From bazookas to pepper spray: the HGXR virtual reality training simulator from Hologate digitizes military and police training. Militär Aktuell visited Hologate at Enforce Tac 2025.
Before going into battle, sensors, a vest and, of course, the VR goggles have to be fitted. Up to eight people can then practice different scenarios, such as tactical action in buildings, in a predefined area. To make it as realistic as possible, the weapons and their effects must of course be integrated into the system.
“We offer customers the individual integration of all long and handguns,” says Leif Arne Petersen, Managing Director and founder of Hologate, a Munich-based software company with a history in entertainment. This also includes all police weapons such as pepper spray, batons, handcuffs and tasers. Shoulder-supported weapons such as the Panzerfaust from DND or the Enforcer from MBDA can also be integrated as training weapons.
Scenes at school and in war zones
When it comes to scenery, the customer has a free choice and can place not only virtual opponents, but also objects and vehicles in a modular system. “The environment ranges from civilian areas, such as critical infrastructure, schools or petrol stations, to war zones,” outlines Petersen.
In order to analyze the training results, it is possible to dive into the previously played scenario afterwards. For example, to take a close look at shooting behavior or the movements of the soldiers.
Bundeswehr and police as customers
Hologate currently counts the German armed forces among its customers: Currently for special forces, but later also for the basic training of soldiers. The police in several German federal states and twelve cantonal police forces in Switzerland also use the VR training solution.
“At the Enforce Tac (-> Enforce Tac 2025 bigger than ever before), we are literally overrun by interested parties,” says Petersen. Even the Austrian Armed Forces has already visited the stand. Petersen: “We hope that there will be cooperation in the near future.”
At the end of 2024 Hologate announced a collaboration with Rheinmetallto expand its portfolio of VR training and simulation solutions. Specifically, this will involve the development of a VR driving simulator for training military drivers.
