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Defence journalists discover the synthetic training reshaping naval readiness, at Metaverse VR.
14 July 2026
Metaverse VR and Capita Selborne welcomed defence journalists to Portsdown Technology Park for an exclusive inside look and hands‑on demonstration of Metaverse VR’s virtual bridge simulators, synthetic training systems and wider defence training technology underpinning Royal Navy training modernisation.
The visit provided a detailed view of how simulation, synthetic environments and rapid capability development are reshaping naval readiness.
Beginning with an introduction from Toby Everitt, CEO and founder of Metaverse VR, and Ade Morley, Managing Director at Capita Selborne, the journalists were given a walkthrough of how synthetic training, spiral development and rapid procurement have enabled the Royal Navy to modernise bridge and navigation training at unprecedented speed.
Inside the Royal Navy’s Synthetic Training Ecosystem
Journalists took to the seas, with Metaverse showcasing its full virtual bridge, control room and engine room simulators, as well as UAS and Counter‑UAS training systems. These capabilities allow training to be delivered early, then iteratively improved through life, supporting the Navy’s shift toward more agile, data‑driven and synthetic training environments.
Journalists stepped inside the simulators, observed live demonstrations and spoke directly with the teams responsible for delivering and supporting the systems.
Joanna Bailey, editor of ADS Advance, said the experience helped contextualise the scale and realism of today’s naval training technology.
“I’m quite new to maritime defence, being an aviation girl myself, so I treated this very much as a learning opportunity and I learnt an awful lot.
“Our hosts were incredibly knowledgeable and answered all our questions brilliantly.
“And the hands-on demos, being able to actually see the technology in action, really does bring it to life for us in a way you simply don’t get from reading about it.”
Synthetic training as a core component of naval readiness
Throughout the day, Metaverse VR and Capita highlighted how synthetic training is becoming central to Royal Navy training and operational preparation.
The Warfighter Readiness paper calls for greater use of simulation, faster lesson integration from the frontline and more agile training delivery. These themes were reflected across the briefings and demonstrations.
Bailey noted the broader relevance across defence domains:
“Simulations are definitely the way forward, not just for naval operations but for aerospace and the drone economy as well.
“You can’t take huge pieces of equipment offline to let trainees experiment on them, so having them practise in a simulated environment makes far more sense.
“It means they’re ready to go to work the moment they step onto the real thing.”
SME innovation and the importance of support structures
The visit also touched on the pressures facing defence SMEs, particularly during periods of uncertainty around DIP and SDR timelines. Bailey reflected on the impact:
“We’ve seen a lot of good companies that aren’t there anymore because of delays, because of the way funding’s structured, and because of how difficult it is for SMEs to work with the MOD.
“Metaverse VR has clearly been well supported by Capita, and that bridging role between an innovator and the Ministry of Defence is incredibly important.”
Despite the challenges, she was clear about the strength of the UK’s innovation base:
“Frankly, the UK’s got bags of innovation. We’ve got great companies and great people, and we just need a bit more certainty and a bit more willingness to fund it properly.
“If SMEs can get the backing they need, they’ll continue delivering world class capability.”
A clearer understanding of synthetic training’s value
Before the visit, Bailey admitted she wasn’t sure what to expect but ultimately found it invaluable in opening her eyes to the benefits of synthetic training.
“Now I’ve come for the day, I’ll be telling all my colleagues. It’s been genuinely eye opening.”
And it was this outcome Everitt and Morley were hoping for. Speaking after the visit, Everitt said the value of bringing journalists into the environment is that it shows, rather than tells, what modern synthetic training can achieve.
“When people step inside these simulators and see how the systems work together, the conversation changes.
“You can talk about synthetic training, spiral development and rapid delivery, but nothing lands quite like seeing it in action.
“What we want is for people to understand how these capabilities support the Royal Navy today and how they will evolve through life.
“Days like this help build that understanding and show the importance of the Selborne ecosystem in enabling SMEs like ours to deliver at speed.”
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Simulation and Synthetics: 4 Ways VR Enhances Interoperability in Mission Rehearsal Training
03 June 2026
In this blog post, we look at four training advantages of using immersive virtual reality simulation to deliver enhanced multi-user, multi-domain military training.
Quick Jump
Mission rehearsal has always relied on simulation and synthetic training, but it has also been restricted by long-standing challenges of fixed facilities, single user systems and scenarios difficult to adapt or repeat.
For joint readiness, constraints like these limits how easily teams can train together, share a common operating environment or rehearse multi‑domain tasks in one coherent space.
Virtual reality changes that. Today, defence teams are integrating VR into existing training protocols and systems as part of the wider shift towards digitally enabled, synthetic training.
It delivers a fully immersive, cohesive and multi‑user layer that removes legacy barriers and strengthens the mission rehearsal pipeline.
1. Consistent, Custom, Controllable Simulation Training
Immersive training systems, like virtual or mixed reality, are being used by armed forces instructors to create tailored environments to match precise training needs.
Multi-agency teams are dropped into digital twin replicas of towns, cities and operational terrain built to reflect real mission locations in which threat profiles, weather, visibility and comms conditions can be adjusted instantly.
