Gunnery Table-Top Trainer - ease of deployment, accurate and reliable

The KMW Gunnery Table-Top Trainer (T3) is an effective and economical means for gunner training for Main Battle Tanks as well as for Infantry Fighting Vehicles. It is designed to cover all training objectives for basic gunnery training

• Familiarization with the workplace

• Operation of the panels

• Operation of the sights, especially thermal sight

• Target detection

• Target identification

• Gun laying

• Operation of the fire control system (Laser Range Finder, Stabilisation, Dynamic Lead etc.)

• Target engagement under all visibility and weather conditions

• Firing on standing and moving targets from standing or moving own vehicle

• Monitoring and assessing the shot and its effect on the target

In order to achieve these goals, important components of the gunner's or commander's workplace, which have to be operated when looking through the sight, are mounted as a replication of the original components in a position that is close to reality, while control panels are represented as photo realistic, images on a touch screen.

A large terrain database in combination with a great variety of static and dynamic models guarantees for realistic training scenarios.

The Gunnery T3 consists of a table-mounted cabinet with

• The gunner's main sight

• Switches of the gunner's console

• Touch screen for representation of control panels

• Gunner's handle

• Head set or loud speakers

• Simulation computer

• Visual system

Handles on both sides allow for easy transportation.

The binoculars of the main sight are a replication of the original in the vehicle. The gunner looks through the binoculars at a high-resolution display that represents the simulated scenario.

The function of the touch screen is twofold: It allows the selection and control of pre-programmed exercises in control mode and it represents photo-realistic images of the gunner's control panels during training. The gunner's handle is a replication of the original with the same functions. It is integrated into theT3 cabinet while the relative distance to the gunner's eyepiece is the same as in the original vehicle.

The visual system is based on a standard PC that utilizes the most advanced 3D-graphics hardware commercially available. This results in flicker-free clear pictures with a high level of detail.

Time of day, weather conditions (clear sky, rain, fog, snow) and visibility range can be continuously adjusted. The maximum adjustable visibility range is 5,000 m.

Day sight and thermal sight are simulated including the correct reticules and field of view selection. Thermal simulation includes black hot/white hot, adjustable brightness, contrast and even enhanced functionality like adjustable focus. The brightness of the reticules is adjustable. Special effects like muzzle flashes, artillery shell and mine blasts, tactical smoke, burning vehicles and houses etc. are displayed by the visual system.

The 600 km2 digital terrain database (TDB) contains all necessary elements for basic, intermediate and advanced gunnery training. It features various objects (houses, villages, forests, single trees, bushes, bridges etc.).

The training area contains a variety of different landscapes to enable realistic and diversified training, e.g. urban areas, hilly and flat terrain, passable and impassable rivers, dessert etc. A winter and a summer database is available.

Dynamic objects like destroyable houses, bridges etc. improve training realism.

Computer Generated Forces (CGF) represent friendly vehicles and appropriate targets for gunnery training. More than 100 of them can be present in an exercise at the same time. The CGF behave in an intelligent way based on tactical rules.

This includes combat behavior of individual objects as well as objects combined in a unit, according to the assigned tasks.

The simulation computer of the gunnery T3 simulates the fire control system of the vehicle as well as its dynamic behavior and enables it to move through the database by following predefined routes according to the selected exercise. The operations of controls and handles that are fed into the simulation computer are processed and the appropriate outputs to the visual system or to the control panels on the touch screen are generated. The computer for the simulation system is a powerful standard PC with a high capacity hard disk drive. Updating the database, models and exercises can be done via a CD ROM drive.

The sound simulation generates sounds coming from the own vehicle like

• Engine sound

• Track sound

• Loading and firing the gun etc. as well as external sounds like

• Battle field noise

• Artillery shell blasts etc.

The sounds are introduced either via loud speakers or via a headset.

All data of an exercise are recorded and can be examined by the trainee or an instructor in replay mode. Data for an AAR are collected automatically during an exercise. These data are stored in a file that can be saved on a storage device and printed from any standard office PC. The AAR contains data like

• Time of theoretical visibility of a target

• Time to target engagement

• Number of rounds fired

• Hit after x number of rounds

• Total kill or partial kill etc.

As an option, the gunnery T3 can be equipped with a DIS or HLA interface, which establishes substantial growth potential.

It enables networking with a commander and a driver table-top trainer to form a complete vehicle. These simulators in turn can be networked up to platoon level and amended with a separate instructor station. Starting with aT3 family and investing later in what is known as a typical combat simulator from KMW, saves the original investment in the T3 family due to its networking capability and the fact that the same database will be used in both systems. High-level KMW combat simulators and the T3 family can be used together in one network without any limitations.