Practice Makes Perfect–the Givati Brigade’s Training Simulator

The Givati Brigade simulator offers the most real life situations. The simulator consists of a virtual battlefield, buildings that look identical to the ones in enemy territory and sensors that detect the soldiers every move.

After the soldiers are done with the simulator, the soldiers continue to the “Lashabia” (Urban Warfare Training Center), coming across buildings and green and red decorations on the walls that make it look like they were taken directly from the depths of Hezbollah controlled territory.

"We need a soldier with high physical fitness, precision and a sense of capability that knows how to operate in all arenas, with an emphasis on the northern threat."––CPT Amit Gobrin, a Company Commander in the Givati Brigade’s Rotem Battalion.

The simulator, developed by the Bagira Systems company, consists of three parts. Each part was designed to resemble the challenges that the soldiers are expected to face later in their service.

In war, even the slightest lack of precision, can lead to a mistake that can cost lives. That's why every movement, shot and motion in the simulator is monitored by sensors. The angle at which the soldiers stand, how quickly they enter the location and even their eye contact with the target are all measured. All the data is transferred to the commander's control station which is a room full of screens that display the information in the training center.

Personal Training Post:

Each soldier faces off against a dummy. After a short "fight" that increases the soldier's cardiopulmonary endurance, the dummy measures the strength of the soldier's hits and the speed and angle of the fist itself. He then guides him with ways for improvement.

Later, the recruit approaches the firing posts. Much like in a computer game, the soldier stands in front of a large, rounded screen that surrounds him almost completely. Figures and targets flicker on the black screen in the dark room and the soldier needs to hit all of the targets.

The Firing Range: 

The soldiers stand in a long line in front of a long monitor and simulate a real firing range. A laser range like this allows us to simulate a larger amount of fire in a shorter time frame. In addition, the cost of using real ammunition is saved, which is certainly noticeable when shooting in such quantities.

"The more the soldiers train there, the higher their level of performance and accuracy becomes.”––CPT Gobrin

Of course, the simulator does not replace real shooting or the experience of encountering hostile situations, but it provides the ability to practice a variety of real life scenarios.