Strine and Rhea agree the two big advantages of the MTS are time savings and cost avoidance, because the mission to investigate and evaluate the ability of a fire control system to track and hit a moving target can be accomplished using hardware-in-the-loop simulation. It can evaluate the system performance with and without the individual variances of multiple gunners," Rhea said. "When a gunner is actively tracking or utilizing an auto-tracker, the projection system is a vital part of the test. "The difference in the sensors is used to calculate the test results once the vehicle is subjected to input such as range to target, horizontal and vertical movement, or ammunition type selected."ĭirectly in front of the test system is a projection system that displays a particular environment scenario on the actual wall of the structure, which can display multiple targets simultaneously and even simulate different atmospheric conditions. Effectively, the alignment and calibration ensures that everything is looking at the same point in a static, close-distance environment," Neal Rhea, chief of the Fire Control Operations Branch at ATC, explained. "Once all instrumentation is added to the vehicle, the sensors and instrumentation are aligned and calibrated. After the system proceeds to the inside, it moves to the center of the facility for positioning, leveling, and addition of the instrumentation packs to the system. Before entering and exiting the Bubble, a system must pass through a "garage," called an airlock, which allows the pressure to equalize. Likewise, the increased development of unmanned and autonomous systems will require robust test and evaluation to assess the find-engage-kill capabilities of these systems."Ĭompared to other testing facilities at ATC, the entrance and exit are a little different because the MTS is completely supported by pressurized air. "Additionally, with the rapid advancements in cyber technology, the capabilities of the MTS will continue to expand with applications to ensure potential cyber threats do not inhibit a combat vehicle's ability to hit the target. There have also been helicopters and hand-held weapons tested in the facility," said Wayne Strine, chief of the Combat Vehicles Division at ATC. The MTS is "designed as a hardware-in-the-loop Modeling and Simulation facility that has performed extensive tests on combat vehicles such as Abrams tanks, Bradley Fighting Vehicles, and the Stryker Mobile Gun System. Originated in 1984, the completely air-supported facility, also known as the "Bubble", was designed to test any system with a fire control component.įire control is the part of a system that allows it to track and engage targets, whether they are stationary or moving. Army Aberdeen Test Center's, or ATC, testing facilities. Whether you see it from a boat or car, do you ever wonder what the white dome structure is on Aberdeen Proving Ground? It's called the Moving Target Simulator, or MTS, and it's one of the U.S. The original skin was only made for a 10-year lifespan, but ended up reaching over 3.ĪBERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md. Army Aberdeen Test Centers Moving Target Simulator looked like for approximately one month while new skin was installed. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL 2 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption –įrom a birds eye view, this is what the U.S. Army Aberdeen Test Center's completely air-supported facility, known as the Moving Target Simulator or the "Bubble", was designed to test any system with a fire control component on combat vehicles such as Abrams tanks, B.
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