United States Marine Corps Weapons & Equipment
Mobile/Unit Conduct of Fire Trainer (M/U-COFT)
Primary function: Main battle tank gunnery simulation.
Builder: Elbit Computers
MOBILE CONDUCT OF FIRE TRAINER
Length: 45 feet (13.71 meters)
Width: 8 feet (2.44 meters)
Height: 13 feet (3.96 meters)
Cube: 4680 cubic feet (140.4 cubic meters)
UNIT CONDUCT OF FIRE TRAINER (non-deployable)
Length: 33.5 feet (10.21 meters)
Width: 24.75 feet (7.54 meters)
Introduction date: September 1991
Unit Replacement Cost: U-COFT $2,236,832
M-COFT $1,066150
Features: The Conduct of Fire Trainers, either Mobile (M-COFT) or Unit (U-COFT), provide training in the critical
crew/team tasks performed by M1A1 Main Battle Tank gunners and tank commanders in a simulated battlefield environment.
The U-COFT gunnery trainer is housed at the unit level in transportable shelters mounted on concrete pads. The
M-COFT mounts the shelter trainers on a trailer for easier geographical dispersion to the company-size elements
of the Marine Corps reserve. The COFT uses the same basic hardware and software modules in each configuration.
The COFT crew compartment subsystem replicates the turret interior of an M1A1 tank. The scenes viewed through the
fire control optics are computer-generated and react to manipulation of the controls the same as the actual M1A1
tank. It provides training in target acquisition, identification, and engagement with the main gun, coaxial machine
gun, and the tank commander's weapons station. An integral part of the COFT is the Instructor/Operator (I/O) Station
which provides the capability of monitoring both the gunner's and commander's fire control equipment; selects from
several hundred increasingly difficult scenarios to test crew/team member's judgements and reactions; and provides
an automatic scoring/feedback system for evaluating individual and crew performance.
Inventory: 4 U-COFT and 2 M-COFT
Background: Before the COFT was developed and fielded, tank gunnery training was restricted to annual periods of
main gun firing and qualification. The high cost of training and ammunition, lack of available range facilities
and the associated cost of moving vehicles, equipment and men to existing range facilities resulted in an annual
peak of crew proficiency followed by an extended period of nonfiring and subsequent decrease in proficiency. The
COFT provides a monthly training program requiring each gunner and tank commander to demonstrate that their gunnery
skills are sufficient to achieve an acceptable evaluation score. The COFT provides initial and subsequent gunnery
sustainment training and significantly improves crew proficiency in all aspects of tank gunnery. While providing
necessary training due to limited range availability and firing occasions, the COFTs are not a substitute for live
firing. Live fire is still required for combat training and qualification.
Information and Photos Courtesy of United States Marine Corps