Because everything is synthetic, instructors can pause, reset or modify scenarios on demand.
By offering this level of control, mission rehearsal training can be made more consistent across teams, more adaptable to emerging requirements and far easier to refine through repetition.
2. Multi-domain, multi-user simulation training
A headset, a controller and a terminal. With these items, teams plug into a shared training environment from wherever they are. There is no need for major system changes, nor requirement for large‑scale infrastructure investment.
The advantage is in the simplicity. Army, Navy and Air Force personnel enter the same immersive, multi‑domain synthetic environment and prepare together for high‑risk scenarios, even when they’re geographically dispersed.
VR removes the dependency on fixed facilities and single‑user systems, making joint mission rehearsal far more accessible.
Integrating synthetic simulation systems in this way delivers a shared operational picture in which airspace deconfliction, ground manoeuvre, maritime interdiction and ISR feeds can all be rehearsed together in real time.
Modern operations span land, sea, air, cyber and space, often involving multinational forces and advanced capabilities. Recreating this complexity through live training alone is extremely challenging and often prohibitively expensive. Synthetic training that exposes individuals and teams to this type of pressure is vital.”
Air Vice‑Marshal (Ret’d) Gary Waterfall CBE,
Calibre News
3. Faster joint simulation training set up with lower overheads
When integrated within traditional training ecosystems, VR solutions, like Metaverse VR’s VirtualSky, reduce much of the time, costs and coordination normally required to run live mission rehearsal.
Scenarios can be loaded, modified and reset in minutes, without the logistics burden of booking large simulators, coordinating physical assets or moving teams between facilities.
This lowers the overhead for instructors and allows more training value to be delivered within the same window.
Instead of spending hours preparing to train, units run multiple iterations, test variations and rehearse emerging mission profiles at short notice. It’s a practical way to increase training tempo without increasing infrastructure demands.
4. Safe, repeatable scenario-based military simulations
A mission, task or procedural failure in a VR training environment is never costly. Nor is it ever a threat to life or assets.
Instead, every mistake is an opportunity to learn, repeat and refine mission‑critical skills.
Within these controlled synthetic environments, high‑risk tasks normally difficult, dangerous or expensive to recreate can be rehearsed safely.
And because scenarios can be reset instantly, teams can run multiple iterations with consistent variables, building shared mental models and improving collective performance.
This structured repetition accelerates learning and strengthens joint readiness without exposing personnel or equipment to unnecessary risk.
How to integrate VR into mission rehearsal training
Immersive technologies such as virtual, augmented and mixed reality will not replace live simulation, but their integration already offers clear advantages for UK and global defence teams.
Unlocking their benefits starts with understanding where it strengthens your current training ecosystem whether that’s scenario control, distributed access, multi‑user coordination or safe repetition of high‑risk tasks.
From there, custom environments can be built to reflect real mission locations, operational constraints and joint training requirements.
Our extended reality team works with defence organisations to design and deliver these environments.
From multi‑user scenarios to full mission walk‑throughs, we help teams introduce VR to complement existing training, support instructors and enhance readiness across the force.
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How instructors use augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) to make professional training more inclusive
Quick Jump
- AR and VR training is more visually engaging than traditional theory-based training
- AR an VR training is more active than traditional theory-based training
- Instructors can modify AR and VR training challenge levels at the click of a button
- Full immersion means it’s easier to focus and not get distracted
- The pressure for trainees to “get it right” straight away is removed
There are many reasons trainees can struggle in a professional training space or in an educational environment. The best instructors use a toolkit of strategies to work with their trainees, to support them in their learning, and to guide them when they face barriers to learning.
Now, instructors have one of the most impactful and innovative new training strategies to add to their toolkit.
Augmented Reality (AR) training and Virtual Reality (VR) training have a proven record for being effective, accessible, and engaging for trainees.
In this blog, we speak to Dave – a UK MoD and Police Liaison – for his his insight and experiences in using AR and VR training.
Having served for approximately 25 years in the Armed Forces delivering training from initial recruit instruction through to specialist trade training across several high-profile military establishments, he has seen first-hand how technology can transform the way people learn.
“Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality are powerful tools for instructors,” he explains.
“They allow trainees to rehearse complex procedures, understand systems visually, and build confidence in a controlled environment before stepping into real-world scenarios.
“Used properly, these technologies do not replace good instruction. They enhance it to make training more accessible, repeatable and ultimately more effective.”
What are some reasons military trainees can struggle to learn?
There are various reasons an individual may need extra support to access training, but common barriers include:
A mild learning difficulty
Learning difficulties have nothing to do with intelligence or capability. Some people simply need information presented to them in a particular way for it to be effective. A common example is dyslexia. If a trainee finds reading difficult, or cannot process information from reading, they’ll need specific support to make learning accessible and inclusive.
Neurodivergence
This is another example of an information processing challenge. “Some of the most capable trainees I’ve worked with have learned best through practical and visual instruction rather than long classroom sessions,” Dave told us. “Good training recognises people process information differently, and instructors need a range of tools to ensure every trainee can engage with the material and perform at their best.” Expecting someone with ADHD to keep still and listen for hours at a time is not going to result in quality training. We have to find another way to make the training work for the trainee.
