MOVING WEAPONS PLATFORM SIMULATION SYSTEM AND TRAINING METHOD

A simulation system for operation of simulated weapons on moving vehicles includes a platform for supporting a trainee and an actuator operable with the platform for providing pitch and roll movement to the platform in conformance with pre-recorded live movements. A demilitarized weapon is operated from the platform with the weapon providing a weapon triggering signal to a system computer. A pulsed laser light source is attached to the barrel of the weapon for emitting a beam and placing an infrared spot onto a video projection screen which displays a recorded scene provided by a video projector. A spot tracker continuously tracks the spot as the trainee aims the weapon toward selected targets within the scene, and provides coordinate location data representative of spot locations on the screen. The computer operates the actuator for controlling the pitch and roll movement of the platform in response to a pre-processed movement profile, and receives signals from the spot tracker for receiving the coordinate location data during weapon movement and firing for providing target strike performance measurements based on the aiming and firing of the weapon. Software used by the computer includes ballistic models for providing an added realism to the weapon selected for the training.