DVS Will be MoD’s Common Virtual Simulation Tool

The UK MoD has acquired an enterprise licence for Bohemia Interactive Simulations’ flagship Virtual Battlepsace 3 (VBS3) software. VBS3 will form the core of the Defence Virtual Simulation (DVS) solution, which will provide common, interoperable, accessible and deployable virtual simulation across the entire Ministry. The DVS capability will enable simulated activity across all levels of training, including live and virtual simulation, education and experimentation.

VBS3 is a comprehensive desktop training package and simulation host based on commercial video game technology. Simply loading VBS3 onto a PC and using the embedded tools and models enables users to set up a scenario and start training. Shaped and refined by over 10 years of customer feedback, VBS3 is the de facto standard in game-based military simulation and meets hundreds of training use cases. For DVS, VBS3 will support a wide range of domains for training, including mounted and dismounted land, naval vessel, fast air and rotary wing for both individual and collective tasks.

Used each year by hundreds of thousands of military personnel worldwide for training and simulation, VBS3 provides an immersive virtual environment that helps military personnel train on tactics, rehearse for missions, and practice standard operating procedures. Included with VBS3 is VBS Radio for voice communications between remote users participating in training exercises, supporting filtered voice playback for after action reviews and which is DIS-enabled for networked exercises. The DVS solution includes the enhanced VBS Radio Pro version, which offers unlimited channels and degradation based on distance and weather, features not included with the baseline version of VBS Radio.

Also included is VBS Gateway, a user-friendly application allowing for interoperability with external HLA(e)/DIS simulations, as well as supporting the use of CIGI compliant image generators. DVS also benefits from the latest optimizations for large, networked multiplayer scenarios, with increased stability and performance.

“Our association with the MOD began in 2007 with their acquisition of an enterprise licence for VBS2, and we are very pleased to continue this association by now providing our VBS3 software that is used for military training the world over,” said Rusmat Ahmed, BISim’s vice president of sales in EMEA. “By investing in DVS for UK Defence, MOD brings UK expertise to the very active group of European and Allied countries using VBS3 for training, as well as benefitting from the pool of international innovation and best practice of VBS3 users.”

John Brookes, Joint Training Section Deputy Head within the Soldier Training and Special Programmes team at the UK MOD’s Defence Equipment and Support, said that, “VBS3 software is exceptionally capable and fulfils a large and diverse range of our simulation requirements for individual and collective training, experimentation and force development. The software’s new role as the Defence Virtual Simulation solution means it will help the MOD realise the Defence Training & Education Coherence vision, allowing us to deliver more and better simulation to our users across the UK’s Armed Forces.”