Royal Navy follows US Navy lead, invests in VR training to mitigate watchkeeping skill fade
The view from the bridge in Kilo’s VR trainer. (Image: Kilo Solutions)
VR naval training is growing more accepted as it maintains bridge skills in a safe, virtual environment.
Kilo Solutions, a UK-based VR maritime training provider, has won a contract with the Royal Navy (RN) to supply 24 units of its “virtual advancement system for competent operations” (VASCO), to help RN officers with their bridge watchkeeping, mission rehearsal, and skill fade prevention.
The sale of “VASCO-in-a-box” (VIAB) units to the RN adds a commercial off-the-shelf VR into the make-up of ongoing training for the UK’s naval personnel. The set-up includes four Meta Quest headsets, a dedicated router delivering a secure, standalone LAN for the training, and a preconfigured laptop containing all the VASCO training scenarios.
Users will also, as with most virtual training devices, have the ability to define and run their own missions, to ensure they get the most practical use out of the VIAB.
Related Articles
Babcock to partner with companies to develop improved VR training system
Fincantieri company launches VR and AR simulator for ROVs
The sale to the RN is Kilo’s second major order in the world of naval defence.
The first saw it work with the US Navy (USN) to deliver an adaptation of VASCO into the navy’s VIBRaNT (Virtual Bridge and Navigational Trainer) VR training system.
Andy Parkin, managing director at Kilo Solutions, said the RN contract was significant not just for the company but for the role of VR naval training as a whole: “The ability to develop and apply knowledge within a fully immersive and interactive training environment is game-changing,” he explained.
“Mission rehearsal, competency evaluation, promotion assessment alongside skill development, are now just some of the use cases that are advancing operational capability by using VR training like VIAB. VR training lets command teams maintain bridge watchkeeping standards at individual and team level like never before,” Parkin added.
VR and AR operational training became more accepted in navies across the course of 2024, with big players, including Fincantieri and Babcock exploring the potential of VR technology in a training environment.
You may also like
More from Naval Warfare
-
![First made-in-Finland US Coast Guard Arctic Security Cutter to be delivered in 2028]()
First made-in-Finland US Coast Guard Arctic Security Cutter to be delivered in 2028
The first Arctic Security Cutter will be built by Rauma Marine Constructions to be deployed in the US Arctic waters.
-
![Is the US Navy’s Golden Fleet initiative achievable?]()
Is the US Navy’s Golden Fleet initiative achievable?
The effort to provide the US Navy with Trump-class battleships might face financial, production and doctrinal obstacles.
-
![Will the US Navy surge production for OTH-WS missile?]()
Will the US Navy surge production for OTH-WS missile?
The USN is conducting a market search seeking additional sources capable of supplying 516 units of Over the Horizon – Weapons System Encanistered Missiles.
-
![Maritime defence in the Mediterranean faces challenges from vulnerable land power]()
Maritime defence in the Mediterranean faces challenges from vulnerable land power
As an indispensable energy crossroads, the Mediterranean is at serious risk from grey zone disruption. As navies increasingly employ AI data centres, what happens when cutting-edge defence technologies rely on the very infrastructure most susceptible to hybrid tactics?
