-stress situation, especially one with explosives, can seem challenging for teams to accomplish safely.
But realistic training for an active threat situation is made possible with the VirTra simulators. Servicemembers can train through real-world scenarios designed to help them practice situational awareness, threat neutralization, marksmanship and so much more in a fully immersive experience.
Scenarios are designed to put trainees under stress while also requiring them to use quick decision-making skills, creating well-trained military teams that are prepared for these situations.
VirTra’s military training combat simulators provide access to multiple crucial training scenarios that are designed to help them stay prepared for active threats.
To learn more about the chosen defense simulation solution by the military, contact a VirTra specialist today!
Researchers Help U.S. Military Thwart Explosive Threats (phys.org)
The situations that servicemembers encounter require bravery, courage, and strength. Protecting our country is no small feat and we are endlessly grateful for those who serve. We also value the importance of supporting and training those servicemembers so that they are prepared for the unique circumstances that they might face.
VirTra’s goal is to help servicemembers stay alive on the battlefield and be able to return home safely to their loved ones. That is why we developed our high-quality simulator scenarios, including military firearms training and more.
We equip warfighters with true-to-life training that immerses them into a wide variety of scenarios so that they can be exposed to some of the situations that they will be found in.
One form of our simulator scenarios teaches the process of making decisions under stress. These include Active Threat/Active Killer, Roadside Bomber, Green on Blue, and more. These scenarios help servicemembers learn to react quickly and efficiently to a time-sensitive and stress inducing situation in order to keep themselves and bystanders as safe as possible.
Another form of training teaches situational awareness and keeping your head on a swivel in case something goes awry. These include Key Leader Engagement, Patrol, Vehicle/Traffic Control Checkpoint, and more. In situations where the pressure is high, being aware of your surroundings and the small movements of others is helpful training in the case that the situation takes a turn for the worse.
Another form of training we offer, is our V-Marksmanship® military firearms training program. With the ability to customize the environments (rain, wind, snow and more), the movement of the targets, and the targets themselves, trainees learn how to make the shot in any environment. The V-Marksmanship® technology is also equipped with the most accurate ballistic calculator in the industry. VirTra’s military firearms training is an excellent tool for servicemembers to train with their weapons in a safe environment.
VirTra’s military simulator training provides the ability to develop and practice skills in an environment where mistakes can be made and learned from safely so if the real thing happens, our warfighters are prepared and ready to take it on.
To learn more about our military firearms training and real-life scenarios, contact a VirTra specialist.
Are you looking for a new way to train soldiers and warfighters using ballistically accurate technology? Whether it’s for new recruits or just keeping your squad up-to-date on their marksmanship skills, having a VirTra system available can cover all your training points.
Our military training partners train through specific tactical scenarios, honing important skills for everything from patrol to engagement. Even better is that all SME-reviewed scenarios are filmed with professional equipment, not created with unrealistic looking CGI.
Here are a few examples that cover a portion of the scenarios we offer:
When on the field, threats can happen quickly and action needs to be taken as soon as one is recognized. An active threat is defined as one where a populated area is being targeted with a goal to obtain casualties.
Whether the attacker’s method is a gun, explosive or some other tool, servicemembers must respond fast to minimize loss of life. The scenarios that follow this theme allow trainees to experience these tough events in a safe environment and be better equipped in case one was to happen in real life.
An inside attack, sometimes called ‘green on blue,’ is often one that takes servicemembers by surprise. It is not easy to tell when an inside attack will happen if they are from a friendly or neutral force. In some cases, they occur due to enemy infiltration. Either way, their actions may not arouse suspicion at first.
VirTra’s aptly-named scenario “Green on Blue” allows warfighters to quickly react to an insurgent dressed as a friendly who begins to open fire. This requires quick action and well-placed shots. Like other scenarios, the instructor can trigger when the insurgent begins to fire.
When overseas and in unfamiliar territory, there are situations where a soldier may need to engage with locals for various reasons. Sometimes it is to influence behavior, and other times to gather intel.
The corresponding scenarios let servicemembers speak to a key leader by means of a translator. How this village elder and those around him respond are entirely up to the instructor. If they wish to challenge the trainee, a nearby insurgent may begin shooting.
