Gamepad control skills, and especially experience completing the legendary mission with a toy helicopter in the video game Grand Theft Auto, are a significant advantage when selecting candidates for the positions of drone pilots. In addition to experienced gamers, the Ukrainian military today critically needs IT specialists for drone engineering maintenance.
Gamepad control skills, and especially experience completing the legendary mission with a toy helicopter in the video game Grand Theft Auto, are a significant advantage when selecting candidates for the positions of drone pilots. In addition to experienced gamers, the Ukrainian military today critically needs IT specialists for drone engineering maintenance.
The commander of the unmanned systems specialist training company of the 199th training center of the Airborne Assault Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Captain Anton Bobrovsky, spoke about the influence of the gaming past on military training in an interview with Ukrinform.
According to the serviceman, when selecting personnel, instructors always pay attention to whether a person knows how to play on consoles, because fine motor skills and spatial thinking from games are directly converted into the ability to control an FPV drone on the battlefield.
"When we conduct personnel selection, we emphasize that gamepad skills are a definite plus. We emphasize the video game Grand Theft Auto. Those who performed a helicopter mission in it became some of the best FPV drone operators," the company commander emphasized.
No less in demand in the unmanned systems units are people who in civilian life worked in the IT sector or were engaged in equipment repair. Bobrovsky explained that the military has its own repair shops where UAVs are serviced. The processes of “firmware”, conversion and repair of drones constantly require qualified technical specialists.
Assessing the future of battlefield technology, the captain noted that drones have enormous potential for development. Currently, the industry is moving towards the implementation of artificial intelligence, autonomous enemy target recognition systems and homing. Also, tools are being developed that allow the pilot to be hundreds of kilometers away from the drone itself, minimizing the risks to the lives of servicemen.
When mentioning GTA, the military man is referring to the Demolition Man mission from the game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, released in 2002. The task, in which the player needs to use a radio-controlled helicopter to pick up and plant four bombs on an unfinished object within a strictly limited time, has acquired cult status. Due to its extremely unusual and complex controls, it is considered one of the most difficult missions in the history of video games.
