Protected Route Clearance Capability

The Australian Defence Force (ADF) called on Bohemia Interactive Simulations (BISim^TM) to deliver a Protected Route Clearance Capability as part of the ADF’s Project Ningaui. According to the ADF, around 40 percent of Australian troops killed in action and more than 60 percent of those wounded during Operation SLIPPER (the ADF’s operations in Afghanistan from 2001-2014) were the result of improvised explosive device (IED) attacks. According to the ADF, their “response to the IED threat includes thorough training, adaptive tactic, techniques and procedures and other measures focused on mitigating the effects of IED attack and defeating the device prior to detonation.”

To help meet the requirement of “thorough training” for the project, BISim set up a networked simulation system and installed hardware with desktop workstations and side monitors, complete with joysticks and steering wheels for vehicle and dismount representations, and administrator, AAR and roleplayer stations to simulate a range of vehicles and activities for protected route clearance training scenarios. This system allows users from the Manoeuvre Support Troop to train their tactics, techniques and procedures in a collective environment with representative systems, in situations that would otherwise be too dangerous for training, or have prohibitive costs.

“The APRCC SCTE is the outcome of a successful partnership between Bohemia Interactive Australia and FORCOMD to deliver a specific training outcome through an immersive collective trainer that allows individual crew positions within a capability brick to interact and master Techniques Tactics and Procedures,” said Major Andrew Bone, Staff Officer, Forces Command, Australian Army. “It is reflective of the broadening use of VBS in immersive training configurations using motion platforms and VR headsets to deliver the highest quality training to the ADF.”  

The virtual environment represented the following vehicle models: Husky MkIII IA and GPR, the HMEE (High Mobility Engineer Excavators), Bushmaster, and ASLAV. In addition, BISim developed a number of VBS3 training scenarios templates based on discussions with subject matter experts. 

BISim developed several new functionalities as well as new content during the project. These included updates to the ADF HMEE and Bushmaster models, new models such as the Bushmaster equipped with the SMRII (Spark mine rollers), a deployable Talon UGV for the Bushmaster, visualization of IED command wires, underground craters, and enabling the bomb detection dog to board ADF vehicles. BISim also delivered detailed documentation including administrator manuals, a scenario creation handbook, and system architecture guide.  

“Bohemia Interactive Simulations is proud to have delivered this innovative training capability to the Australian Army,” said Ryan Stephenson, BISim Australia’s Managing Director. “As one of the founding members of the VBS global military user group, the Australian Defence Force remains one of our most important and influential customers. The APRCC project demonstrates the Australian Army’s confidence in the capability of VBS to meet a highly specialised and complex training requirement.”