English as an additional language
- VR (Virtual Reality) puts you in a fully digital world.
- AR (Augmented Reality) adds digital info to the real world, like a heads-up display.
- MR (Mixed Reality) lets you interact with both. Think digital and real elements working together.
Each can be used in training, depending on what you’re preparing for.
Previous poor experiences in education
If trainees had a difficult time in formal education, for whatever reason, being back in a rigid classroom environment can be very counterproductive. In high-stress situations trainees can fail to cement vital information to memory and can find instructions impossible to follow. Keeping these trainees calm, focused, and engaged is an ongoing task until they can associate the learning environment with positivity and success.
1: Augmented reality and virtual reality training is more visually engaging than traditional theory-based training
Regardless of the specific challenge the trainee faces, AR and VR training levels the playing field for everyone. The inclusion of hyper-realistic and interactive visuals naturally supports a diverse range of learners.
Instructors can communicate key information to the trainees in an engaging way. It’s automatically more engaging than listening to a speaker and retaining information or reading texts and interpreting meaning. The visual nature of AR and VR means learners literally see and “experience” the training material rather than imagining it or memorising it.
PWC conducted a study of the effectiveness of virtual learning and found, “VR-learners were 4 times more focused during training than their e-learning peers and 1.5 times more focused than their classroom colleagues”.
AR and VR are immersive learning experiences meaning trainees use all their senses to access content materials. Trainees simply being supported with visual clues for learning rather than only written or verbal instructions makes learning more inclusive and effective. PWC reported trainees using VR completed training faster than their colleagues who didn’t use it, and they were more confident in their knowledge.
It’s not just about identifying where trainees may struggle,” explained Dave.
“It’s about finding practical ways to ensure everyone can access and absorb the learning. In my experience the most effective approach is blended training combining classroom instruction, practical activity and technologies such as AR and VR.
“As instructors we also need to monitor engagement and performance throughout the training so we can adjust our approach and make sure the material is actually being understood and retained.”
Dave, Anartes
2: AR and VR training is more active than traditional theory-based training and trainees retain more knowledge
Understanding the theory and foundations of a concept is essential for a trainee to fully grasp the practical functions. But, the longer trainees stay in the “theory” stage, the more difficult they may find it to concentrate, follow the content, or retain the knowledge.
AR and VR makes the theory parts of training more engaging. With interactive 3D renderings of equipment and processes VR and AR training supports trainees to move from the theory stage to the practical stage more quickly.
The sooner trainees can start applying their new knowledge practically, the better they’ll learn. With AR and VR, trainees can use headsets, glasses, and smart devices to support them as they perform tasks. Learning in this way means trainees are immediately building muscle memory and rehearsing essential knowledge.
Depending on the topic or the process, trainees can use AR/ VR as an intermediary support before being fully autonomous. Having additional instructions in your eyeline as they experience a training session means trainees are supported to do their best. Soon, with repetition, there will be no need for extra instructions because they’ll have developed the skills and instincts they need in their field
UKCPD, a leading UK professional training organisation, explains why practical knowledge is more beneficial for trainees:
Practical learning often allows us to retain information efficiently and for prolonged periods… [It] can generate a deeper understanding of a specific skill or subject. Learning from experience is often seen as a more powerful way to ingrain knowledge and develop abilities”.
3: Instructors can modify the challenge level of an AR or VR training session at the click of a button
The simplicity and adaptability of virtual training is what makes it most inclusive. If a trainee is finding a concept or a process difficult, the trainee has limitless options to support their learning:
- The trainee can easily access learning materials remotely to do extra learning on their own
- The instructor can amend what the trainee “sees” and how complex a task is, making it simpler at first and then building complexity when the trainee is ready
- The instructor can provide extra verbal instructions quietly, directly to the trainees’ headphones, until the trainee grows in confidence
- The trainee can work with peers to collaborate with learning and crowdsource solutions together
- The instructor can get precise data on trainees’ performance immediately, meaning they can reinstruct trainees and correct errors in the moment
- The instructor can set up tiny challenges, allowing the trainee to rehearse the elements they’re struggling with repeatedly, until the trainee has full capability
Likewise, the instructor can respond immediately to trainees who make swift progress and set them up on individual challenges to push their learning.
A study exploring using VR to support learners with autism from Science Direct concluded, “the data suggest that VR may support educational inclusion by allowing the personalisation of content and environments to accommodate individual student needs”.
“One of the biggest advantages of AR and VR is the flexibility it gives instructors when managing a mixed group of trainees.
“At any one time I might have one group consolidating their learning through a practical assessment, another repeating a task to improve their performance, and others progressing onto more advanced stages of the training.
“The technology allows trainees to work at the right pace for them while maintaining a consistent training standard. Repetition is essential in building competence, and these systems allow trainees to practise procedures multiple times in a controlled environment until the process becomes familiar and instinctive.
