SINGAPORE: You’re walking down a stony path when the sharp popping sound of gunfire suddenly assails you. A muzzle flashes, and you see a weapon firing at you from behind a tree.
Then a blast roars through the air. You not only hear it, but feel some of its shockwave. Smoke fills the path ahead of you, making it hard to see.
Ducking for cover, you see a human shape shoot at you. You take aim with your firearm and pull the trigger, but nothing happens. The weapon doesn’t work anymore because you are “dead”.
Realistic battlefield effects, targets that shoot back with laser technology, and an enhanced system to track training performance are among the features of the new Murai Urban Battle Circuit.
When this battle circuit opens from April, up to 22,000 soldiers are expected to pass through each year to complete small-unit drill-based training.
Located within the Murai Urban Training Facility, it is one of three battle circuits using enhanced technology set to open this year as the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) seeks to train soldiers more effectively.
Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen provided updates on SAF’s training capabilities during the Ministry of Defence’s (MINDEF) committee of supply (COS) session in Parliament on Wednesday (Feb 28).