There are many different types of patrol and reasons behind them – from gathering information to finding and eliminating an enemy. In some military scenarios, they are taken by surprise when returning to base from patrol. In others, they are assigned to a task and have to deal with a hostile individual.
During a seemingly routine task, one must never let their guard down. This is shown in our “Traffic Control Checkpoint” scenario where a search escalates and warfighters are tasked with eliminating the threat.
Along with situational awareness, trainees must know to provide cover for fellow servicemembers. As this scenario is just one example, many others involve an enemy shooting at more than just the student – because in real life, the attacker would want to ensure all who oppose them are struck.
Would you like to learn more about the benefits VirTra has for warfighters? Contact a product specialist to learn more about what we have to offer.
A windy and rainy day out on the battlefield is difficult to prepare servicemembers for when the shooting range that they practice on stays at a steady sunny and 95 degrees on most days. Or maybe they are having to shoot at moving targets when all they have ever practiced on are stationary ones.
You can’t control the weather and you can’t shoot at moving vehicles safely in live range training. But it is beyond important for warfighters to be keenly trained on the various conditions that they might face once they hit the field. Making sure their marksmanship skills are sharp and accurate will result in many lives saved and give them the ability to do what they set out to do – serve our country. So how can these military squads accomplish this kind of training?
Live fire ranges are crucial for servicemembers to practice on. Getting used to the way that their firearm shoots live ammunition, getting to see a real bullet sink into their target – these are things that they can’t miss out on when training for the battlefield. But with that type of range, also comes the lack of variability in conditions for them to train in.
That’s where we come in.
VirTra’s marksman simulator, the V-ST PRO® is able to provide the complete firearms training experience for a team of warfighters. Rain or shine, moving vehicle or stationary, change in altitude – we cover all of the bases. Equipped with our V-Marksmanship® training and the ability to drop our recoil kit directly into their own weapons, teams will learn how to hit their target under any circumstance.
Additionally, the V-Marksmanship® technology provides a powerful training experience with the most accurate ballistic calculator in the industry. The calculator holds the ability to mimic a real-world trajectory of a shot based on the type of projectile, weapon specifications, and the environmental conditions. With this, teams have the opportunity to practice their marksmanship skills through our shooting range simulator that prepares them to take on their missions with confidence.
In addition to the marksman simulation training, VirTra offers a variety of military scenarios that teams can train through. With each scenario, we designed an immersive and complex way for teams to learn resilience and accuracy.
This training includes:
To learn more about the chosen defense simulation by the military, contact a VirTra specialist.
Warfighters and soldiers in the field face numerous dangerous and life-threatening situations every day. Not only are the enemies they face unpredictable, but they must also make decisions based on their unique environments, which are difficult to mimic or simulate using common learning methods. A simulator that utilizes real video is a highly effective way to train soldiers, and with time, this style of training can lead to better reactions and decision-making skills.
In many cases, recruits learn how to handle situations they may encounter in the field by listening to a lecture, watching a video, or going out into the field and practicing a variety of maneuvers. Though these things can and often do help members of the military learn what to do in certain situations, these methods lack realism and do little to properly train soldiers. When faced with a life-threatening situation, soldiers who have experienced that situation before are far more likely to react appropriately.
VirTra’s simulators are designed to provide a completely immersive experience and help soldiers feel as if they are truly out in the field. They utilize high-quality video and sound, and they come with dozens of pre-programmed scenarios that can be customized for unique situations. This makes a simulator one of the best tools available for training.
Another of the biggest benefits associated with utilizing VirTra to train warfighters is the simulators’ ability to recreate almost any scenario in any possible environment. For example, a vehicle may react differently in dry conditions than in the rain, and by simulating both experiences, soldiers can learn the differences and make appropriate decisions. Types of military scenarios include green-on-blue, active threat, key leader engagement and more. Essentially, with the ability to control the scenario, the weather and the visibility, it is possible to help soldiers and warfighters learn what it is like to work in a wide range of conditions that they may not experience otherwise.