“As instructors we can monitor progress across the group, provide additional support where needed, and ensure every trainee builds the confidence required before moving on”
Dave, Anartes
4: The immersive nature of AR and VR training means it’s easier to focus and not get distracted
Trainees who use AR and VR as they learn report feeling more focused and less distracted than in traditional training environments.
PWC reported, “VR-trained learners were up to 4 times more focused during training than their e-learning peers and 1.5 times more focused than their classroom peers”.
There are multiple reasons for this, including:
- The ability for trainees to quicky apply knowledge practically
- The increased visual support which is more engaging and makes learning material more explicit
- The opportunities for trainees to work autonomously and at their own pace
But perhaps the most significant reason trainees can focus more with AR and VR training is because it literally blocks out outside distractions. Physically wearing the glasses and headphones, or using a simulator, fully immerses the trainee in a hyper-realistic environment. The accurate-to-real-life digital renderings or overlays along with the sounds and realistic movements mean the “practice” feels exactly like real-life missions.
When tasks should be independent, trainees using glasses and headphones or headsets can’t hear or see their fellow trainees. They also can’t be distracted by any other auditory or visual interruptions from outside the training space. Trainees can focus more deeply and for longer on the course material. Instructors can cover more material and train more effectively.
When tasks need to be collaborative, AR and VR training is easily scalable to group learning. With clearly defined roles, interactive technology, and hyper-realistic visuals, trainees are supported to work together effectively. By working as a team, trainees practice communication skills, problem solving strategies, and begin to bond.
5: The pressure for trainees to “get it right” straight away is removed with AR and VR training
Training with AR and VR reduces the pressure trainees face, which improves every part of the learning experience.
Using virtual technology means there’s more time and opportunity for trainees to access the course materials. As well as attending the structured sessions with the instructor, trainees can build on their learning independently. It’s easy to review the recordings of their training session remotely and with AR and VR devices available on base for trainees can practice in their downtime. Trainees don’t have to ‘ace’ the training session or put pressure on understanding everything in the training session. They can rehearse and deepen their knowledge over time.
Additionally, AR and VR training means trainees can safely fail. With the highly realistic, high quality digital environments trainees experience authentic training but with no risk to their health or wellbeing, and no risk to their teammates’ health or wellbeing. There’s no risk to equipment or limitations on accessing it. Trainees can learn, practice, make mistakes, and try again as many times as they need. Failing and improving are vital for building competency and resilience.
From the results of the PWC study, researchers concluded:
Practicing skills in VR offers the ability to try different paths to achieve better results. Learning something new involves being awkward, making mistakes, course-correcting and trying again. By giving people the opportunity to repeat a task in a natural way, practice builds confidence, which improves quality and helps to reduce mistakes.”
In summary…
AR and VR training makes learning more inclusive for all trainees. It’s more engaging, makes knowledge more memorable, and reduces distractions. Regardless of the individual learning challenges trainees might face, everyone can benefit from virtual training.
“At its core, good training is about building understanding, repetition and confidence,” Dave concludes.
“AR and VR give instructors the tools to create realistic environments where trainees can practise, make mistakes safely, and improve until the task becomes second nature.”
Want to try a demo and see how AR and VR training can transform your training sessions? Book a free demo with the Metaverse VR team today.
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Seen It All Before: How Scenario-Based Training Builds Real Operational Readiness
Theory first, practice second – it’s the model every learner knows. Classroom first, field second.
But even with live practice, replicating the full pressure, complexity, and unpredictability of real operational conditions remains a constant challenge.
Safety constraints, resource limitations, and operational tempo mean teams can’t train on the scenarios that matter most — as often as they need to.
Virtual scenario-based training bridges this gap, giving teams the opportunity to deploy at the scale and frequency high-performance operations demand.
In this article, we explore why scenario-based training delivers superior results for operational roles, the resource constraints that limit its deployment, and how immersive virtual reality (VR) technology is removing those barriers.
Increasingly reduced access to locations means booking conflicts and weather delays restrict repetitions when units need them most. Budget pressures demand reduced live-fire availability and platform hours while somehow increasing training frequency.
Threat evolution, meanwhile, continues to outpace traditional training cycles as adversaries adapt faster than conventional programmes can respond. And joint integration remains logistically complex and expensive, creating friction that undermines multi-service effectiveness.
Virtual reality addresses all of these constraints directly.
Why scenario-based training delivers results
Scenario-based training works because it mirrors the realities teams face.
When personnel encounter complex challenges in the field, they’ve already rehearsed them. They’ve seen them before, handled them, and solved them.
This type of training creates a learning environment that translates directly to operational capability.
The performance difference is measurable. Research across defence and critical infrastructure sectors shows scenario-trained personnel demonstrate:
- Up to 75% better knowledge retention than classroom-trained counterparts.
- Up to 5,000% efficiency gains in aviation
- 30% faster response times in live emergency incidents
- 8% higher recall accuracy, a critical advantage when seconds matter
More significantly, scenario-trained personnel make faster decisions under pressure, recover from errors more effectively, and transfer skills reliably to live operations.
Learners achieve up to 75% better knowledge retention than classroom-trained counterparts.
