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CNN Live Saturday
Interview With Todd Haley
Aired March 15, 2003 - 18:41 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
RENAY SAN MIGUEL, CNN ANCHOR: As the military prepares for a possible war, we consider a crucial question that sounds like tongue- twister. Who trains those who train the troops?
Technology correspondent, Daniel Sieberg, has some answers. Daniel, I realize this is very serious business, here, but I can't help but think about what you're going to show us, here, as the mother of all video games.
DANIEL SIEBERG, CNN TECHNOLOGY CORRESPONDENT: Yes. It really is, in a sense, Renay. It's some pretty high-tech stuff here. The acronym of this segment is FATS or Firearm Training System. It's a company that provides simulation technology for the military to train for marksmanship purposes and get them in as realistic a battle situation as they can without actually going into the field.
And right now, I'm joined by Todd Haley from FATS to talk about this technology.
We've got a set-up, here. We've got some guys down here with some weapons that look pretty real. What have we got set up here, Todd?
TODD HALEY, FATS: Well, today, Daniel, we've brought in a mixture of weapons, including machine guns, anti-tank rockets, rifles. We also have a (UNINTELLIGIBLE) 19 40 millimeter automatic grenade launcher.
SIEBERG: Now, these weapons were original weapons that were converted into simulation purposes. We've also got a screen set up here, and we can get a shot of that. And there are laser sites on here that allow you to get some feedback, right? This is for training purposes for marksmanship.
HALEY: That is correct. Each weapon begins life as an actual real firing weapon we change out, and we put some electronics into the weapon, put a laser in the barrel. That interacts with the screen. And we make about 250 different types of firearms for simulations.
SIEBERG: OK. Well, let's get a demonstration of the simulation purpose.
HALEY: Sure.
SIEBERG: We've got a couple guys down here from FATS. They've got their weapons set up. We're ready to go. Let's begin firing here for this demonstration.
Now, we even need to reload here.
HALEY: Exactly.
SIEBERG: This is an example of just how realistic some of these weapons are.
HALEY: Right. In (UNINTELLIGIBLE) case, you can actually set the ammunition load. In this case, he's ran out. He's had to go back and...
SIEBERG: And we can even see -- we can even hear how realistic these weapons are, and you can see the recoil that's happening with (UNINTELLIGIBLE). Now, that's all part of making this as realistic as possible, right?
HALEY: Exactly.
SIEBERG: The recoil. How does the recoil happen (UNINTELLIGIBLE), by the way?
HALEY: The recoil is produced by CO2. We used compressed air. It either is done by a tank of CO2 or a air compressor.
SIEBERG: Now, what about real life applications? This being transferred into the battlefield. How does this transfer from a simulation into a real life example?
HALEY: Well, using our trainer, they're actually able to take a soldier from the very beginning of never having used a rifle to right up through the decisions to make a lethal use of force and then, also, into combat. So it translates throughout the training of the soldiers.
SIEBERG: And there are other aspects to this besides just the weapon training, also. You can even call in for air support, right, if you're in this simulation?
HALEY: Exactly. In the combat mode, the commander has all the assets that he would have available to him on the battlefield. Naval gunfire, close air support, mortars and artillery. So he can use his binoculars and do his adjustments, laser range finders, and he can also guide those aircraft in, just as he would in the real world.
SIEBERG: All right, and the core of it all is this computer system we've got set up here. So let's do just another demonstration...
HALEY: Sure.
SIEBERG: ... if we can. We've also got this big MK-19. The recoil on this is pretty incredible.
HALEY: Right. Exactly.
SIEBERG: All right, well, let's go for it, here guys.
HALEY: Sure thing.
SIEBERG: So the feedback is being registered on the screen, and then later, you can check that and compare it with what they've done to their performance.
HALEY: Right, exactly. The computer is analyzing everything from every single shot, the basic performance that the soldier has done and right up through his decision-making, we can replay it all and then, evaluate their performance.
SIEBERG: All right, well, Todd Haley from FATS, thank you so much for joining us to talk about this...
HALEY: Thank you.
SIEBERG: ... technology. And you know, Fred, it's actually being used currently, right now, in the Gulf. It is on board ships, as well as in ground units. They can just set up this training wherever they feel like getting some practice. It's meant to enhance any military training, not to replace it. So, anyway, Fred, back to you in the studio.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: All right, thanks. Fantastic technology to keep our guys and girls sharp.
