Page 40 - Australian Defence Mag Jul-Aug 2020

40 SIMULATION TRAINING
JULY/AUGUST 2020 | WWW.AUSTRALIANDEFENCE.COM.AU
Selection Board (OSB). RAAF, Army and RAN advocates each make their own progression decisions, but it’s not as simple as just choosing the person with the best MACTS results.
“Candidates do need to get a good score on MACTS, but a lot of people think we’re after elite athletes or people who get ATARs of 99.99,” WGCDR Broadbridge explained. “Re- ally, we’re after good all-rounders. Having said that, the ADF is an employer of choice, so we get some really high- quality candidates.
“Sometimes I’m amazed at how well they’ve done in school, how well they’ve done at sport and the fact that they’ve been involved in other activities like the Scouts or Surf Lifesaving ... something that puts them under a little bit of stress. You know they’re prepared to go out there and challenge themselves.
“If we see someone who has an enormous amount of gen- eral aptitude, but they’ve only done OK at school, that’s some- thing the OSB will ask about. We see people who have tested OK, but they’ve got these fantastic scores at school from hard work. We’re definitely looking for a strong work ethic.
“No-one can get through OA training without making mistakes,” WGCDR Broadbridge confirmed. “We don’t want people who are too afraid to make errors and there-
fore never extend themselves. We want people who are will- ing to have a go.”
ACMC already has a handle on each candidates’ abilities; it’s why they were invited to ASP in the first place. But now the select-in process begins. Making the grade on MACTS does not mean a candidate will automatically progress to OSB and the much-desired letter of offer from one of the services.
If a candidate is not progressed beyond ASP they have the option of looking somewhere else for a career, in the ADF or the civilian world, or re-applying in 12 months time. For all the skills, qualifications and value to the RAAF, it is hard to believe that Broady himself had three goes at get- ting the letter of offer he desired so much.
“The best part of my day is when I sign a letter of offer,” he said with a grin. “It took me three attempts, over about four years, to get in as a pilot, so I know what it feels like to get a letter saying you’ve been offered a place in the ADF. As the OIC of the ACMC I get to sign those letters for the RAAF.”
And when the letter does come, it may not say pilot; it may say AvWO or mission. However, what it will say, per- haps not in these exact words, is: “you’ve made the cut and we want you to come on board.”
You can guarantee it will be the best letter any candidate will get in their life. ■
MEGGITT WINS ADF CONTRACT FOR ADDITIONAL WIRELESS VIRTUAL WEAPONS
KATHERINE ZIESING I CANBERRA
Meggitt Training Systems has been awarded a US$1.8 million contract for 73 additional BlueFire EF88 assault rifle wireless virtual weapons to be used by the ADF on its Weapon Training Simulation Systems (WTSS).
These latest EF88 weapon simulators will be used at several ADF bases throughout the country with all deliveries to take place in the first half of 2021.
“BlueFire wireless simulators provide the highest level of realism by maintaining form, fit and function of the original weapon,” Andrea Czop, vice president of strategy, sales and marketing at Meggitt Training Systems, said. “Like all our simulators, this version of the EF88 reinforces marksmanship training by providing sensor feedback on a variety of fundamental parameters.”
The development and ongoing delivery of 533 BlueFire EF88 simulators has allowed the ADF to continue to train and qualify soldiers on its new rifle using the WTSS. BlueFire EF88s are manufactured at Meggitt Training Systems in Suwanee, Georgia, with service and maintenance conducted in Australia under the Operations & Maintenance Support Services (OMSS) contract, which has been held by Meggitt Training Systems Australia (MTSA) since 1999.
“This order builds on the original EF88 contract awarded in 2018 to Meggitt Training Systems Australia and further proves the value of BlueFire weapons for soldier readiness,” Kevin McNaughton, managing director of MTSA, said. “As the Australian Army transitions from the F88 to the EF88 as its primary frontline assault rifle, its BlueFire equivalent paired with upgraded WTSS units being delivered by Meggitt this year will significantly improve ADF weapon training capabilities.”
BlueFire EF88 simulators use commercial wireless technology to communicate with WTSS and other FATS 100MIL-based virtual training systems. This provides the same control as tethered weapons, but with full range of movement. Meggitt’s BlueFire weapon simulators also feature a 3D marksmanship training environment. The after-action review allows engagement and shot assessment in a 3D virtual environment, while providing detailed trainee diagnostics for skill reinforcement or correction.
LEFT: Senator Sam McMahon experiences the Weapons Training Simulator System during a tour of HMAS Stirling.
DEFENCE