The U.S. Army Reserve just awarded a $1.3 million contract for Engagement Skills Training (EST) 3000 virtual training systems for its leader training program.
The EST 3000, which is made by Cubic Global Defense, is a small arms training device that is portable, multipurpose, multilane and can be used indoors to train marksmanship, offensive and defensive collective and “shoot-don’t shoot” judgmental firing skills.
The Army Reserve is combining Cubic’s EST 3000 system and Virtual Battlespace 3 laptop trainers into a Mission Leader Trainer containerized configuration, according to a Cubic Global Defense press release. The command will then leverage the modified MLT containers to support “three core training functions: EST 3000 for marksmanship; VBS3 laptop trainers; and tactical operations or leadership training.”
The system uses high-fidelity, game-based graphics that provide realism to marksmanship and collective scenarios.
Reserve soldiers will get enhanced fundamentals of firing capabilities through immediate feedback from indicators such as “trigger pressure, pitch, cant” and 3-D targets, according to the release.
“Cubic’s EST 3000 uses the ballistic accuracy of the EST 2000, which is the only marksmanship system certified by the U.S. Army to be an accurate simulation of the live-fire ballistics of actual small arms weapons,” said Bill Toti, president of Cubic Global Defense. “The smaller, versatile and portable capabilities of the EST 3000 not only maximize the available time as it moves the system to the soldier, but also increases the training effectiveness to the point of need while reducing costs.”
