Babcock showcases marine version of BITE training

The control room of the marine-configured BITE shown at DSEI 2025. (Giles Ebbutt)

Babcock International has developed a marine iteration of its Babcock Immersive Training Experience (BITE). First revealed at IT2EC 2024 in its ground environment configuration, the facility has been developed in partnership with the United Kingdom's Beaverfit physical training equipment manufacturer.

BITE is aimed at recreating operational conditions in relatively confined environments. Built using Unreal Engine and contained in a single ISO container, it generates realistic sound, vibration, smoke, smell, and temperature, placing trainees under pressure while they are carrying out their roles. The marine version was demonstrated using the control room of a Sandown-class single-role minehunter, which would normally be manned by six personnel.

The control centre is responsible for damage control on a platform. When the marine version of BITE was launched during DSEI 2025 in September in London, the demonstration replicated the experience of an incoming air attack including the sounds of aircraft and outgoing anti-aircraft fire, the vibration when the vessel was ‘hit', and the monitoring and reporting of the resulting damage and subsequent actions.

Jo Rayson, managing director, Babcock Training, explained that the BITE control system enables operators to “dial the intensity up or down according to the trainees' performance”. The theatrical effects can be aligned with the training objectives, with branching scenarios and live injects. Everything is recorded for after-action review (AAR), and control operator/trainers can bookmark the timeline to highlight specific events and actions for subsequent discussion and debrief.