AR/VR Training in Military and Mine Action
Augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) are increasingly used to train military personnel and deminers. Research shows that immersive training often improves knowledge retention and performance compared to traditional methods, while also offering cost savings and safer, more flexible training logistics. Below, we review key findings on AR/VR training effectiveness, cost benefits, and case studies in the mine action community.
Effectiveness of AR/VR vs. Traditional Training Methods
Comparable or Better Performance: In a 2023 study, UK Royal Air Force troops trained on “shoot/no-shoot” decision-making showed comparable performance in VR simulations vs. live-fire exercises. Similarly, a VR-based system for live-fire training (with simulated rifles and recoil) yielded better learning outcomes, motivation, and final performance than conventional live-fire drills. This suggests well-designed VR scenarios can equal or exceed real-world training in teaching skills and judgment.
Knowledge Retention: Immersive environments appear to boost how well trainees remember skills and information. A review of mixed reality training for assembly tasks found that while screen-based VR was sometimes on par with traditional training immediately after training, long-term skill retention was often comparable or better with VR. VR-trained participants tended to retain skills longer, bridging the gap over time. The U.S. Army has reported increased information retention and preparedness in soldiers who use virtual simulations. Some industry analyses even report up to 70–90% retention rates with VR training (far above typical classroom rates), attributing it to the high engagement and realism of VR environments.
Training Speed and Readiness: Because AR/VR allows repeatable, on-demand practice, it can accelerate skill acquisition. Trainees often learn tasks faster in VR—one study noted VR training enabled 4× faster completion of training compared to classroom methods, with trainees feeling more confident applying skills in real life. By offering realistic practice without real-world consequences, AR/VR helps individuals reach readiness more efficiently. For example, VR-based medical training for combat medics improved their skills and reduced errors, giving instructors tools to schedule refresher trainings and maintain competency over time.
Retention of Complex Skills: VR has proven especially useful for complex or dangerous skills that are hard to practice live. Military flight and medical procedure trainers in VR have shown that skills learned in VR transfer well to real situations without loss of proficiency. In some cases, extended reality can even train cognitive and stress management aspects – a review of VR stress training for soldiers found significant reductions in perceived stress and better emotional regulation using virtual environments. This underscores that beyond technical skills, AR/VR can enhance psychological readiness too.
Overall, AR/VR is an effective training tool when used appropriately. It provides hands-on experiential learning that can rival real experience in engagement. However, experts note it’s not a blanket replacement – effectiveness can depend on the task complexity and implementation. For instance, high-end VR headsets yielded better results than 2D or paper-based training in many cases, yet for some simple physical tasks, a few studies found traditional methods still held slight advantages. The consensus is that AR/VR works best as part of a blended training program, combining immersive simulations with live practice to cover all needs. Different simulation types (VR, video, live exercises) can complement each other to fully prepare personnel.
Cost Savings and Logistics Benefits of AR/VR Training
AR/VR training offers significant cost and logistical advantages over traditional training exercises. By virtualizing scenarios, militaries can save money on resources and reduce the practical constraints of live training:
Reduced Training Costs: While upfront investment in AR/VR systems can be high, they eliminate many recurring expenses. For example, virtual training avoids costs for travel, fuel, ammunition, and wear-and-tear on equipment that physical exercises would incur. A U.S. Army analysis noted that despite spending ~$3 billion on virtual and augmented simulation in 2020, these tools are “actually cost-effective” compared to live training when considering all the expenses they replace. No real bullets or explosives are needed in VR, and scenarios can be reset endlessly at near-zero cost.
Economies of Scale: Once developed, an AR/VR training module can be used by many trainees repeatedly. This scalability means a one-time creation can serve thousands of personnel. The per-trainee cost drops dramatically versus organizing multiple field exercises. The Pentagon has recognized this potential – it spends over $14 billion per year on digital “synthetic” training and is budgeting as much as $11 billion for AR/VR training systems by 2022 to modernize its training infrastructure. This shift is driven by the expectation of long-term savings and efficiency.
