'Pop-up' targets keep soldiers on toesWednesday, June 06, 2007By SHELBY G. SPIRESTimes Aerospace Writer shelby.spires@htimes.comLockheed devices make training scenarios realisticLockheed Martin in Huntsville is developing movie-studio-type equipment to better prepare soldiers for battle.Tanks that explode, infantry soldiers that fall down and terrorists who crash checkpointsare all part of the simulated "pop-up" type targets being developed in Huntsville to better train U.S. Army and U.S. Marines around the world. Lockheed Martin Corp. developscomplex software and hardware that control a variety of these types of targets."If it is real on a training range, then maybe they will be better prepared to deal with itelsewhere," said Yousef Imam, live training business area manager for Lockheed Martinin Huntsville.Lockheed Martin won a $4.5 million contract from the Army and Marine Corps to buildtargets and place them on a variety of ranges. For the Army these include three rangesthat will be installed at Fort Hood and three at Fort Bliss, both in Texas.The third contract was for follow-on systems for the U.S. Marine Corps ProgramManager for Training Systems, which are slated to go to multiple Marine camps for ranges in Hawaii and Okinawa."We build mostly for live-fire target ranges. Our control devices move arms that pop uptargets that range from enemy infantry targets to things like armor or tanks and other types of vehicles," Imam said.The ranges can use static targets, but many also include moving targets that use smokeand sound generators to make the combat experience, and can range in size from just afew hundred yards to several square miles with hundreds of targets popping up tochallenge soldiers, Imam said."It's not just theatrics. By adding a number of different elements, a training scenariocomes as close as possible to being real, which is a benefit for the soldiers," Imam said."We want to make this as realistic as possible."The targets can simulate items as diverse as an old Soviet-style tank, enemy soldiers or aterrorist.
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