Purpose:	Basic Skills Trainer (BST)
Use:	Classroom/Embedded Training
Development:	5 months
Fielded:	AUG 05

Development teams are leveraging the America's Army platform to develop the Common Remotely Operated Weapon Station (CROWS) Basic Skill Trainer (BST). CROWS is a stabilized, remotely controlled weapons mount that allows a gunner to effectively engage targets in 360 degrees coverage while remaining within the protection of a moving Up-Armored HMMWV. The CROWS stabilized mount can be configured with a variety of weapon adapters to remotely aim and fire a suite of crew-served, small and medium caliber machine guns including the M-2 .50-caliber, M-240B , M-249 machine guns and the MK-19 automatic grenade launcher.

CROWS uses a color day sight camera, a Generation 2 forward-looking infrared (FLIR) camera, zoom optics and a laser range finder to provide the gunner with enhanced target acquisition and identification capabilities. Prototypes of the CROWS system and training devices are undergoing evaluation in Iraq under an urgent needs request and America's Army is a critical part of this rapid fielding effort. In a future release of the America's Army game, the CROWS system will be fully functional allowing players to drive or ride in the Up-armored HMMWV and operate the weapons platform while stationary or on the move. Using the CROWS weapon players will be able to cycle between day and thermal sights, continuously zoom optics, laser range targets and engage enemy vehicles and OPFOR using the M-2 machine gun or MK-19 grenade launcher. The CROWS vehicle will be crew served allowing 4 players to ride simultaneously within and when out of ammo, one player will have to exit the vehicle and crawl on top to reload.