The same goes for virtual range training, where VirTra’s marksmanship programs are both customizable and ballistically accurate. This makes it a perfect supplement for live fire range training. Instructors can change the setting of the range from the time of day, weather, wind and more so military members can experience the effects different conditions have when firing. Instructors may also change the types of targets and how they appear, turn or pop up.
VirTra gives military service members (and their instructors) an opportunity to review the actions that were taken during the simulation and improve their behaviors based upon the result. In other words, it is possible to measure soldiers’ progress objectively and completely. Simulators track everything a soldier says and does, and they can even record reaction time. Following a simulation, it is possible to review footage for debrief of any given individual’s performance. The more a servicemember experiences these scenarios, the better he or she will become at making quick decisions.
Service members out in the field experience a wide range of unpredictable situations. Because of this, it may seem impossible to train based on real-life experience, but this is not the case. Simulators can provide an incredibly realistic simulation of any imaginable situation in any environment, and when soldiers can learn by doing, they are far more likely to make the best decisions when faced with those scenarios in the field.
To learn more about how VirTra can help train your military squad, speak to a specialist.
As a way to ensure servicemembers are well-prepared for any given situation, VirTra’s subject matter experts and content department work together to create high quality, realistic simulator scenarios. Just one example of the dozens of scenarios focuses on vehicle traffic control point training.
Traffic Control Points (TCP), like their name suggests, are locations where military police control the traffic – but it is not just about telling drivers where to go and ensuring orderly flow. Soldiers and warfighters must maintain situational awareness during searches and in case of militant attacks.
The scenario shown in the video below simulates a Traffic Control Checkpoint where a search turns suddenly escalates and an enemy militant opens fire on the student and their squad. This military training scenario allows trainees to understand how quickly situations can turn deadly and how to provide cover for fellow soldiers.
In addition to TCP training, soldiers and warfighters also have access to scenarios for Key Leader Engagement, Combat Training, Green on Blue, Active Threats and much more. Marksmanship is also an important focus, as VirTra has ensured our customizable virtual ranges feature incredible ballistic accuracy so skills transfer properly to the field. Combined with our durable recoil kits and CO2 magazines that fit right into a soldier’s duty weapon, VirTra’s training is the perfect supplement to live-fire.
To learn more about how VirTra can provide intense, realistic and effective training for servicemembers, contact a specialist today.
VirTra is proud to create training systems that prepare military servicemembers for real-life incidents, just as with law enforcement. Thousands of hours have been spent engineering, planning, testing and creating state-of-the-art training simulators that ensure soldiers are best able to better protect our country and return home safely.
While we could write a long article describing how these simulators immerse servicemembers visually and auditorily, create high-stress situations, and help hone specific skills, VirTra believes in showing. After all, seeing training in action is significantly more powerful than reading about it. Not to mention, VirTra is proud to show our work and prove our statements.
The objective behind the scenario below is for servicemembers to learn to identify key characteristics in body language and facial cues. This ability is crucial, as subtle changes in a situation can help servicemembers prepare and react appropriately for a better outcome.
Furthermore, this scenario is about a soldier conducting a Key Leader Engagement with a village elder, looking for information regarding a high-value target. With that bit of backstory, soldiers enter the scenario and must react to the unfolding situation. Watch it below and take note of how these specific soldiers handle the situation.
TEMPE, Ariz. — November 3, 2020 — VirTra, Inc. (NASDAQ: VTSI), a global provider of training simulators for the law enforcement, military, educational, and commercial markets, has appointed John Givens to its board of directors. With Givens’s appointment, VirTra’s board of directors returns to five directors, including three independent directors and two inside directors.
Givens brings to VirTra’s board over 20 years of experience as a board member, entrepreneur, and corporate executive with a unique track record of successfully selling and implementing large military simulation contracts worldwide. Currently, Givens serves as a military board advisor to Bohemia Interactive Simulations (BISim), a global developer of advanced military simulation and training software. In 2010, he established the US company of BISim, and during his tenure as president of the company, he led the business development of its military simulation products from inception to becoming one of the most widely used simulation products throughout all branches of the U.S. military. He has achieved numerous awards and honors throughout his career, including an appointment to the board of directors of the National Center for Simulation (NCS), an association of defense companies, government, academic, and industry members, and the “Pioneer Award” for outstanding contributions and innovations to the training and effectiveness of U.S. and overseas soldiers, sailors, and airmen. Givens graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science from Florida Institute of Technology and proudly served in the United States Army.
