Whenever software is upgraded or changed for the actual vehicle, the trainer can be altered as well. The training systems may not have all of the rocking and the knocking associated with popping a large cap and the smell of gunpowder, but some of that can be accurately simulated, too. The simulation-based training systems also help protect the environment. Maneuver and gunnery training can be repeated without the cost of live ammunition or tearing up the ground. For hazardous tasks, training soldiers in a virtual setting is risk free.
Soldiers also contribute to the successful product development.
A close relationship between contractors and users ensures soldier needs and ideas are considered and the design evolves. The team environment is critical during development. Engineers at widely dispersed sites across the country can access the newest technical data at any time, day or night. The engineering infrastructure consists of many tools for engineering and analyses such as thermal, lethality, finite element, survivability, human factors, software development, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, and systems integration. This computing environment enables all engineering data to be stored electronically and accessed locally or remotely.