In the wake of Facebook’s rebranding to Meta, the global rush towards the metaverse gained momentum, with numerous companies seeking to develop their virtual worlds. Surprisingly, the US military has also joined this trend, creating metaverse-like “photo-realistic” terrains for exercises.
The US military is engaged in the development of virtual worlds resembling Earth’s terrain, aiming to create realistic and immersive environments for training exercises. These digital twins of Earth’s landscapes are designed to provide an advanced training platform for military personnel.
The metaverse-like project involves the creation of detailed and realistic virtual terrains that replicate the physical world. Military exercises conducted in these digital environments offer an innovative and effective way to train soldiers, providing them with immersive scenarios that closely resemble real-world situations. This approach allows for improved preparedness and adaptability in various operational contexts.
As the metaverse continues to evolve, its applications are extending beyond entertainment and gaming, demonstrating its potential utility in diverse fields, including military training and simulations.
Metaverse developments in the US military are surprising
The United States is integrating military training into the digital realm through a program known as the Synthetic Training Environment (STE). This initiative by the U.S. Army seeks to consolidate various action games into a unified training environment.
Under the Synthetic Training Environment (STE) program, the U.S. military is creating a metaverse that distinguishes itself from corporate virtual worlds. The goal is to construct a 1:1 digital twin of Earth, with a focus on generating data in a photo-realistic manner to accurately replicate real-world landscapes in the virtual realm.
Initiated in 2017, the STE program serves multiple purposes for the U.S. military, including developing strategies for any global terrain, conducting virtual training, and facilitating the training of diverse military units within a single virtual environment.
Maria Gervais, Director of Combined Arms Center Training, emphasized the program’s objective of preparing soldiers for complex and operational environments. She stated, “We want our soldiers to enter the Synthetic Training Environment and learn with whom and on what terrain to fight.”
While metaverses have been predominantly associated with entertainment and commercial applications, the development of military virtual worlds raises concerns. Although the U.S. military asserts that the Earth’s 1:1 digital twin is utilized for simulation purposes, there are expectations that it will be incorporated into daily education by 2030. The integration of military training into the metaverse prompts discussions about its implications and applications.
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