SIEBERG: Right.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired March 15, 2003 - 18:41 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
RENAY SAN MIGUEL, CNN ANCHOR: As the military prepares for a possible war, we consider a crucial question that sounds like tongue- twister. Who trains those who train the troops?
Technology correspondent, Daniel Sieberg, has some answers. Daniel, I realize this is very serious business, here, but I can't help but think about what you're going to show us, here, as the mother of all video games.
DANIEL SIEBERG, CNN TECHNOLOGY CORRESPONDENT: Yes. It really is, in a sense, Renay. It's some pretty high-tech stuff here. The acronym of this segment is FATS or Firearm Training System. It's a company that provides simulation technology for the military to train for marksmanship purposes and get them in as realistic a battle situation as they can without actually going into the field.
And right now, I'm joined by Todd Haley from FATS to talk about this technology.
We've got a set-up, here. We've got some guys down here with some weapons that look pretty real. What have we got set up here, Todd?
TODD HALEY, FATS: Well, today, Daniel, we've brought in a mixture of weapons, including machine guns, anti-tank rockets, rifles. We also have a (UNINTELLIGIBLE) 19 40 millimeter automatic grenade launcher.
SIEBERG: Now, these weapons were original weapons that were converted into simulation purposes. We've also got a screen set up here, and we can get a shot of that. And there are laser sites on here that allow you to get some feedback, right? This is for training purposes for marksmanship.
HALEY: That is correct. Each weapon begins life as an actual real firing weapon we change out, and we put some electronics into the weapon, put a laser in the barrel. That interacts with the screen. And we make about 250 different types of firearms for simulations.
SIEBERG: OK. Well, let's get a demonstration of the simulation purpose.
HALEY: Sure.
SIEBERG: We've got a couple guys down here from FATS. They've got their weapons set up. We're ready to go. Let's begin firing here for this demonstration.
Now, we even need to reload here.
HALEY: Exactly.
SIEBERG: This is an example of just how realistic some of these weapons are.
HALEY: Right. In (UNINTELLIGIBLE) case, you can actually set the ammunition load. In this case, he's ran out. He's had to go back and...
SIEBERG: And we can even see -- we can even hear how realistic these weapons are, and you can see the recoil that's happening with (UNINTELLIGIBLE). Now, that's all part of making this as realistic as possible, right?
HALEY: Exactly.
SIEBERG: The recoil. How does the recoil happen (UNINTELLIGIBLE), by the way?
HALEY: The recoil is produced by CO2. We used compressed air. It either is done by a tank of CO2 or a air compressor.
SIEBERG: Now, what about real life applications? This being transferred into the battlefield. How does this transfer from a simulation into a real life example?
HALEY: Well, using our trainer, they're actually able to take a soldier from the very beginning of never having used a rifle to right up through the decisions to make a lethal use of force and then, also, into combat. So it translates throughout the training of the soldiers.
SIEBERG: And there are other aspects to this besides just the weapon training, also. You can even call in for air support, right, if you're in this simulation?
HALEY: Exactly. In the combat mode, the commander has all the assets that he would have available to him on the battlefield. Naval gunfire, close air support, mortars and artillery. So he can use his binoculars and do his adjustments, laser range finders, and he can also guide those aircraft in, just as he would in the real world.
SIEBERG: All right, and the core of it all is this computer system we've got set up here. So let's do just another demonstration...
HALEY: Sure.
SIEBERG: ... if we can. We've also got this big MK-19. The recoil on this is pretty incredible.
HALEY: Right. Exactly.
SIEBERG: All right, well, let's go for it, here guys.
HALEY: Sure thing.
SIEBERG: So the feedback is being registered on the screen, and then later, you can check that and compare it with what they've done to their performance.
HALEY: Right, exactly. The computer is analyzing everything from every single shot, the basic performance that the soldier has done and right up through his decision-making, we can replay it all and then, evaluate their performance.
SIEBERG: All right, well, Todd Haley from FATS, thank you so much for joining us to talk about this...
HALEY: Thank you.
SIEBERG: ... technology. And you know, Fred, it's actually being used currently, right now, in the Gulf. It is on board ships, as well as in ground units. They can just set up this training wherever they feel like getting some practice. It's meant to enhance any military training, not to replace it. So, anyway, Fred, back to you in the studio.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: All right, thanks. Fantastic technology to keep our guys and girls sharp.
SIEBERG: Right.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
