Imagine This Scenario .....

The officer in charge of the mission suspects trouble. Everything is too quiet. There are no people around. There are no cars. Could an IED (explosive device) be ahead? He orders the gunner in his vehicle to scan the balconies in the area to look for anything suspicious. He orders his driver to stay in the middle of the road. It just isn't right. It's much too quiet, and that's often an indicator of trouble in the war in Iraq.

Boom! Moments later a massive roadside bomb explodes near the American troops. The driver jerks the vehicle sharply to the left as dust and smoke make the drive almost blinding.

Nobody was killed in this incident, however. Nobody was even injured. For that matter, nobody was ever in danger. This wasn't a real battlefield. The bomb wasn't real. Those involved are the many troops who have used Virtual Battle Space 2, a military training simulator, only one of the available virtual battlefield systems.

American and British troops are using a variety of virtual battlefield systems to be prepared for roadside bombs, ambushes, and other threats, with no threat to their safety while they are training. As of August 2008, 2000 British troops had been trained on Virtual Battle Space 2 before being sent to Iraq.

According to military officials, every decision made in combat situations can be reviewed by using Virtual Battle Space 2 or other virtual battlefield systems. Mistakes can be highlighted when nobody's life is in danger so they will not be repeated in actual combat. Someone who does not even have a driver's license could drive a convoy.

In another situation, an officer could use a few clicks of a mouse and the troops in training could face a crowd of stone throwing, angry youths. The troops could see what it would be like to drive a tank through or into such a situation.

Virtual Battle Space 2 is one type of a virtual battlefield system that uses actual Iraqi road networks. If a soldier would return from Iraq and would use one of the simulators, he would see buildings that are identical to those he saw on his tour of duty.

As of 2008, the simulators were only designed to simulate the war in Iraq. There were plans to simulate the war in Afghanistan too, however. There were also plans to simulate situations involving foot patrols.

Some may wonder, however, how a game can, no matter how realistic, recreate actual life or death situations, when decisions must be made in an instant. Many soldiers, however, insist the training they have received may actually save their lives one day. They insist it is not just a game to them. Other virtual battlefield systems that could help save lives are also being used by the military or being prepared by companies for future use.

Rayon Corp in Daytona Beach, Florida, has created Virtual Combat Convoy Trainer. The simulator uses structures and land in the Middle East that someone who has been there would recognize. Anyone using it can experience IED's, roadside bombs, vehicle traffic, pedestrians, and other civilian activity.

Lockheed Martin has built systems using Convoy Training to provide a totally interactive training environment for soldiers. In Iraq and Afghanistan, 30% to 50% of all fatalities are because of attacks on convoys that were moving equipment or people.

The Virtual Combat Convoy Trainer gives training to shooters, communicators, drivers, drivers, and those who must make decisions in combat. There is simulation involving single vehicles, multiple vehicles, air and ground fire units, and even medical evacuation. Those in training will have to decide whether or not to shoot, to avoid obstacles, and learn how to handle indirect and direct fire.

Convoys are used to address terrorist threats and for a variety of other missions, including delivering medical supplies. The Combat Convoy Simulator provides training for many vehicles, including MTVRs, HUMMVs, and the MTVR.US Marine Corps. For the training, a crew of four students and a commander are chose and given realistic weather, terrain, and threats. They must focus on a variety of scenarios, including high-value target extraction, medical evacuation, logistics support, patrol, re-supply, and others. There is planning for the mission. When that is completed, those involved defend against current threats, as well as those that are evolving.

Those using one virtual battlefield system from Lockheed Martin, the Close Combat Tactical Trainer- Reconfigurable Vehicle Simulator get to experience accurate weapons systems and a three-dimensional view. Each trainer can have up to five crew members, including a commander, gunner, driver, and two crew members. Those involved get to engage threats and communicate through simulated voice and digital communications systems. The communications systems make the experience more realistic. The system simulates combat service, combat support, and tactical vehicles.

The United States military has used virtual systems for other things too. Military vehicle simulators are the best known of such systems. Flight simulators have been used by the Air Force, Navy, and Army to train pilots. Missions may include flying into battle, recovering in an emergency, or coordinating activities with ground control. Flight simulators differ from one another, so often various simulators cannot be used together.

There are a variety of ground vehicle simulators, including devices that train soldiers to drive tanks, and the Stryker vehicle, which has a lot of armor. They give an accurate feeling when compared to the real thing. They can also duplicate about any environment imaginable. One can learn to handle the vehicle in difficult terrain. He can learn how to handle it in bad weather. The simulators can be used in a network for war games.

Such simulators can be expensive, with the newest Stryker simulator costing $800,000 each. One might ask, however, if they help save lives, if they are not worth the cost.

The navy uses submarine simulators, which provide accurate readings as the person being trained uses them. The navy also uses the virtual bridge, which duplicates the bridge of a large navy ship. There are computer monitors that act as windows for the bridge. Others act as ship monitors. Those being trained are involved in various scenarios that help people be able to better handle a ship and learn to be a part of a team.