Global Strike EOD crews get hands on with advanced training tech

By Sean Green | STRIKEWERX Marketing and Communication Director

BOSSIER CITY, La. — The latest ultramodern training technology solution has been delivered to Air Force Global Strike Command.

STRIKEWERX, the command’s innovation hub, officially hosted a demonstration by Adaptive Immersion Technologies (AIT) of an interactive, game-based simulation training solution for Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD).

The customized, virtual reality training is based around a scenario of EOD crews responding to a downed aircraft. The training is designed to test the same cognitive skills that users would need in a real-world scenario.

Master Sgt. Frank Pulice, project champion, was excited to see the prototype in full.

“This prototype has the potential to change how we train in EOD,” Pulice said. “I was navigating uncharted territory on this project, and while that can be scary, the expertise STRIKEWERX leveraged greatly aided this process and maximized a viable product.”

AIT worked with the command’s EOD operators to capture minute details of training, develop performance metrics as feedback to instructors, create software builds of a virtual environment, and simulation generation for instructors to customize training.

“This technology will give EOD operators an immersive, hands-on solution to practice essential skills in an engaging virtual world,” said Phillip Mangos, AIT president and chief scientist. “It’s a huge privilege to be working with these guys who perform one of the most dangerous jobs in the world and give them a quality solution that is needed to practice their skills in a safe environment.”

AIT contracted with STRIKEWERX in late 2022 after being one of three companies chosen via the STRIKEWERX Advanced Training Concepts Challenge. Two other use cases from the Challenge received prototype solutions with JANUS Research Group developing a trainer for B-52 communications and Long Wave Incorporated providing a training solution for communications maintenance on the E-4B aircraft.

The E-4B communications maintenance trainer was delivered in October and the B-52 communications trainer is expected to be delivered in January 2024.