The resource challenge
The challenge isn’t proving scenario-based training’s effectiveness. Operational results already do that.
The real challenge is delivering it at the scale and frequency operational tempo demands.
Traditional live exercises require dedicated facilities, specialised equipment, extensive coordination, and downtime that can disrupt critical operations.
A single high-fidelity training scenario can cost tens to hundreds of thousands of pounds and require months of planning, limiting most organisations to just a handful of major exercises each year.
Planning and delivering realistic training for complex situations (multi-agency responses, large-scale incidents, or coordinated operations across distributed assets) is resource-intensive by definition.
Safety and operational constraints further limit how often teams can experience genuinely high-risk scenarios. The most critical situations often receive the least training time. In aviation, for instance, practising in real aircraft is prohibitively expensive and poses unacceptable risk.
In infrastructure management, taking critical systems offline simply isn’t practical.
At scale, VR achieves cost parity with e-learning and becomes 52% less expensive than classroom training at 3,000 learners, with organisations reporting 70% reduction in overall training delivery costs.
Unlocking new margins through immersive learning scenarios
This is where immersive virtual reality (VR) changes the equation.
VR has evolved into a credible training capability for serious operational environments, delivering photorealistic recreations of real facilities — control rooms, secure sites, vehicles, and infrastructure — with physics-accurate interactions and consequence-driven decision trees.
For UK organisations managing defence, transport, and critical infrastructure operations, VR addresses the frequency constraint.
Teams can now run complex scenarios repeatedly without mobilising physical assets, coordinating role players, or accepting operational risk. Night operations, adverse conditions, equipment line failures, and multi-casualty incidents become routine training opportunities rather than quarterly events.
The cost advantages are substantial. VR training costs approximately £1,000 per headset compared to £4.5 million for legacy simulators.
At scale, VR achieves cost parity with e-learning and becomes 52% less expensive than classroom training at 3,000 learners, with organisations reporting 70% reduction in overall training delivery costs.
But the operational advantage goes further. VR captures every decision point, communication, and action for detailed after-action review. Trainers can replay critical moments from multiple perspectives, identify where protocols fractured, and refine responses with accuracy impossible in live exercises.
Real-world results validate the approach
The US Air Force reduced pilot training time from 12 months to 4 months using VR, whilst maintaining certification standards.
UK Royal Air Force personnel have demonstrated equivalent decision-making performance in VR combat scenarios compared to live-fire exercises.
At Ellsworth Air Force Base, 84% of airmen reported improved medical skills after VR training programmes.
This data-driven approach enables continuous improvement of both individual performance and standard operating procedures.
Extending capability, not replacing it
Immersive VR doesn’t replace field training. It extends an organisation’s ability to deliver scenario-based learning at the scale and frequency high-performance teams require.
More scenarios. More personnel trained. Higher readiness standards.
All achieved with safer, smarter, and more efficient use of training budgets and operational resources.
Ready to see how VR transforms your training programme?
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]]>Will the SDR signal a new era for UK defence SMEs?
Paul Pine
Chief Technology Officer, Metaverse VR
For small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the UK defence sector, the 2025 Strategic Defence Review (SDR) and Spending Review aims to be pivotal.
These announcements mark not just a policy shift, but a signal of intent for the Labour Government within the new era of war in Europe.
With a commitment to increase defence and national security spending to 5% of GDP by 2035, the UK Government has set out a bold vision – one attempts to bring major transformation across procurement, innovation, and industrial resilience.
For SMEs, long operating at the periphery of major defence contracts, this may well mark the start of a more central role.
But alongside the promise, there are some practical realities to prepare for.
An ambitious rise in investment
The scale of funding is significant. Defence spend aims to grow from approximately 2.3% to 5% of GDP over the next decade, which is an uplift of £80–90 billion annually.
Encouragingly, a notable portion is set aside for areas where SMEs have historically added value to innovation, supply chain resilience, and regional industrial support.
This presents a strong growth signal and potential reasons to be optimistic.
But it would be unwise to overlook the timeframes involved. Even with procurement reform on the agenda, this is not an overnight shift. Defence contracts remain complex, and delivery cycles long. For many businesses, it may take up to three years before investment linked to the SDR translates into actual revenue and significant investment may take over a decade.
A new chapter for defence innovation
It is particularly welcome to see the SDR commit 5% of total defence spending to R&D, and 10% of equipment budgets to innovation – including extended reality and simulation.
The launch of the Defence Innovation Agency and a £400 million Defence Innovation Fund both suggest serious intent to back this ambition with funding.
These reforms are accompanied by measures designed to reduce friction for SMEs – including simplified contracting routes for opportunities under £5 million and £50 million.
That could signal a real shift away from SMEs acting purely as subcontractors to large primes, and towards more direct engagement.
Still, access won’t be automatic. Numerous frameworks will have to be joined and monitored. Requirements around security, compliance, and scale remain high. And they are rising.
Cyber Essentials Plus certification, ITAR compliance, and robust governance will be front and centre, and any firm unfamiliar with defence may find they need to get up to speed fast.
