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thedrifter
11-29-06, 03:05 PM
Originally created Thursday, November 30, 2006

Combat trainer helps Marines stay sharp
By MC2(AW/NAC) Will Tonacchio, Periscope staff

The next wave of futuristic combat situation trainers can be found inside the vast Trident Training Facility at Kings Bay. The Firearm Training System, or FATS, located deep inside the 500,000 sq ft. building, is used by Marines and Sailors for weapons orientation. The indoor trainer saves the Navy around $300,000 a year in live ammunition costs alone due to its use of air recoil weapons, high tech sensors, and computer ran simulations.

''No ammunition allows us to control all aspects of the weapon training and ensures the safety of everyone using the trainer,'' said MMC(SS) William Dodd, TTF's Range Safety Officer. ''With the FATS trainer we have the ability to introduce weapon systems to individuals that have little or no experience and train them through a verity of combat technique and scenarios.''

The FATS Small Arms Trainer supports both individual and collective training throughout the full spectrum of military operations. Individual training consists of Marksmanship and Judgmental training. The marksmanship training encompasses the fundamentals of individual marksmanship and crew served weapons training. Judgmental training aspect of the FATS includes target discrimination, force escalation, force de-escalation, and individual leadership imperatives.

''We use the trainer for all sorts of weapons training but we especially take advantage of the trainers ability to provide life threatening situations for our security forces to experience,'' said STSCM(SS) George Gray, TTF's Combat System Department Leading Chief Petty Officer. ''With training in life threatening situations our security forces can now stand a better and more confident watch. In addition, if they are ever in a life-threatening situation they will have their training to fall back on.''

Not only do the Marines use this system but Sailors, security, local police, Coast Guardsmen, and Naval Criminal Investigation Service utilize it as well. FATS is configured to easily switch from a branch specific training to a joint combined arms tactical training in a matter of minutes. FATS provide realism for artillery and mortar and naval gunfire training without added expense of ammunition or required real estate for live fires. Training is conducted in three dimensional terrain databases providing the trainees the full and unrestricted movement over thousands of virtual miles. Capable of supporting basic and advanced observer training including imbedded software simulations of laser rangefinders, binoculars, and laser target markers. The system is capable of accurately supporting the forward observer's real world duties and responsibilities.

''With this technology we are able to better prepare our Sailors to handle almost any situation that may come their way,'' said Cmdr. Ben Siclare, the Combat Systems Commander for TTF. ''The FATS trainer is so effective that we are able to supplement live fire training and save the Navy nearly $300,000 every year, in addition we send around 5,000 people through the trainer each year making the trainer an invaluable part of completing the mission.''

Ellie