Army to host virtual reality research day

The Army will host an industry day on virtual and augmented reality with a focus on combat vehicles in Orlando, FL, on Aug. 24, according to a public announcement.

Hosted by the Army Contracting Command, the event will be a “means of conducting market research to identify contractors with interest in and the resources to support the requirement for Family of Maintenance Trainers (FMT) Product Line (PL),” the announcement states.

The FMT PL is a common set of hardware and software systems designed for system operations, fault diagnosis, troubleshooting, adjustments, remova and replacement of the Army’s vehicles.

Vehicles that use the system are the Abrams main battle tank, Bradley Fighting Vehicle, Stryker armored personnel carrier, Armored Multi-purpose Vehicle and the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle.

The FMT PL system also includes the Diagnostic Troubleshooting Trainers, a computer-based virtual classroom system designed to train students in vehicle repair while the Part Task Trainers and Hands on Trainers provide a realistic training environment, according to the Program Executive Office Simulation, Training and Instrumentation.

In 2020, the Army awarded the Florida-based DiSTI Corp. a $42.5 million contract for upgrades to the FMT PL system, according to a company announcement.

The event is an opportunity for the Army to engage with industry to assess current technological capabilities and develop future requirements, the announcement states.