Virtual reality training centre for special units inaugurated at Etterbeek barracks in Brussels
The federal police, the ministry of defence and Belgian customs have on Friday inaugurated a training facility dedicated to virtual reality and advanced simulation technologies at the Etterbeek barracks in Brussels. The XR-Labs, short for eXtended Reality Labs, should modernise operational training and improve the preparedness of teams in the field.
In concrete terms, a former federal police gym has been transformed into a training centre dedicated to virtual reality and advanced simulation technologies. The project is currently in the testing phase, but the long-term goal is to better prepare for interventions, particularly in higher-risk situations, and to organise multidisciplinary training courses. For the time being, it is specifically intended for use by special units and in violence control training.
The main goal of this project is to anticipate all dangers, emphasised the general commissioner of the federal police, Eric Snoeck. “Our aim is to offer them (special unit officers, ed.) a setting where they can do this in a much more realistic environment than is possible in traditional training centres,” he explained.
Military personnel, customs officers and special unit officers can prepare for an operation by immersing themselves in a realistic 3D site, thanks to a virtual reality headset and connected training weapons.
“The advantage is that there is no need for large infrastructures. We can train here instead of going to a practical location,” stated Chief of Defence Frederik Vansina, who underlined the realism of the simulations.
The federal police and the ministry of defence have each invested 75,000 euros in this project.
Inauguration of the XR-Labs training facility by the Federal Police, Defence and Customs © BELGA PHOTO GABRIEL MITRAN