Will the Military Metaverse Change the Battlefield of the Future?

The unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic in 2019 changed our lives forever. At a time when communication was difficult, there were countless people who needed to communicate with each other, and the technology that made communication possible was inevitably needed. Metaverse, a technology that is currently on the agenda of the informatics world, consists of the combination of the words virtual and universe. Real-world individuals can communicate realistically through indirect experience using their avatars in a Virtual Reality (VR) or Augmented Reality (AR) online space. With the development of 5G technology and VR technology, the metaverse is emerging as a blue ocean in the digital world. Head Mounted Displays (English: Helmet Mounted Display; HMD) implementing VR and AR have been commercialized. Metaverse technology, which connects reality and virtual, is the most prominent technology in the pandemic period. Currently, the immersive effect of the metaverse is most effective in education.

One of the most effective applications of metaverse and immersive media technology in education is seen in the army. The military attaches great importance to education. Training prevents soldiers' skills from deteriorating, requires periodic training to adapt to rapidly changing technologies, and develops self-control, planning and coordination skills to deal with problems flexibly. Above all, training helps soldiers establish the right values, but most importantly, the most important reason why he teaches army training classes comes when it's time for hands-on training. The main purpose of the army is to win the wars in case of war. Waging and winning wars in the real world is hard work. However, it is impossible not to be prepared. Therefore, the army prepares for war with regular exercises. However, although realistic education is aimed, there are many difficulties such as financial problems. In order to develop a system that can achieve high efficiency at low cost, technologies such as AR, VR and Extended Reality (English. Extended Reality; XR) and digital twin technologies can be combined with high efficiency at low cost.

What is Metaverse Military?

Until now, the metaverse is thought to be a science toy for wealthy tech companies hoping to profit from it, but this notion is wrong. The Metaverse has a real presence that can help humans reach a second world, a world of experimentation if you want.

The Internet, Radio technology, GPS, and even duct tape were inventions that developed rapidly with the drive to survive and triumph in war. It seems no different today, as armies spend billions adopting what can only be described as Military Metaverse technology to gain an edge on the global battlefield. VR and AR have become widespread in military training in recent years. The Metaverse army revolves around the concept that armies will develop themselves through virtual training and practice that will benefit them in real life.

Metaverse Military is a military training initiative with the clear goal of improving training for soldiers with a digital Earth clone with real-world fidelity and intensity. The military metaverse uses many of the same technologies as the commercial metaverse, such as cloud scalability or VR/XR/AR. Today, we can see military Metaverse technology being taken to the battlefield or training grounds for now.

Marines try to integrate weapons systems and teach them how to coordinate actions (for example, helicopter pilots and artillery support infantry all interact in the same virtual environment).

Combat pilots can practice against simulated rival jets using a combination of AR, Artificial intelligence (AI) and video game visuals.

The Metaverse has potential for broader defense applications and could emerge as an important enhancement for in-military communications and battlefield effectiveness. Combat is getting terribly game-like, but that will lead to massive advances in metaverse technology that heal and save lives rather than taking them.

States that make efficient use of emerging technology and innovate organizationally and operationally in their environments can provide a tremendous geopolitical advantage, as security studies researchers have shown.

The Metaverse is real, and it will have a far greater impact than anyone imagined. This is the only conclusion that can be drawn from all these discoveries and concepts.

ALİ YAĞCI

Science Specialist

Working places; Artificial Intelligence, Genetic Algorithm, Metaverse in Military and Private Security Education.