Logistical Flexibility: AR/VR removes logistical hurdles like scheduling ranges, finding suitable terrain, or coordinating large troop movements for exercises. Training can happen on-base or even in an office with a headset. As one Air Force report highlights, training can occur anywhere – even on deployed ships or remote bases – because portable VR devices don’t require dedicated facilities. This flexibility not only saves travel time and cost but also means training is not limited by weather, daylight, or safety constraints. Trainees can practice hazardous scenarios (e.g. parachuting, urban combat) in simulation regardless of real-world conditions.
Example – Pilot Training Savings: The U.S. Air Force found AR/VR could substantially cut the cost of pilot training. Traditionally, training a single combat pilot (with live flights) can cost nearly $500,000. By substituting some live flights with high-fidelity AR/VR flight simulators, the Air Force estimates saving ~$160,000 per pilot while still achieving required proficiency. Fewer live sorties also mean less aircraft fuel burned and reduced risk during training flights. Similarly, maintenance training using AR can reduce the need for expensive dedicated simulators or taking real aircraft out of service.
Safety and Risk Reduction: Cost savings go hand-in-hand with improved safety. AR/VR allows dangerous tasks to be practiced without risk to life or damage to real assets. Military leaders note that risk to soldiers is greatly reduced when using virtual weapons or vehicles in training. Accidents that might occur in live-fire exercises or equipment malfunctions simply don’t happen in VR. This reduces medical costs and equipment repair costs that could result from training mishaps. The overall result is not just saving money, but also preserving readiness by avoiding injuries during training.
Despite these advantages, organizations are still developing models to fully quantify the return on investment. The U.S. Army has called for a standardized cost-benefit analysis model to capture all variables (tech upkeep, integration costs, etc.). Early studies in fields like medical training have proven the viability of replacing certain traditional exercises with VR simulators cost-effectively. As AR/VR tech becomes cheaper and more widespread, the training logistics revolution is expected to continue, enabling more frequent and distributed training at lower incremental cost.
AR Implementation in Mine Action: Case Studies and Impact
Augmented reality and virtual reality are being used to improve the training of deminers and EOD (explosive ordnance disposal) technicians, making their preparation safer and more efficient.
The humanitarian mine action (HMA) community has started adopting AR/VR tools for training deminers and EOD personnel. These case studies show promising benefits in training efficiency and safety, as well as unique challenges in implementation:
Improved Safety and Control: Mine clearance is dangerous, but VR can prepare deminers in a zero-risk environment. Researchers at the American University of Beirut developed a “VR Demining Trainer” that teaches basic demining procedures (like operating a metal detector and probing soil) entirely in virtual space. Their goal is to minimize trainee exposure to real mines during early training while giving instructors full control over training conditions. The VR system lets trainees practice in a closed room regardless of time of day or weather, and instructors can easily adjust soil type, buried mine types, and locations via software. This level of control is hard to achieve in outdoor training fields. VR thus alleviates logistical challenges (no need for specific terrain or ideal weather) and allows consistent repetition of scenarios that would be impractical in real life.
Efficiency and Skill Retention: AR/VR tools in demining training have shown they can shorten the training cycle and reinforce learning. The VR Demining Trainer is designed to supplement (not replace) field training, handling the initial phases virtually to cut down overall field training time. By the time trainees move to real minefields, they have already mastered equipment usage and basic techniques in VR, making on-site training faster and safer. Moreover, AR interfaces can improve knowledge retention. Golden West, a mine action NGO, developed an Augmented Reality Ordnance Learning System (AROLS) to teach EOD students how different munitions function. Using a tablet or headset, AROLS overlays 3D explosive ordnance models onto the real world and animates their inner workings. This gives trainees an unparalleled realistic view of a fuze or bomb functioning “as if it’s right in front of them,” which increases the learner’s chances of retention of these concepts. In other words, seeing a virtual explosive operate in AR is far more memorable than just viewing diagrams or videos, bridging the gap between classroom theory and hands-on understanding.