The SDR will commit 5% of total defence spending to R&D and 10% of equipment budgets to innovation
The export opportunity – and the challenge
A new Defence Exports Office is also being established, aimed at supporting SMEs with global scale-up and access to overseas markets.
With international collaborations like AUKUS and GCAP progressing, this could open doors.
Large primes still dominate global supply chains, so SMEs will need to be agile, strategic, and visible to make gains here.
Meanwhile, the SDR is likely to intensify competition for technical talent – particularly in high-demand areas such as AI, simulation, and advanced manufacturing.
As the MoD and primes ramp up recruitment for suitably qualified experience people, SMEs will need to be selective in the roles they pursue, and smart in how they retain talent.
What comes next
At Metaverse VR, we’ve noticed the pause in spending and decision-making since the 2024 General Election period, as the sector awaited clarity from the SDR.
Now the clarity is finally here, the stage is set for regeneration of the UK’s defence industrial base – but SMEs must be realistic. The opportunities are real, but so are the demands. The race has just turned into a marathon.
Those best placed to benefit will be organisations who can scale without losing agility, meet the rising compliance bar without slowing down, and deliver capability at pace, securely and smartly.
This could be a defining decade for the UK’s SME defence community.
The question is: are we ready?
Our team are ready to discuss your thoughts.
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MR, VR or AR.
Which one is best for you?
There’s a question we’re often asked by customers considering virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR) or mixed reality (MR) for their team development.
Given these terms are often used interchangeably, it’s an understandable point of clarification.
As for the answer, the truth is – it depends. They each have distinct capabilities tailored to different training needs and performance goals.
So, let’s take a closer look at what sets them apart and how to choose the right fit for your team.
Virtual Reality: Total immersion for total preparation
When you choose VR, you choose a fully immersive experience.
Once the headset is on, teams step into expertly recreated, high-fidelity virtual environments where they can rehearse complex operations safely and repeatedly.
And because it’s completely virtual, it’s the ideal solution when training involves risk, remote locations or coordination between teams.
For example, aviation crews can simulate entire flight missions without downtime or fuel costs.
In the defence sector, operators can rehearse tactical manoeuvres in simulated combat environments, while freight or construction teams can gain hands-on experience inside cockpits before stepping on-board.
Best for:
High-risk, high-complexity team training and developmentBenefit:
Repeatable, measurable, and fully controllable
Studies show that VR learners retain 75% more information compared to traditional training methods, completing tasks up to 4x faster.
Assc. For Talent Development
Augmented Reality: Smarter decisions in the moment
Unlike VR, which immerses users in a completely virtual world, augmented reality integrates useful data directly onto real-world environments through a tablet, smart phone or smart glasses.
It’s ideal for situations where field-based support is required without disrupting the ongoing task.
For instance, engineers can receive step-by-step repair instructions in real-time or construction workers can view underground utilities projected on the ground.
Best for:
Maintenance, inspections, just-in-time supportBenefit:
Real-time assistance with no need to leave the work environment
AR is proven to reduce error rates by up to 40% in field service operations.
HCL Tech
Mixed Reality: The best of both worlds
Combining the power of VR and AR, mixed reality blends real-world spaces with digital elements you don’t just see – like AR – but can also interact with and react to.
In real terms, it’s training in a physical space enhanced with virtual recreations of the environments, systems or objects teams will need to master.
For example, defence teams can plan missions collaboratively using MR to overlay real-time updates and digital elements over a physical map.
Full scale simulators can also be used to replicate the real-world experience and give the user a truly hands-on, virtual experience.
In aviation, MR can blend cockpit layouts with virtual training scenarios, while construction teams can visualise building plans and detect clashes on-site before physical work begins.
Best for:
Collaborative planning, physical-digital fusionBenefit:
Real-time, interactive overlays in real environments
Studies have shown that MR boosts team collaboration, leading to a 30% reduction in reworks in the construction sector, while providing greater efficiency and faster decision-making.
Travancore Analytics
So, which is right for you?
It depends on your goals, environment and the user’s role:
Choose VR:
When safety, precision and repeatability are paramount, especially in high-risk environmentsChoose AR:
When you need to utilise real world systems in a digital environment- Choose MR:
When you require collaboration, spatial awareness and interactive training in real-world environments
Still not sure which is best for your needs?
We can help you explore the best fit for your team.
Get in touch today!
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How To Integrate VR Training Into Your Team Development Programmes
So, you’re curious about how virtual reality (VR) could enhance your training programme?
If you’ve clicked on this article, we’re guessing you’ve got a few questions. Maybe even a couple of reservations?
Like any fast-evolving technology, VR training comes with its fair share of misconceptions – especially around cost, complexity, and whether it’s as effective as traditional methods.
But the truth? It’s far more accessible – and infinitely more powerful – than most people think. And the wide range of options available provide value for even the most budget conscious projects, comparing extremely favourably to traditional forms of training.
In this guide, we’ll walk you through how to get started with immersive VR training.
We’ll look at how it integrates with the systems you already use (rather than working against them), and why it’s fast becoming the go-to choice for teams that need to train smarter, safer, and more affordably.
