The Trade by Rudyard Kipling - Royal Australian Navy

The Submarine Virtual
Walkthrough and the Training
Effectiveness Ratio -
Why we will need more training
by LCDR Andrei Ezergailis
Manager Engineering Training
Submarine Training and Systems Centre
The Submarine Virtual Walkthrough (SVW) Project will provide a 3D gaming type
environment, modelling an entire COLLINS class submarine. The Project has been
underway since December 2011, and is on track for delivery July 2013. What is the SVW,
why would we use a SVW, what is a training effectiveness ratio and why does it matter,
when will you see the SVW, and why should you care about it?
What is the SVW?
The SVW is most easily thought of as a first person shooter computer game, which is
conducted on a model of a COLLINS class Submarine. Instead of running around attacking
aliens, users of the SVW will be able to explore a COLLINS class Submarine, searching out
all the locate and identify items from the Submarine Sea Qualification (SMSQ) task book,
and also conduct safety rounds. The SVW will be capable of assisting many other interest
groups seeking COLLINS familiarity, including; Special Forces, fire fighters, contractors, and
may even see use supporting recruiting.
Manager Engineering Training (MET), LCDR Andrei Ezergailis, at STSC is the project
manager for the SVW. Three recent graduate game developers have been engaged by ASC
to supplement multimedia development at STSC, and are located in an office opposite MET
at STSC. Mr David Keep, Mr Liam Hunt and Mr Roydon Wagner, are all working directly
under the supervision of Mr Andrew Widdis (lead multimedia developer). Mr Widdis was
also responsible for the SVW product demonstrator, showcasing what an SVW could be
capable of.
Why use a SVW?
The Royal Navy (RN) are currently in the process of building the Astute class Submarine,
with the first of seven currently in service, and the second due soon . Without a platform to
train on, the RN sought out an extremely innovative way to prepare crews, relying solely on
virtual training. The Astute SVW, is at the heart of a ten week platform familiarisation course,
which culminates with students conducting an assessed walkthrough on the SVW, and an
oral board, prior to proceeding to the Submarine. Their SVW not only facilitates platform
THE TRADE
EDITION 2, 2012 1
An early screenshot of the Lower Equipment Space (left), and a finished shot (right).
familiarisation, but has scenarios such
as fires and toxic gases, testing the
conduct of Emergency Operating
Procedures (EOPs).
The greatest value of a SVW comes
from the platform familiarity which can
be gained, without having access to
an actual Submarine. By being able
to conduct more training ashore, the
burden on sea training bunks should
be be eased. However, this will not
mean overall less training, in fact due
to something referred to as a Training
Effectiveness Ratio (TER), it will
necessarily mean more training!
Training Effectivenes
Ratio (TER)
A TER refers to how how effective
something is at providing training.
Simulators are generally not 100%
effective at providing training – if they
were they would be the real thing!
Because simulators are not the real
thing, there will always be a limit to how
much and what can be trained on them.
TER has a mathematical definition, but
can be easily described as follows.
Consider a flight simulator being used to
train a pilot to land an aircraft. Without
the use of a simulator, the pilot requires
Screenshot of the finished
Lower Accommodation Space.
eight hours of dedicated landing training
in an aircraft. However, if the pilot uses a
suitable flight simulator for eight hours, then
only four hours of dedicated landing training
in an aircraft is required. Hence, by using
a simulator for eight hours, four hours of
aircraft time are saved, and the TER is 4/8,
or 50%.
So, the TER is a ratio of actual equipment
training time saved as a function of time
spent training on a simulation. Large values
of this ratio indicate that simulations train
relatively well in comparison to operating
actual equipment, and small values indicate
that simulations train poorly relative to
actual equipment. For an excellent article
on TER and military training go to http://
www.trainingsystems.org/publications/
simulation/roi_effici.cfm
Much easier to describe how much personal space
a crew member will get: screenshot of the Lower
Accommodation Space.
The TER catch
(and why it matters)
So in the pilot training example, time spent
in the simulator, saves half of that time
Can you conduct safety rounds in the Domestic Services Space?
on the real thing. This usually works out
significantly cheaper, as aircraft hours cost
significantly more than simulator hours.
But the catch is, the pilot requires more
time training; 8+4 hours with the simulator,
versus 8 hours without the simulator. So by
using a SVW, we may be able to reduce the
training burden on our Submarines, but we
will need our personnel to conduct more
training. True to the famous saying, there is
no such thing as a free lunch, and gaining
experience takes time.
Three of SVW development staff gathering imagery in
AMS1. From left to right; Liam Hunt, David Keep, and
Roydon Wagner.
NEWS
When will the SVW be
ready for use
The SVW project is on schedule to
deliver its final product June 2013. We
are planning to get an early version out
for use in the Initial Common Collins
Class (ICCC) course early 2013.
Why should you care
about the SVW?
Two specific reasons, firstly the SVW
still requires support from Submarines
for imagery collection to aid in
development, and secondly because
you will probably need to use it in the
future. Your help in making the SVW
be the best it can, will also make the
Navy and Australia be proud of both its
Submariners, and it’s Submarines.
Summary
The SVW is a virtual gaming
environment, set on a COLLINS class
submarine that will provide training to
Submariners and other groups. While
the use of such an effective training tool
saves money and reduces the burden
on Submarines, because of training
effectiveness ratio, will mean personnel
will need more training. The SVW is on
schedule for delivery mid 2013, and you
can expect to see it being evaluated
early 2013 on ICCC courses at STSC.
Should you have any comments or
suggestions, please contact either MET,
or Mr Andrew Widdis.
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THE TRADE
EDITION 2, 2012