Training Outcomes and Feedback: AR/VR systems can provide detailed performance feedback to improve training effectiveness. For instance, the MERGEN PARKUR VR detector training system records a deminer’s virtual sweep of a minefield and reports metrics like percentage of mines found, areas missed, and scanning technique errors. This immediate feedback helps identify mistakes without any real accident occurring. Such systems allow practicing rare scenarios (e.g. various mine types or malfunctions) that a deminer might not encounter during limited live training. By broadening the experience virtually, deminers gain confidence and competence that directly translate to safer operations on the ground.
Real-World Deployments: AR/VR training in mine action is not just theoretical – it’s being tried in the field. Golden West’s team in Cambodia, with U.S. State Department funding, has spent years applying AR and VR to EOD training. In Vietnam, they deployed the AROLS augmented reality system to train provincial EOD teams. Trainees used AR to visualize a cluster munition’s functioning before attempting to disarm the real device, highlighting AR’s value in understanding complex ordnance safely. As of 2019, the AROLS system was already in use in EOD training programs worldwide. These case studies demonstrate that AR/VR can be integrated into HMA programs and be operationally useful for preparing teams in diverse locations.
Challenges: Implementing AR/VR in the mine action sector does come with challenges. One issue is ensuring the technology fits the resource constraints of HMA organizations. Tools must be low-cost, durable, and usable in remote areas. Golden West addressed this by building AROLS on affordable Android devices and VR headsets, making it easy to deploy and maintain anywhere
Another challenge is content development – capturing the wide array of mines/UXO and scenarios in software requires expertise and funding. There can also be human factors: instructors and trainees need to be comfortable with the technology, and programs must blend the new tools with traditional training standards. Finally, like any new solution, scaling and acceptance take time. Early innovators note that moving from successful prototypes to mass adoption in the HMA community requires overcoming skepticism, providing support, and demonstrating long-term impact. Effective commercialization and distribution of these tools remain hurdles, as many HMA organizations operate in low-resource settings.
Despite these challenges, the overall impact of AR/VR in mine action training has been positive. Programs report increased training efficiency and safety: trainees can achieve competency faster and with fewer risks. Perhaps most importantly, AR/VR offers a way to standardize high-quality training across different countries and instructors. As one article put it, these technologies are “fundamentally game changing” and likely to eventually touch all aspects of what we do in humanitarian demining by enabling realistic practice and visualization that was never before possible, AR and VR are helping prepare deminers and EOD operators to save lives while keeping themselves safe in the process.
Sources
Harris et al. (2023). Exploring the role of virtual reality in military decision training. Frontiers in Virtual Reality – Found VR and live training yielded comparable decision-making performance.
Army University Press (2020). The Effectiveness of Virtual Simulation as a Training Tool – Noted VR’s historical use, rising investment, and need for cost-benefit analysis; reported improved soldier information retention and preparedness.
iMotions Blog (2021). VR Training and Performance – Summarized research on VR for military training, including a study where VR training improved shooting performance vs. traditional methods and VR for medical skill retention.
Belanich et al. (2020). Training Effectiveness Framework for AR/VR (IDA report) – Reviewed hundreds of studies; found AR often improves task performance and that VR yields comparable or better long-term retention than traditional training in many cases.
Barrow (2023). How AR is Reshaping Pilot Training – Detailed cost savings for VR/AR in Air Force training; e.g. saving $160k per pilot by reducing live flights from 6 to 4.
FedScoop (2020). Immersive Tech Gives Military New Tools – Reported DoD plans to invest ~$11B in AR/VR training by 2022, aiming for cost-effective, scalable training
Al Khansa et al. (2021). A Virtual Reality Application for the Training of Deminers. J. of Conv. Weapons Destruction 25(1) – Introduced a VR demining trainer that reduces costs, logistics, and danger; allows training anytime with adjustable scenarios; supplements field training.
Tan (2020). Augmented and Virtual Reality for HMA EOD Training. J. of Conv. Weapons Destruction 23(3) – Described Golden West’s AR/VR EOD training efforts (supported by US PM/WRA); AR ordnance visualization (AROLS) improved learning retention and is being used in multiple countries