For the first time, U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) personnel are working with Army boat pilots to enhance virtual reality and simulation software to take training and mission planning for critical river crossings to the next level.
Recently, soldiers with the 74th Multi-Role Bridging Company at Fort Cavazos, Texas, spent three days working with the team at the U.S. Army Watercraft and Ship Simulator, part of ERDC’s Coastal and Hydraulics Laboratory, to put upgraded simulation software through its paces.
Through hundreds of simulated runs, pilots maneuvered bridge erection boats (BEBs) and portions of the improved ribbon bridge (IRB) – key components of river crossing missions – through different weather and river conditions, all with the goal of fine-tuning the software and simulation responses to feel more realistic.