Home Team Academy to train officers with updated technology including virtual shooting range
The improved training facilities include a virtual shooting range and an enhanced training village.
Singapore's Home Team Academy (HTA) has plans to update its training facilities with advanced technology, including a virtual shooting range and immersive training village. These enhancements are part of a broader strategy to equip officers with skills needed for an increasingly dynamic and challenging operational environment. The academy, celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2026, aims to tap artificial intelligence (AI) to support content creation, automate assessments, and deliver personalized learning.
Minister for Law Edwin Tong highlighted the shift towards more digital, transnational, and fast-moving threats, noting that public expectations have also risen. The updated training programmes will address these evolving needs by incorporating virtual and immersive training methods to provide realistic, scalable, and safe learning experiences.
The virtual range will allow officers to train with realistic weapon replicas, while the immersive training village will enable them to repeat critical drills in realistic scenarios. Additionally, HTA will integrate AI into various aspects of training, ensuring that human judgement remains crucial in areas requiring critical thinking and professional intuition.
The academy will also host an incident management simulation system to facilitate cross-departmental training in complex scenarios. HTA's campus will receive new facilities, such as an indoor running track at its new IPPT centre and a revamped Home Team Gallery featuring updated artefacts, AI avatars, and multimedia game stations.
The gallery, open to the public since December 1, will provide a detailed illustration of the Home Team's various facets, including exhibits such as a smuggled revolver from Indonesia and a replica of an AK47 used in a 1968 police shootout. Visitors can also interact with AI avatars of current and former Home Team officers who share their personal experiences.
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