Identifying Tank Gunnery Skill Requirements on the Institutional Conduct-of-Fire Trainer (I-COFT)

Abstract : The U.S. Army Armor School (USAARMS), as directed by the Commander, Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC), is developing a device-based training strategy. A primary goal of the strategy is to specify an optimal mix of field and simulation-based tactical and gunnery training. In support of the evolving strategy, this research developed and validated a set of analytical methods for identifying the underlying skill requirements of the tank gunner in armor gunnery tasks. The methods were tried by identifying the particular skills that are trained by the Institutional Conduct-of-Fire Trainer (I-COFT). To validate the skill assessment methods, an I-COFT tank gunnery test was administered to 18 soldiers enrolled in the initial-entry Excellence in Armor (EIA0 program before and after 14 hours of EIA I-COFT training. The I-COFT test was also administered to 10 Noncommissioned Officer (NCO) gunnery instructors. A series of analyses compared changes in performance caused by training and differences between the EIA soldiers and NCOs. Skill development and error analysis methods were also developed, the results of which showed relative rates of skill development. The results showed that the skills needed to accurately hit stationary targets developed very quickly, as no differences were found between NCOs and EIA soldiers at the end of training. In contrast, the skills required for speed on both stationary and moving targets continued to develop across the full range of skill levels.