The US Navy has introduced a handheld gaming device to optimize operational training of submarine crews at sea.
The Mobile-Navy Enhanced Simulation for Training (Mobile-NEST) was developed to sustain preparations of personnel anywhere in a submarine during deployments, promoting efficiency and minimizing physical footprint across the vessel.
It runs on Windows 11 and can be used as a stand-alone or as part of a network, ensuring lessons are delivered for classroom-level, individual, and practical sessions.
Among the first courses being fielded on the Mobile-NEST is the Los Angeles Class Submarine Emergency Diesel Generator, which offers fleet training on maintenance, operation, and assembly of diesel engines on the navy’s 362-foot (110-meter) Los Angeles nuclear fast attack submarines.
‘Game-Changer’ Training Capability
The Mobile-NEST was built to support the Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division (NAWCTSD) Multipurpose Reconfigurable Training System 3-Dimensional (MRTS 3D) Lab, which is responsible for innovating virtual training environments and simulations for sailors.
Its initial model was a virtual reality (VR) headset, which was later transformed into a handheld console, as the first stages of development yielded “more effective training” and showed lesser cybersecurity risks compared to VR goggles that heavily rely on Bluetooth and Wi-Fi signal transmissions.
According to the research arm, employing the Mobile-NEST addresses a “critical training gap” aboard submarines, as underwater crews usually deploy for extended periods and the ships have confined spaces for training projects.
The “game-changer” solution is expected to increase the readiness of sailors by providing “flexible, realistic, and effective hands-on learning tools” regardless of their location.
In the future, the NAWCTSD will aim to field the Mobile-NEST for other onboard training programs.
“If it can fit on a submarine, it can fit on any boat,” MRTS 3D Lead System Engineer and Innovation Lead for Undersea Training Daniel Beran stated.
“This capability isn’t just limited to MRTS 3D. It can be utilized with almost any Windows 11-based training system.”
‘Giant Leap’
In March, the NAWCTSD exhibited the Mobile-NEST for trainees at the US Navy Trident Training Facility Kings Bay (TTFKB) in Georgia.
TTFKB Engineering Director Lt. Cmdr. Jacob Christiansen commented on the center’s experience in testing the training device.
“This is the only feasible way to provide a realistic simulation of all manner of casualties. In an effort to prepare our military for combat, they need this level of training,” Christiansen said.
“I recommend all physical trainers convert to this fidelity of training. We want better engineers, and this is a giant leap.”
