Vice Admiral David Steel, CBE, Chief Of Naval Personnel & Training and Second Sea Lord officially opened the new Close Range Training Section, HMS Collingwood on 19 October 2012.
This was the Admiral’s first official act since becoming Second Sea Lord, and at the opening ceremony he said, “ It gives me great pleasure to open the training facility, to all of you who have made this possible thank you.”
The new facility is an upgrade of that previously used, and was designed and delivered by QinetiQ.
From design to build and opening, the project took just 12 months and has brought a flexible training simulations system that allows the delivery of individual, collective and continuous training in close range weapons for the Royal Navy.
In developing this facility QinetiQ integrated its own software with VBS2 (Virtual Battlespace 2) and currently gaming technology.
The result is an updated 3D virtual environment with ship mounted weapons and moving platforms providing an immersive and operationally current series of weapon training platforms which can be configured for the future requirements.
The facility provides a simulated training environment for weapons training including 4 General purpose machine guns (GPMG), 4 mini-guns, and a 30mm and 20mm cannon.
Each can be used individually or collectively within 10 bespoke training scenarios which have been designed by QinetiQ, in conjunction with the Royal Navy utilising VBS2 and commercial, off the shelf software.
During the opening event the Admiral received a comprehensive brief on the facilities’ capability and was able to experience for himself the quality of the training delivered when he had a go in the 20mm gun and the mini-gun, as the photographs show, with his greatest success in the mini gun as he ‘shot’ the Fast Inshore Attack Craft (FIAC)!
The Admiral also met three members of the Civil Nuclear Constabulary who are currently being trained by the MWS for their Maritime duties in marine escort operations.
They are currently on course with Naval Officers at the Fareham base.
[mappress] Naval Today Staff, October 24, 2012; Image: Royal Navy