Training today's cavalry: military history abounds with examples where the speed of cavalry has decided the outcome of a battle and in turn, tanks have often overwhelmed an enemy. But a fine tradition alone is not enough to motivate tank crews to give their best; their confidence can be enhanced by the provision of training of such excellence that a feeling of superiority becomes justified. (Simulation Approach).

While fear will inevitably be a major factor when crews are sent into battle, the lessons learned from training will endure. Firmly rooted in their subconscious, the foundation provided by oft repeated exercises could influence the outcome of an opposing armour clash. But given that main battle tanks may remain part of an army's equipment for years without being used in anger, it follows that care must be taken to conserve ammunition stocks as well as the tank's condition.

There is little point in training crews to a high standard if their equipment is not equally well maintained. In this, training and simulation can do much to reduce the wear and tear on vehicles, as well as to ensure that crews remain battle ready. But to further reduce costs, some armies are following the outsourcing path, in which industry is contracted to take over the provision of a substantial amount of training. The British Army has plans to contract a consortium to equip and run an Armoured Vehicle Training Service (AVTS), but tenders for this have yet to be invited.

Meanwhile, part-task trainers and simulators play a major part in bringing tank crews to combat standard, while laser-based instrumented battlefield training systems combine the virtues of saving ammunition with a high degree of realism during exercises. However, deployment to a region where conflict is possible can provide a valuable test to men and equipment alike, the short life of engine filters fitted to British Army Challenger 2s becoming only too evident when faced with the desert conditions during a recent major exercise in Oman.

However, although the acrid smell of gunpowder, the control of rounds and the added heat of used shell casings may provide a true environment for training tank crews, high costs preclude regular live firing exercises. Fortunately, laser-based training systems have been refined to such an extent that the sounds of weapon loading and firing can be heard over the intercom of crews using the Saab Training Systems' BT46 simulators.

While Cubic Defense Systems' many Miles-equipped armoured fighting vehicles oblige compatibility with other laser-based systems, Saab has become the market leader in the provision of this type of tank training. More compact and lighter than the BT46 equipment which it introduced in the 1990s, the latest versions are also more powerful and therefore capable of playing a greater part in more complex exercises.

Fitted to Abrams, Leopard, Challenger and Ariete tanks, the selection of the Saab BT46 by many armies including that of the United States and Britain in the 1990s confirmed the primacy of the Swedish system and it has become the benchmark for battlefield fidelity.

However, even a laser-based exercise will add to operating costs and maintenance demands placed upon tank units, so other simulation systems are widely used to cut costs without compromising quality. The highest level of classroom-based simulation is provided by those that include motion cueing systems, together with visual systems that are adequate to the task. It is not to disdain the computer games business to note that it has influenced the military simulation market in terms of visuals.

Drawing on its extensive experience in the production of full flight simulators, Thales Simulation & Training has supplied many tank simulators for driver and full-crew roles. Many companies contribute visual systems to such part-task and full motion simulators, including Quantum 3D, which last year worked with Soft Reality on a US Army National Guard Abrams full-crew interactive skills trainer. Visuals for tank gunnery simulators is one of the specialities of Primary Image, while CM Labs sets out to advance the level of fidelity in this sector of the market.

Lockheed Martin Information Systems has also contributed to preparing US Army National Guard units for worldwide peacekeeping missions by developing mobile close combat tactical trainers. The CCTT-M replicates the weapon operating environment of the Abrams and can be networked with other mobile or fixed CCTT sites. Lockheed Martin is also a source for Abrams tank driver simulators, which have enabled a two-thirds reduction in the amount of driving needed.

The Simugun tank gunnery trainer produced by Rafael has been designed to train the gunner and commander as a team. Easily adapted to all main battle tanks and integrated with modern fire control systems, the Simugun has been supplied to the Israel Defence Forces and exported to foreign armies. The training is provided whilst the tank remains stationary and the gunner exercises all the operations involved in firing the gun using his own sight. Deskmounted monitors, a computer, an integrated control unit and a videodisk player enable the instructors to provide two crews with firing exercises simultaneously.

The Reshef Visual Thermal Technology series of armoured fighting vehicle targets was designed to improve night warfare skills, although they function as visual targets by day and thermal by night. Ranging from rolled up sheets to a more sophisticated three-dimensional effect model mounted on a foldable frame; the lightweight, low-cost and man portable targets can be assembled very quickly and placed on an exercise ground for immediate use. Since the Reshef targets make full use of passive thermal signatures, they do not require an external power source.

The Israel Defence Force uses the targets for day/night training in the use of electro-optical fire control systems. In addition, they are used to train crews for intelligence gathering using optical, thermal and electro-optical instruments over distances in excess of 3000 metres. Now authorised to export its new range, Reshef is in discussion with some Nato armies to enhance their battlefield training.