The U.S. Navy revealed Thursday that it has found a new tool for training sailors to keep their ships safe from missiles: video games.
The Office of Naval Research (ONR) said the Navy's multiplayer game, called "Strike Group Defender: The Missile Matrix," helps players learn how to react to dangerous situations by simulating airstrikes and missile attacks, according to the International Business Times. Players will receive details about different missiles, their locations and the best ways to counter them.
The game has so far been made available to sailors on almost 30 ships, and the ONR says it is the Navy's first multi-player, game-based training program for training marine forces.
Players are presented with a variety of tactical responses to choose for dealing with threats, such as decoy flares, infrared-tracking systems or firepower, Sputnik International reported.
"Strike Group Defender is an affordable, realistic way for personnel to understand the emulate the capabilities being developed in the IAMD FNC's [Integrated Air and Missile Defense (IAMD) Future Naval Capabilities (FNC)] and learn how those improvements enhance the means to respond to threats Navy ships face around the world," said Scott Orosz, program manager for ONR.
Orosz added that sailors can use the game to "plan, experiment and train whenever they want, whether they are at sea or in a classroom."
The unveiling of "Strike Group Defender: The Missile Matrix" follows one day after the U.S. Navy revealed that it was testing robots and human surrogates designed to train Marines, the IBT reported. The Navy's new military tech will be on display at the Naval Future Force Science and Technology Expo, which will take place on Feb. 4 and Feb. 5 in Washington.
