Finnish Army to Use Video Games for Training
According to Yle.fi, Finland’s national public broadcasting company, the Finnish army will use video games/simulators for training purposes. By the end of the current year, they will purchase 1,200 computers for €3,000,000 (about $3.6 M) to equip the training classrooms. Reportedly, the simulator is based on a commercial video game which was modified to meet the requirements of the Finnish army. The video game exercises will precede the corresponding real drills.
At first, it sounds funny that a military of a country uses video games as a training measure. However, the way they use it is actually pretty interesting. It should be really useful to “play” the upcoming exercises on a computer simulator to better understand the scenario of the actual exercises. It will also allow the commanders to better coordinate the units’ actions by evaluating the preparedness of the soldiers and their ability to work as a team.
Of course, it can’t replace the real training but it is a good way to prepare for the real exercises. I think this can even be used for planning combat missions. If prior to deployment, the soldiers could get familiar with the terrain and surroundings of any particular mission area using its computer simulation, that could help to successfully accomplish the mission.
Managing Editor Being a lifelong firearms enthusiast, Hrachya always enjoys studying the history and design of guns and ammunition. Should you need to contact him, feel free to shoot him a message at Hrachya@TheFirearmBlog.com
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Back in the early 2000's DOD commissioned Rival Interactive to develop an RTS for use in joint-forces officer training. Stripped of the .mil Test Question sections and blinged out with R. Lee Ermey narration and color-commentary, it was commercially released as "Real War"... and soon fizzled, not even GOG will touch it.
That looks so pathetic compared to the SIMNET we used in the late 80s and 90s. Spent days in those bays at Grafenwoehr.
The UCOFT for the Bradley is a better simulation than watching it on a computer screen. That was the best video game going when I was an Instructor at Benning for that.