Through my friend who works for the ROTC program, my buddy and I got to play for about a 45 minutes on an engagement simulation system.
M16s fitted with lasers and connected to a computer and an air compressor. The computer projects an image onto a maybe 8x15 screen. The compressor gives accurate recoil feedback, surround sound gives realistic sound, including the firing of the guns, and the computer hookup allows the guns to behave realistically, like running out of ammo after 30 rounds and also to allow for replays showing who shot when and where.
W started out at the rifle range and sighted in at 25 meters. I shot some pretty good groups from prone. Then we went to the practice range with pop up silhouettes.
We had a 2 scenarios at the beginning where we got killed by RPGs because we waited too long to shoot. There was one scenario where a drunk guy came into a building I was guarding and eventually went after the guy at the desk with a gun. I popped him twice in the head before e ever fired a shot.
There were scenarios where we were the MPs at a base who had to break up domestic disputes, we had one where a group of people trying to kidnap a dignitary riding in a convoy I was providing security for. Their plan failed in a big way. In another scene, we came upon a group of Iraqi people standing around what looked like a dead body, arguing with an Iraqi policeman. Our convoy stopped and the people argued for about a minute, then things went bad. One guy pulls out an AK, my buddy dropped him and then the dead guy sat up, I made him lay back down. A few guys pulled out gune and all got teir 500 virgins in short order.
All in all, it was a pretty fun way way to spend a lunch break, and most likely the closest I'll ever come to shooting a real M16. I should get to go again in a few weeks.
M16s fitted with lasers and connected to a computer and an air compressor. The computer projects an image onto a maybe 8x15 screen. The compressor gives accurate recoil feedback, surround sound gives realistic sound, including the firing of the guns, and the computer hookup allows the guns to behave realistically, like running out of ammo after 30 rounds and also to allow for replays showing who shot when and where.
W started out at the rifle range and sighted in at 25 meters. I shot some pretty good groups from prone. Then we went to the practice range with pop up silhouettes.
We had a 2 scenarios at the beginning where we got killed by RPGs because we waited too long to shoot. There was one scenario where a drunk guy came into a building I was guarding and eventually went after the guy at the desk with a gun. I popped him twice in the head before e ever fired a shot.
There were scenarios where we were the MPs at a base who had to break up domestic disputes, we had one where a group of people trying to kidnap a dignitary riding in a convoy I was providing security for. Their plan failed in a big way. In another scene, we came upon a group of Iraqi people standing around what looked like a dead body, arguing with an Iraqi policeman. Our convoy stopped and the people argued for about a minute, then things went bad. One guy pulls out an AK, my buddy dropped him and then the dead guy sat up, I made him lay back down. A few guys pulled out gune and all got teir 500 virgins in short order.
All in all, it was a pretty fun way way to spend a lunch break, and most likely the closest I'll ever come to shooting a real M16. I should get to go again in a few weeks.