“John’s an incredibly well respected and accomplished simulation industry executive, and we’re very fortunate to have him join our board,” said Bob Ferris, chairman and chief executive officer of VirTra. “The wealth of hard-earned experience and industry relationships he brings to VirTra from his remarkable success in building one of the most prominent simulation training companies in the world will be of tremendous value to our organization.”
Givens added, “It’s a privilege to join VirTra’s board of directors and to have the opportunity to leverage my expertise to contribute to the company’s strategic decisions, independent oversight and corporate governance. I look forward to helping steer VirTra towards ever greater successes and enhance VirTra’s value to its customers, to the market, and to its shareholders.”
About VirTra
VirTra (NASDAQ: VTSI) is a global provider of judgmental use of force training simulators, firearms training simulators and driving simulators for the law enforcement, military, educational and commercial markets. The company’s patented technologies, software, and scenarios provide intense training for de-escalation, judgmental use-of-force, marksmanship and related training that mimics real-world situations. VirTra’s mission is to save and improve lives worldwide through practical and highly effective virtual reality and simulator technology. Learn more about the company at www.VirTra.com.
Investor Relations Contact:
Matt Glover or Charlie Schumacher
VTSI@gatewayir.com
949-574-3860
Instructors looking for options to supplement range training know to look for the most realistic, high-fidelity training solution. As such, trainers never need to look past VirTra’s products. The V-Marksmanship program—installed on every VirTra simulator—ensures the highest quality for military use, especially when paired with VirTra’s recoil kits and CO2 magazines. With a program and accessories that ensure the most realistic training possible, instructors should consider VirTra as a marksmanship training supplement.
Real life is never perfect, so why should a military marksmanship simulator offer only perfect conditions? VirTra’s customizable ranges allow instructors to choose the time of day—including dawn or dusk—to challenge shooters with glare, low light and more. Instructors can also manipulate the range and choose what types of targets to use.
More than the time of day is the weather. Warfighters often find themselves firing in less-than-desirable weather conditions and VirTra’s military training simulations mimic this. Instructors can choose between rain, fog, wind and other types of weather for maximum experience and skill transfer. Wind has an effect on bullet trajectory, so VirTra incorporated a feature to alter wind speed and direction. This ensures trainees are well-prepared for any condition.
At VirTra, we are not afraid to put our equipment to the test. The V-ST PRO® ballistics have been independently verified by third-party experts to reach shooting distances out to 2,000 meters with .02 milliradians accuracy. The V-ST PRO excels in marksmanship training due to its range-like structure and ability to create six firing lanes per screen. Additionally, it provides the option to add up to five screens to train up to 30 servicemembers simultaneously.
Additionally, VirTra’s marksmanship simulations have complete perspective accuracy. A trainee may stand, crouch or lay in a prone position without having to move or tilt their weapon to meet the target.
Upon completion, military members are provided with an in-depth debrief/after-action review of their marksmanship simulation training. This allows trainees and instructors to analyze shot sequences and hit placements down to one-hundredths of a second. Instructors and warfighters can use this tool to observe performance and quickly correct mistakes, thus mitigating training scars.
The ranges shown on-screen are only one portion of the high-fidelity marksmanship training offered by VirTra. The rugged recoil kits and CO2 magazines are inserted into the warfighter’s weapon to produce realistic recoil while allowing the firearm to interact with the simulator. Utilizing one’s personal firearm helps in creating a powerful, true-to-life training environment that promotes skill transfer to the field. A firearm will become simulator-ready from removing the weapon’s bolt carrier and inserting the drop-in recoil kit. If the firearm is a pistol, the kit is used as a barrel replacement.
CO2 magazines replicate the weight, size and shape of real magazines to fit perfectly inside your duty weapon. CO2 magazines allow for a long day of training with intense and realistic tools. For more information about the V-Marksmanship program or the weapon accessories, contact a VirTra specialist.