DiSTI completes US Army C-RAM LPWS OMT development

The DiSTI Corporation completed the $2.8M U.S. Army’s PEO STRI contract award for the development of the Counter–Rocket, Artillery and Mortar (C-RAM), Land-Based Phalanx Weapon System (LPWS) Operator/Maintainer Trainer (OMT) developed on the VE Studio platform.

Student safety and lowering the cost of training were key considerations for the development of the training solution. The OMT assists students with training on the C-RAM LPWS by simulating scenarios in a virtual environment that includes over 105 operator and maintainer procedures and instructional modes that support free play, tutorial, practice and assessment. The OMT’s Instructor Operator Station (IOS) lets instructors in the classroom remotely demonstrate procedures, assign lessons to students, and evaluate student performance.

A key feature is animation of C-RAM’s gun belt feed system in action while the weapons is firing and the simulation of seven different feed jams soldiers could encounter in the field. The OMT provides operators and maintainers with an in-depth view of the inner workings of the weapons system with see-through views – unlike anything they would be able to replicate with physical training without risking the soldier’s safety.

The Army estimates that 2,000 students per year will pass through the five electronic classrooms, and will distribute 39 Unit configurations consisting of ruggedized laptops to actively deployed units.