The new mission readiness advantage for Defence: the Gamification of Training for increased combat readiness

Gamification and 3D Training are important new tools that Defence is using to support readiness for combat.

Leveraging new technologies for “mission readiness” has always been a priority for military leadership. The  insightful quote from Archilochus still holds true for many military leaders today: “We don’t rise to the level of our expectations, we fall to the level of our training.” 

Gamification and 3D training significantly increase combat effectiveness by increasing the level of training provided to military personnel who operate the equipment as well as repair and maintain it. 

Gamification offers the following benefits:

  • 24-7 access to individual training for personnel to practice in a realistic, virtual environment;
  • More access to learning on tablets or phones, in 3D formats, for learning in real time and on their own time when they have a need to learn;
  • Maximum flexibility for changing the learning when the repair and maintenance equipment requirements change, where the instruction manuals and 3D models  of  equipment can also be changed in real time for real time maintenance needs;
  • Opportunities to learn and familiarize with new equipment before the equipment is produced or accessible, by interacting with digital versions of equipment in production and on their way;
  • Immediate remote support by experts around the globe who are also online and using gamification and 3D training software which enables them to interact in digital formats for practice and/or support for their training needs, 

Gamified learning makes training realistic, accurate, dynamic, visual, and available in real-time which is critical for today’s mission readiness goals – particularly with respect to ensuring training is provided more rapidly to the field and also to ensure equipment is ready for combat.

The Ukraine war has shown how critical training is to mission readiness and how crucial equipment repair and maintenance are to warfighters. 

Gamification and 3D training are being used by the Army to address training challenges including providing immersive training for the tanks. Software that supports the gamification and use of 3D models in training makes training more effective and mission ready. 

While gamified learning and 3D training is in use within the Army it is still relatively new. Today,  there is a growing interest in this capability due to the advantages it can bring to operations. 

These include taking training out of the Schoolhouse and putting this training in the hands of warfighters and technicians for real-time support.

Today’s military equipment being used by Defence is increasingly complex. It requires significant training for warfighters as well as for the technicians who repair and maintain assets. This often involves months of training to include intensive learning requirements that involve complex step-by-step instructions to operate the new equipment as well as to maintain it.

Gamified learning ensures realism in virtual training.  The software solutions create realistic digital versions of the assets for 3D training.  This training can also include the digitalization of manuals, 3D versions of the asset, as well as remote support tools which further support learners in their day-to-day tasks.  Learners can use the new technology to learn and practice in self-directed formats and/or collectively with peers and/or instructors around the world. 

By interacting and learning with digital versions of equipment, the learners can learn faster, connect more effectively, and practice in 3D formats without risk to themselves and/or the equipment. 

Gamified learning can be applied to any training needed to include learning how to operate a vehicle, or any equipment maintenance and repair requirements for equipment readiness.

In 2015, General Mark A. Milley, now the 20th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the nation’s highest-ranking military officer, and the principal military advisor to the President, Secretary of Defense, and National Security Council said that  “Readiness for combat is our No. 1 priority, and there is no other No. 1”. Today, readiness continues to be a top priority for Defence. The Gamification of training is a valuable new tool being used to support readiness for combat.

Gamification and 3D training technologies provide immersive and interactive experiences and tools to soldiers and maintenance technicians in highly visual formats

Personnel are able to interact with digital versions of equipment in virtual formats.  The technology changes instruction from traditional formats such as PowerPoint in the classroom to training that is more immersive where learning takes place in 3D with a fully realistic, accurate, and digital version of the asset that learners can interact with on demand.

With gamification,  personnel can learn about any asset in 3D.  Any training can be supported —  from learning to operate a vehicle or knowing how to maintain it.  3D learning also supports the field and warfighters’ learning in real time. It enables personnel in the field to learn beyond the classroom using new technologies that enable them to have direct access to training.

Gamified learning ensures more knowledge sharing. Teamwork takes place online where personnel interact together and gain expert and peer support for their real-time needs. It provides personnel with practical tools they can use to perform their maintenance and repair tasks accurately,  It prevents risks to personnel and the equipment with digital practice. 

Gamified 3D learning does not replace schoolhouse learning. Instead, it supplements and/or transforms this training into a new resource for real-time learning. It makes the training more available for practice and guidance when and where the learners need it.  The digital version of the asset is also able to be viewed from any/all angles, parts can be extracted, examined, and put back in place before the real equipment is touched, reducing real-world errors.

More than ever before, Defence Agencies around the globe rely on well-trained teams to maintain their strategic advantage on the battlefield through combat readiness. Gamified learning is helping them to realize this advantage and is supporting how they prepare now and for the future in our evolving and increasingly complex battlefield environment and for the growing need to support technicians operating and maintaining complex equipment.


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Modest Tree works with OEMs and manufacturers in the aerospace and defense industry, providing them with immersive training and digital twin solutions to help organizations visualize their digital assets, operations, and processes which can be accessed through multiple digital platforms.

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