Can Under Way Training Be Reduced? The Use of Simulation for Training in the U.S. Navy Surface Force

Abstract : Navy surface force training has traditionally involved a combination of shore-based and underway training. Recently, however, a number of factors-budgetary, political, and environmental concerns, as well as concerns about quality of life for naval personnel-have prompted Navy training officials to consider reducing underway training time and increasing reliance on shore-based simulators. Current personnel practices, such as rotating crews rather than ships to forward-deployed locations, also suggest that requiring crews to complete their training on the ships on which they will be deployed may be impractical. Finally, technological advances have improved productivity and realism in modeling, simulation, and distributed learning