Virtual Convoy Operations Trainers (VCOT)

U.S. Army National Guard Bureau and U.S. Army Forces Command have ordered the first of a new generation of virtual trainers that replicate combat convoy conditions in the Central Command AOR. To meet their training needs, National Guard Bureau and FORSCOM fielded two initial Virtual Convoy Operations Trainers (VCOT) built by Raydon Corporation. The trainers are currently located in mobilization sites at Ft. Bliss, TX and Camp Shelby, MS. They are being used to train mobilizing soldiers in proper tactics, techniques, and procedures for convoy operations in the Baghdad area. National Guard Bureau now has six more VCOT systems on order with additional VCOT orders to follow.

The VCOT provides training for combat convoys under realistic conditions through the streets of Baghdad and other areas. VCOT ensures that soldiers are trained to anticipate ambushes and other insurgent actions from all possible directions by allowing the crew to observe, maneuver, and fire their weapons through a full 360 circumference. Crewmembers are not limited by fixed screen projections; they have a complete and continuous view of the entire virtual world around them – as they would under real combat conditions. Three distinct levels of trainers are available: (1) a trainer that appends directly to a tactical vehicle and transforms it into a trainer – for the period of time that training is desired, (2) a trainer that is composed of crew stations for each crew member, (3) a trainer that is composed of tabletop crew stations for each crew member. All three levels of trainers are available and have been deployed for training. The VCOT system has the flexibility to allow users to choose: (1) the vehicle mix for their convoy, (2) the weapon system employed on each vehicle, (3) the routes along which the convoy will travel, (4) the type and strength of enemy activity along the convoy route. This system is the best answer for training soldiers for combat convoys and for rehearsals of actual convoy missions available in the world today.