It looks like the US Army is using War Thunder to train while they’re currently stuck in quarantine.
As outlined in Popular Mechanics via Business Insider, the US Army stationed at Fort Hood, TX are leveraging the game for further training in lieu of real-world training. It looks like the army is currently waiting for M1A2 Abrams tanks. And during this wait, they’ve looked to the game to continue their training.
The game allows the army to chat with each other, coordinate with their crew, and fulfill dedicated roles as outlined in the game including the tank commander, gunner, loader, and driver. According to an army release, Captain Mike Manougian stated,
“The idea came about after limitations were placed on training opportunities in order to protect the force. We have a lot of Soldiers who enjoy video games on their free time, talking with many of them we found out that a lot played tank games and so we began exploring opportunities.”
Staff Sgt. Tommy Huynh expounded,
“It’s great, we get a lot of questions and feedback. I’m not sure if it is because of the distributed nature of it or if it is because they are seeing things from a different perspective, but my Soldiers are speaking up and sharing their thoughts and ideas.”
