The U.S. Army has channeled funds from its simulation-based Squad Advanced Marksmanship Trainer initiative to other virtual training programs such as the development of a synthetic training environment, National Defense magazine reported Monday.
An Army spokesman told National Defense in an email that SAM-T was not intended as a “formal acquisition program” and the service branch leased the system as an “interim proof of principle capability.”
SAM-T, a collaborative effort of the Army and U.S. Marine Corps, was meant to enable up to five warfighters to use simulators and special equipment such as goggles and rifle replicas for virtual small-arms marksmanship training.
The service ended the program due to “night court” proceedings that sought to redirect funds to address the branch’s six modernization goals.
In 2018, the Army reported that 26 installations were initially slated to receive the SAM-T platform.
Maj. Gen. Maria Gervais, director of the Synthetic Training Environment Cross-Functional Team and deputy commanding general of Combined Arms Center-Training, noted that the service’s STE strategy is focused on establishing common standards, data and terrain to maximize integration and interoperability across Army components.