Live vs Virtual: It’s not either/or
Integrating VR training isn’t about replacing everything you currently do. It’s about enhancing it.
Live simulation training remains invaluable. But it’s not always practical – or safe.
VR lets you augment your live programmes by replicating environments with high fidelity without needing to get boots on the ground, deck or in the cockpit.
That means you can rehearse the same scenario 100 times over, tweak conditions, rewind, fast forward and add pressure variables. You can also reset instantly, to practice scenarios repeatedly, and optimise learning outcomes.
In other words: you get live realism, without the live risks. And it’s a lot more scalable and flexible to manage than the real world.
It’s not standalone, either.
VR solutions are designed to be modular and interoperable, working in tandem with existing systems to enhance the training experience – such as:
Existing learning management systems (LMS)
Current training programmes or protocols
Other digital or physical training environments
Asset tracking tools, communication systems, and even scenario playback or analysis tools
Sounds expensive? Think again.
One of the biggest myths around VR training is the cost.
Initial setup varies depending on scale, and most clients see a significant return within months, especially when factoring in:
Less downtime for live setups
Fewer travel and logistics costs
Reduced risk to equipment and people
Faster, repeatable and measurable training
A controllable, predictable environment, eradicating real-world weather and other physical environment concerns
No abortive costs or unpredictable changes due to weather dependency.
With options to tailor projects to your available budget, VR is no longer the preserve of big budgets. It’s accessible – and usually more cost-effective than traditional alternatives involving the physical environment.
Getting started: Our recommendation
When considering any VR solution, it’s important to build from the bottom up – starting with a clear picture of your precise needs. The location. The conditions. The challenges. The unique physical properties of your equipment, and the impacts of the environment on them.
After all, why go virtual at all if you can’t manage every detail users will find in the real world?
From there, it’s about matching the right solution, environment and integration to fit.
Here’s a step-by-step process we go through with every client.
Define key learning outcomes and your core skills
What behaviours, reactions or decisions do you want to build?Choose your environment
Do you need urban, maritime, offshore, arid or aerial scenarios? (We can recreate them all.)Decide your training solution
Fully immersive? Scenario-based? Multi-user simulation? Integrated with your LMS?Map interoperability
What systems does your training need to plug into (e.g. performance tracking, asset comms)?Pilot and scale
Start small. Prove the model. Then expand with data-led confidence.
Integration should always be seamless
Metaverse VR is built on the idea that effective training shouldn’t be complicated, with intelligent technology that makes it simple for users.
We’ve helped teams across military, emergency response and specialist commercial sectors launch VR programmes with minimal disruption and maximum impact. And we’d be happy to help you do the same.
Let’s talk about what you need
Whether you’re starting from scratch or wondering how to slot VR into your existing set-up, we’ll help you build a plan that works.
Get in touch today!
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Immersive Training: A Guide To A Game-Changing Innovation For High-Performance Teams
Over the past decade, increasing numbers of high-performance teams have integrated immersive training into their development plans – and for good reason.
Rapid advancement in technology matched with sophisticated graphics and physics engines, have created a smarter, safer and more cost-effective way to prepare them for the demands of their real-world roles.
In this guide, we’ll break down what immersive training means, how virtual reality works in this context and how it’s being used to make skill development more purposeful.
What Is Immersive Training?
Immersive training is more than a technological upgrade — it’s a strategic shift in how your teams learn.
Rather than separating knowledge from experience, it unifies the two. It gives teams the chance to rehearse real-world scenarios in simulated environments designed to feel and behave like the environments they’ll be operating in.
At the heart of most immersive training programmes is virtual reality (VR). Unlike watching a video or reading a manual, VR allows users to move, react and make decisions within an environment that replicates the visual, spatial and often physical conditions of a real scenario.
But immersive training isn’t limited to VR alone. It can also draw on augmented reality (AR) — which overlays digital elements onto the real world — and mixed reality (MR), where physical and digital objects interact in real time.
Depending on the training need, these technologies can be combined or used separately to create highly specific, controlled and repeatable learning environments.
The key principle, regardless of format, is presence — the sense of truly “being there.”
It’s what makes immersive training so effective at developing not just procedural know-how, but the deeper instincts and behaviours that define operational excellence.
Immersion in action: A UAV flight through Dubai Old Town
To show how authentic immersive training can be, press play on this simulation of a VR flight through a recreation of Dubai Old Town.
Everything you see is accurate to the geography of the town. The buildings match, the streets are the same; each route an accurate recreation of the town’s real-world map.
But this isn’t just about how it looks, but how it feels.
The pilot is navigating an authentic flying experience. As the wind shifts, it affects stability. As the drone’s battery depletes, handling changes. The controls change. Decisions need to be made faster. Strategies need to adapt.
This isn’t a game. It’s what makes immersive training so effective: the stakes feel real, and the scenarios are designed to match what teams will face in the field.
Why more teams are making the switch
No matter what industry, live development sessions come with compromise:
It’s expensive. It takes time to set up. It can be hard to simulate real-world conditions accurately. And most importantly, it’s risky.
Immersive training helps solve each of these.
