Ukrainians have started using a new mixed-reality headset to train crews for the Leopard 2A4 main battle tank.
The headsets are a lower-cost alternative to training troops with actual tanks and ammunition, which are also in greater demand on the front lines, said Varjo, the Finnish developer of the headsets, in a press statement on Tuesday.
The Norwegian company Fynd Reality, which has been providing training to Ukrainian forces with virtual reality systems for three years, said it procured 39 Varjo headsets as part of its program.
Fynd Reality had already been offering virtual reality training for Ukrainian tank crews since 2023, but the newly announced program would give Kyiv’s troops higher-end systems being used by NATO troops.
The entire package was worth about $8.45 million, according to its joint statement with Varjo, which says it provides more than 120 virtual simulator programs across NATO.
Timo Toikkanen, CEO of Varjo, told Business Insider that his company is already providing training simulators for the F-16 Fighting Falcon that run on its mixed-reality headsets in Ukraine.
Toikkanen said that simulators were traditionally associated only with aircraft training because of the cost of building those facilities, but are now gaining ground in training for armored vehicle crews and even individual troops as virtual reality technology advances.
The point of the headset, he said, is to allow troops to repeatedly practice their skills in their own time and in an environment that mimics reality.
“So you don’t have one hour in a dome, but you can train as much as you like, you get a lot more sets and reps,” Toikkanen said.
Ukraine’s new systems for the Leopard 2 A4, including the headset and two sensors, can be used to train tank commanders, gunners, drivers, or ammunition loaders.
Toikkanen added that while live training with an actual Leopard tank and 120mm rounds would be ideal, it’s not a luxury Kyiv can consistently afford to provide trainees.
“The country is at war and is fighting for its survival. So what happens is that all the resources get deployed immediately, and there’s nothing to train on anymore,” he said.
Varjo’s headset deployment for Ukraine’s Leopard training is still in its early days, Toikkanen said, and the Helsinki-based firm is hoping to collect feedback as it looks to sell simulator tech to other countries operating the German battle tank.
The CEO said the latest tranche of 39 headsets is part of a first phase with Ukraine, but declined to say what the subsequent stages of the program will entail.
European countries have pledged Ukraine over 100 Leopard 2 tanks, though roughly three dozen have so far also been reported damaged, captured, or destroyed.
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