RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, NC – RTI International has won a contract worth $70 million to provide virtual reality training to help Army personnel diagnose and repair Abrams tanks.

The Army and U.S. Marines have more than 8,000 of the Abrams tanks, which are more than 32 feet long, 12 feet wide and 8 feet tall. They weigh 60 tons.

“RTI’s approach to this requirement reflects the latest advances in desktop simulations using serious games technology as well as an unprecedented degree of integration with other members of the Abrams community,” said Sam Field, vice president of RTI’s training business.

“For years, RTI has pioneered the application of virtual reality on low-cost desktops as a means of providing learning-by-doing in a cost-effective and safe environment,” he said.

“These new Abrams products will feature new technologies and everything we know about learning methods.”

The system could lead to broader use of simulation training, Field said.

The U.S. military has used a variety of virtual simulation training programs for decades. TechJournal South editor Allan Maurer wrote about a video game used to train tank operators for the magazine Science Digest in the mid-1980s.

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