- Safer preparation
Trainees can make mistakes without consequences — allowing them to push boundaries, build muscle memory, and learn faster. It’s especially powerful for high-risk, high-pressure roles. - Lower costs
There’s no need to shut down operations, deploy equipment or coordinate external teams. Once built, VR scenarios can be reused, adapted or scaled across locations with minimal cost. - More realism
By replicating environments like Dubai’s Old Town in 3D, local variables from weather and terrain to urban layouts and obstacles can be recreated quickly. That means team trains where they’ll be working, not just in a surrogate space. - Faster learning
Because the environment reacts dynamically, trainees are forced to make decisions in real time — helping them embed skills and behaviours far quicker than in a classroom or static sim. - Data and feedback
Every session produces data: reaction times, decision paths, errors, and successful outcomes. That means you can track progress, spot weaknesses, and tailor future sessions for each trainee.
What makes immersive training effective?
The real value lies in authenticity — not just what’s on screen, but how everything responds.
Our solutions and environments aren’t just beautifully rendered locations. They simulate real-world physics, environmental factors and mechanical responses — so your team doesn’t just know what to do, they’ve done it before.
This is the future of learning: scenario-based, performance-driven, and deeply personalised.
Who is it for?
Immersive training is already being used by:
Military & Defence – for drone operation, battlefield simulation, equipment handling, and decision-making under stress.
Emergency Responders – for search and rescue drills, hazardous environments, and triage coordination.
Freight & Logistics – for route management, handling regulations, and situational awareness in complex spaces.
Interested to find out more?
Our team are ready to create your perfect training environment.
Get in touch today!
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Portsdown Technology Park: The perfect base for Metaverse VR
26 July 2023
As an innovative, tech-focused hub and a well known centre of excellence for businesses from the maritime, technology, security and defence sectors, Portsdown Technology Park is the perfect base for Metaverse VR.
With the promise of being co-located with like-minded SMEs, OEMs and proximity to our customers we are excited to take on this space and make it our own. We had high ambitions to create a workplace that we all love to work in. We wanted it to elevate our brand and enable complex ways of working – no small task for Blue Jelly, our full service provider of design, fit out and furniture for positive environments where people want to work.
Our dream was brought to life by developing a futuristic reception area with a custom made, light box installation of the Metaverse VR logo surrounded by brand coloured uplighting and matching soft furniture. The Pure white Corian reception desk directs our brand aesthetic through to the open plan open-plan area for desk-based working. The Metaverse VR emblem is etched throughout the space into custom acoustic panels and the glass walls of the meeting room and simulators and floor-to-ceiling brand graphics coat the feature walls. Plus, behind a set of special doors, we’ve also got some Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace bridge simulators for Royal Navy trainees as part of our work on Team Fisher. And yes – that is Portsmouth Harbour the boat is docked in.
Blue Jelly’s Contracts Director Kevin Ward said, ‘this has been a complex and technical project, just how we like them! Working to MOD specifications and collaborating with specialist suppliers have all been part of the journey.’
The success of the new workplaces echoes through the team and we proudly show off the new space to visitors and clients alike.
Why not pop by?
We welcome visitors and look forward to sharing our office with our friends and customers.
Get in touch today!
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Metaverse VR to provide VR solution to the Royal Navy for submarine training
31 May 2023
Project Selborne is a 12-year programme to modernise and deliver training for the Royal Navy.
As part of the Royal Navy training transformation, Capita, who is running the programme, has awarded Metaverse VR the contract for the interactive 3D Walkthrough training system (i3DWT), which will help modernise Submarine Qualification training. Metaverse VR will be providing a fully modernised solution to improve training experience and outcomes for sailors.
Working closely with the Royal Navy the Metaverse VR team has developed a customer focussed solution, modernising and bringing an immersive experience to the next generation of training. The use of immersive and innovative technology is at the forefront of the solution, and there are many opportunities to integrate, expand and develop the system for other submarine types currently in service or due to be introduced. Training will be fully flexible -allowing sailors to train where and when they need.
Designed for classroom-based training at HMNB Clyde, the i3DWT will be able to operate in either free-play mode for orientation around the platform, or ‘training’ mode which will include interactive menus for drills, activities, and processes. Free play will allow a user to move about the platform, interacting with any specified entity that has animation without menus or instructions for immersive platform discovery. Trainees will also be able to run emergency drills in VR with the system, and it will be capable of replay through a relay screen or projector for instructors and other audiences to see the same environment as the trainee, allowing for individual and collective training.
Toby Everitt, CEO, Metaverse VR, said “Ingenuity is at the core of our business and we’re incredibly pleased as a new organisation to have our solution recognised by the Royal Navy and Project Selborne as the right fit for their approach to modernise and transform their immersive training.”
David Hook, Managing Director of Capita Defence Training, said: “We are pleased to be partnering Metaverse VR on immersive and innovative technology solutions within the Submarine Training area, as we continue our work to modernise and transform the Royal Navy’s shore-based training, enabling better trained people to the front line faster.”
Interested to find out more?
Our team are ready to answer all of your questions.
Get in touch today!
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