ENGINEERING CASE STUDY
T-72 / T-90 CREW TRAINING SIMULATION
A Hybrid Physical and VR Training Environment for Armoured Crew Training
How Avatara Defence developed a hybrid physical and VR training environment to support T-72 / T-90 crew training without requiring continuous access to a live platform.
This case study explores an engineering approach that combines physical crew-station mock-ups, instrumented controls, immersive VR environments, vehicle dynamics modelling, fault injection and instructor-led assessment.
The objective is not to replace live vehicle training. Instead, the approach is designed to move early, repetitive and scenario-based training activities into a controlled and repeatable environment, while allowing live-platform training to focus on higher-value operational activities.
THE TRAINING CHALLENGE
Effective armoured vehicle crew training requires more than visual simulation. Trainees need to become familiar with crew-station layouts, controls, procedures, system responses, vehicle behaviour, scenario-based decision making and emergency responses.
Access to live platforms may be limited by availability, operating cost, safety considerations and training schedules.
Certain faults and emergency situations can also be difficult or unsafe to reproduce repeatedly on an operational vehicle.
This creates an opportunity for simulation technology to support the training pipeline.
THE HYBRID TRAINING APPROACH
The solution combines physical training equipment with a digital simulation environment.
The physical environment provides representative crew-station controls and interfaces, while the virtual environment provides the visual and simulated operating context.
The training environment brings together:
PHYSICAL CREW STATION
↓
INSTRUMENTED CONTROLS
↓
VR / VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENT
↓
VEHICLE DYNAMICS
↓
SCENARIO & FAULT SIMULATION
↓
INSTRUCTOR ASSESSMENT
This hybrid approach focuses on the elements of training that directly influence crew behaviour, procedures and operational interaction.
PHYSICAL CREW-STATION SIMULATION
A key part of the training concept is the use of physical crew-station mock-ups and instrumented controls.
Rather than relying entirely on a conventional computer interface, trainees interact with representative physical controls and equipment.
This creates a more realistic relationship between:
TRAINEE → CONTROLS → VEHICLE RESPONSE → TRAINING SCENARIO
The objective is to reproduce the aspects of the crew environment that are most relevant to learned behaviour, procedures and operational interaction.
VR-BASED TRAINING ENVIRONMENT
The virtual environment provides the visual and scenario layer around the physical crew station.
VR technology can create controlled training environments in which trainees can experience different situations without requiring the physical vehicle to be present.
This provides opportunities for:
• Repeatable training scenarios
• Controlled environmental conditions
• Scenario variation
• Procedural practice
• Fault and emergency simulation
• Instructor-controlled exercises
The combination of physical controls and immersive visualisation creates a more representative training experience than a conventional desktop simulation alone.
VEHICLE DYNAMICS AND SYSTEM BEHAVIOUR
For simulation-based training to be effective, visual realism alone is not enough.
The training environment also needs to represent relevant vehicle behaviour and system responses.
Vehicle dynamics modelling helps connect trainee inputs with simulated vehicle responses, creating a training loop between:
CONTROL INPUT → SIMULATION MODEL → VEHICLE RESPONSE → TRAINEE ACTION
This allows trainees to experience the consequences of operating decisions within the simulated environment.
FAULT INJECTION AND EMERGENCY TRAINING
One advantage of a controlled simulation environment is the ability to introduce selected faults and abnormal situations without exposing an operational vehicle to unnecessary risk.
Fault injection can support training around system failures, abnormal conditions and emergency procedures.
Instructors can introduce scenarios deliberately and repeat them consistently for different trainees or training sessions.
This creates an environment in which trainees can practise responses to situations that may be difficult to reproduce safely during routine live-platform training.
INSTRUCTOR-LED TRAINING AND ASSESSMENT
The instructor remains an important part of the training system.
An instructor station can be used to control scenarios, introduce training conditions and observe trainee performance.
This creates a structured training cycle:
SCENARIO → TRAINING → OBSERVATION → ASSESSMENT → FEEDBACK → IMPROVEMENT
The combination of simulation technology and instructor involvement ensures that technology supports the training objective rather than becoming an end in itself.
WHY USE A HYBRID TRAINING MODEL?
The purpose of the system is not to eliminate live vehicle training.
Instead, it creates a complementary training layer.
SIMULATION CAN SUPPORT:
REPETITION
Repeat training activities without requiring continuous access to the live platform.
SAFETY
Practise selected abnormal and emergency situations in a controlled environment.
CONSISTENCY
Deliver standardised scenarios across multiple training sessions.
ACCESSIBILITY
Allow trainees to undertake selected training activities when live-platform access is limited.
ASSESSMENT
Capture and evaluate trainee actions within structured scenarios.
LIVE TRAINING EFFICIENCY
Reserve live-platform time for training activities that specifically require the real vehicle.
FROM SIMULATION TO LIVE-PLATFORM TRAINING
The hybrid approach can support a staged training pathway:
01 — FAMILIARISATION
Trainees learn the crew environment, controls and basic procedures.
02 — SIMULATION
Trainees practise scenarios in a controlled virtual environment.
03 — REPETITION
Key procedures and responses can be practised repeatedly.
04 — ASSESSMENT
Instructor-led scenarios can be used to evaluate performance.
05 — LIVE PLATFORM
Trainees progress to live-platform activities where real-world vehicle operation is required.
This approach can help make training more structured, repeatable and efficient.
KEY ENGINEERING PRINCIPLES
Simulation fidelity should be focused on the elements that directly influence training outcomes.
A successful training simulator does not necessarily need to reproduce every aspect of a real vehicle with equal complexity.
Instead, engineering effort can be concentrated on the elements that matter most to the trainee:
• Controls
• Crew layout
• Procedures
• System responses
• Vehicle behaviour
• Scenario conditions
• Fault responses
• Instructor interaction
This creates a purposeful training environment rather than simply a visually realistic digital model.
OUTCOME
The resulting hybrid training concept provides a controlled environment for early-stage, repetitive and scenario-based armoured crew training.
By combining physical crew-station interaction with VR simulation, vehicle dynamics, fault injection and instructor-led assessment, the approach can complement live-platform training and help move selected training activities away from the operational vehicle.
The result is a training architecture designed around repeatability, controlled scenarios, practical crew interaction and progressive transition to live-platform training.
KEY BENEFITS
• Reduced dependence on continuous live-platform availability
• Repeatable and controlled training scenarios
• Safe practice of selected abnormal and emergency situations
• Physical interaction with representative crew controls
• Immersive VR-based training environments
• Instructor-controlled scenarios and assessment
• Progressive transition from simulation to live-platform training
• Data-informed and structured training development
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is T-72 / T-90 crew training simulation?
T-72 / T-90 crew training simulation is a technology-based training approach that reproduces relevant crew-station interactions, vehicle behaviour and training scenarios in a controlled simulated environment.
Can simulation replace live T-72 / T-90 training?
No. The purpose of the hybrid approach is to complement live-platform training by supporting early, repetitive and scenario-based activities before trainees progress to activities requiring the actual vehicle.
How does VR support armoured vehicle crew training?
VR can provide an immersive visual and scenario environment around physical controls, allowing trainees to practise procedures and selected scenarios in a controlled and repeatable environment.
What is fault injection in military simulation?
Fault injection is the controlled introduction of simulated faults or abnormal conditions into a training scenario so that trainees can practise appropriate responses without deliberately creating those conditions on an operational vehicle.
Why use physical controls with VR simulation?
Physical controls can provide a more representative interaction with the training system than a screen-only interface, helping trainees practise the procedures and control interactions relevant to the crew environment.