Raydon has developed easily deployable simulators for the Abrams Tank, Bradley Fighting Vehicle, and the USMC Light Armored Vehicle (LAV-25). In the past several years, Army units have been activated for deployments around the world, and these units have not had trainers that could deploy with them. Ironically, the requirement for training and the need for training devices to keep soldiers at the peak of readiness only heightens when units are deployed. In the past, trainers for ground vehicles were much too large for deployment with the troops, but now Raydon’s family of Tabletop Trainers allows easy deployment of combat and tactical vehicle crew trainers. During deployments, when a heightened readiness requirement exists, Tabletop Trainers can provide the required training. Tabletop Gunnery Trainers (TGT), Tabletop Full-fidelity Trainers (TFT), and Tabletop Maneuver Trainers (TMT) are already developed and available. Many have already deployed with U.S. Army and Army National Guard units to both Iraq and Afghanistan.

Tabletop Gunnery Trainers (TGT) are part-task virtual gunnery trainers that deploy inside two suitcase size containers and only require standard 110V or 220V power. These systems can be set up inside a small tent and powered by a standard Army field generator.

The Tabletop Full-fidelity Trainer (TFT) is a full turret-crew gunnery trainer that deploys inside 5 two-man carry containers and can easily be transported in a HMMWV, van, of pickup truck. The TFT also only requires standard 110V or 220V power, and it also operates well in a small tent using power supplied by a standard Army field generator. Both the TGT and the TFT train turret-crews to meet gunnery standards/requirements of Abrams, Bradley, and LAV Gunnery Manuals.

Tabletop Maneuver Trainers (TMT) are used to train platoon and company level combat maneuver operations for armored, mechanized infantry, and cavalry units. Previous maneuver trainers required massive buildings, rooms of mainframe computers, and specialized electrical power. The TMT functions using standard 110V or 220V power that can be supplied by a standard Army field generator, and they can be set-up within field tents for training platoons and companies of soldiers. Both SIMNET and CCTT trainers are much too large and require a rather pristine environment for operation. The TMT is the only practical solution for training mounted ground combat units using virtual simulation in a forward deployed location.

The deployability, reliability, and training capability of these systems makes them truly unique and in high demand to sustain the combat skills of our deployed soldiers. Even when troops are deployed overseas with their combat vehicles, they are often unable to use the real vehicles to sustain combat skills because in most deployed locations live-fire training is not permitted. Therefore, virtual simulation training that is provided using Raydon’s family of Tabletop Trainers may be the only training option available for forward deployed soldiers.