Training like they fight: How Cole Engineering and Varjo power the U.S. Army’s RVCT Air program

Bringing the battlefield anywhere

Modeling and simulation provider Cole Engineering has implemented a series of portable, forward-deployable training systems for the RVCT designed to condense the traditional training footprint without sacrificing realism. The U.S. Army’s RVCT Air program marks the world’s largest deployment of mixed reality-based air training at this level of quality and scale.

“XR is a great match for a program like RVCT,” says Jackson. “It allows us to condense the training footprint while ensuring users get the best environment, simulation, and immersion.”

Instead of requiring massive, fixed training facilities, RVCT allows soldiers to deploy a highly adaptable hardware system that connects directly to the STE, activating collective mixed reality training scenarios wherever they are stationed.

Security without compromise

Beyond performance and immersion, RVCT required a solution that meets strict defense security standards. Varjo headsets selected for the program are TAA-compliant, manufactured in Finland, and designed to enable use without radio frequency emissions, which makes them suitable for high-security military environments.

“Varjo was selected as part of the initial production configuration primarily because of its blend of technology and its ability to meet our demanding requirements,” explains Eric Carr, Program Director at Cole Engineering Services Inc. “The headsets are manufactured in a TAA-compliant environment, and they don't emit any kind of radio frequencies which would make them inappropriate to use in a high-secure environment.”