From Battlefields to Joysticks: How Video Game Controllers Are Steering the Future of US Military Operations

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The US Military's Preferred Weapon? A Video Game Controller

In upcoming battles, US forces will command their latest combat tech not through complex consoles or futuristic touch panels, but with a device that anyone who has ever owned an Xbox or PlayStation will instantly recognize.

In recent years, the US Defense Department has progressively been incorporating what seem to be different versions of the Freedom of Movement Control Unit (FMCU) devices as the main control tools for several sophisticated weaponry systems, as seen in publicly accessible images released through the department's Defense Visual Information Distribution System media center.

The lineup includes the Navy and Marine Corps' latest addition, the NMESIS launcher, a system mounted on a Joint Light Tactical Vehicle designed to deploy the Naval Strike Missile, crucial for the Marine Corps' strategic planning against a hypothetical conflict with China in the Indo-Pacific region. The Army introduces its new M-SHORAD system, equipped with FIM-92 Stinger and AGM-114 Hellfire missiles along with a 30-mm chain gun on a Stryker vehicle, offering vital anti-air defense capabilities anticipated to be significant in any future confrontation with Russia in Eastern Europe. Meanwhile, the Air Force has developed the RADBO truck, based on the MRAP vehicle platform, which employs a laser to neutralize IEDs and other undetonated ordnance. Additionally, the Marine Corps is testing the Humvee-mounted HELEX, a high-energy laser weapon system, signaling a move towards advanced laser weaponry for battlefield applications.

The FMCU has been utilized in an array of pilotless vehicle trials, and as per a Navy agreement in 2023, this technology will play a crucial role in the functioning of the AN/SAY-3A Electro-Optic Sensor System (nicknamed "I-Stalker"), which is intended to assist the Navy's upcoming Constellation-class guided-missile frigates in detecting and confronting approaching dangers.

Since its inception in 2008, the FMCU, a product of Measurement Systems Inc. (MSI) which operates under the umbrella of the British defense giant Ultra, specializing in the interaction between humans and machines, presents a design reminiscent of popular gaming controllers like those of Xbox or PlayStation. However, it boasts a durable construction aimed at protecting its intricate electronic components from the challenging conditions faced by U.S. military personnel. MSI, with a history of crafting joysticks for a range of U.S. Navy platforms and aircraft, has collaborated as a secondary contractor with leading defense firms such as General Atomics, Boeing, Lockheed Martin, and BAE Systems. These partnerships have involved supplying handheld control units for a variety of aircraft and vehicle initiatives, as documented by the federal contracting database GovTribe.

"Anticipating the design that would best suit modern soldiers, Ultra has consistently developed the FMCU into one of the most adaptable and potent controllers on the market," Ultra stated. (WIRED reached out to the company several times for a statement, but did not receive a response.)

The highly adaptable FMCU system isn't exactly a recent invention. As Ultra mentions, this technology has been in use since at least 2010, powering the Navy's now-retired MQ-8 Fire Scout unmanned autonomous helicopter and the Ground Based Operational Surveillance System (GBOSS) utilized by both the Army and Marine Corps throughout the international conflict against terrorism. However, its widespread adoption across new, advanced military hardware indicates a shift in the US military's approach towards control systems. These systems are not only designed to be physically intuitive or comfortable but also inherently recognizable to future soldiers, even before they enlist.

"According to an Air Force representative speaking to WIRED, RADBO typically attracts a younger demographic. As a result, employing a video game-style controller like the FMCU appears to be an effortless shift for those accustomed to gaming."

The decision by the US military to incorporate custom-designed video game controllers into their operations might not come as a surprise, given their history of integrating commercially available gaming devices for various innovative applications. For over ten years, both the Army and the Marine Corps have utilized Xbox controllers to manage a range of unmanned vehicles, including ground-based units for defusing bombs and aerial drones, as well as the M1075 Palletized Loading System, a significant logistics vehicle. Similarly, the Navy has adopted this cost-effective gaming technology for its Virginia-class submarines, replacing traditional periscopes with a "photonics mast" operated by an Xbox controller. This approach is also seen in the Navy’s Multifunctional Automated Repair System robot, which is used on surface ships for a wide array of tasks, from repairing battle damage while at sea to conducting maintenance in shipyards.

The pattern is similarly observed within the defense sector, as companies vie for new contracts from the Pentagon. A prime example is the LOCUST Laser Weapon System created by BlueHalo, intended for the Army's Palletized-High Energy Laser (P-HEL) system. This system distinctively incorporates an Xbox controller for soldiers to aim at and destroy incoming drones, mirroring the military's earlier experiments with laser weaponry.

In 2006, titles such as Halo had become immensely popular among military personnel, explained Tom Phelps, who was serving as a product director at iRobot during a 2013 interview with Business Insider. He detailed how the company collaborated with armed forces to introduce and normalize the use of a standard Xbox controller for operating its PackBot bomb disposal robot. This initiative was deemed a significant triumph, as it allowed younger soldiers, already familiar with gaming, to quickly master the controls.

Video game controllers have gained popularity for their use in military operations worldwide, not just within the US armed forces. The British Army employs video game-like controls for operating its Polaris MRZR vehicles, while Israel Aerospace Industries designed the interface for its Carmel tank with input from young gamers, who preferred the familiar video game controllers over traditional military joysticks. In a more contemporary example, Ukrainian forces have utilized PlayStation controllers and Steam Decks to commandeer drones and automated gun stations in their defense against Russian invasion. Beyond warfare, these gaming devices have found their way into more unconventional settings. A notable instance occurred in June 2023 when the OceanGate submarine, exploring the Titanic wreck, disastrously imploded while being guided by a modified Logitech F710 controller, as documented by CBS News.

"They are more open to trying new things and have a lesser fear of technology… It's second nature to them," said Colonel Udi Tzur of the Israeli Defense Forces to The Washington Post in 2020, regarding the adaptation of the Carmel tank's controls to suit younger users. "It's not quite like playing Fortnite, but somewhat similar, and incredibly, they quickly apply their skills to achieve operational efficiency. To be honest, I was surprised by how rapidly they could attain this level of proficiency."

Utilizing economical controllers reminiscent of those found in video games to steer complex military weaponry offers distinct benefits. Foremost among these is enhanced maneuverability: Video game controllers are not only designed for comfort but also feature a layout of buttons and joysticks that deliver physical feedback, a feature often lacking in the touchscreen interfaces widely used by the US military. This lesson was learned through difficult circumstances by the Navy after the 2017 incident where the USS John S. McCain, an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, collided with an oil tanker near Singapore. This event led to the Navy replacing the touchscreens on the bridges of its guided-missile destroyers with mechanical controls, following a National Transportation Safety Board investigation that highlighted sailors' preference for mechanical systems due to their immediate and physical feedback. While it's unlikely that military personnel will be using game controllers with vibration feedback, the design of gaming-style controllers, such as the FMCU, is recognized for offering considerable physical (and strategic) benefits over the more modern touchscreen interfaces, a finding supported by multiple research studies.

The primary benefit of utilizing video game-like controllers within the Pentagon, as observed by defense officials and contractors, lies in their widespread recognition among US military personnel. By 2024, an Entertainment Software Association trade group's yearly report revealed that approximately 190.6 million Americans across various age groups, which translates to about 61 percent of the nation's population, engaged in video gaming. Furthermore, findings from the Pew Research Center released in May show that 85 percent of American teens admit to playing video games, with 41 percent of them playing on a daily basis.

According to a report by the ESA, when it comes to specific gaming systems, it's clear that consoles and their unique controllers are highly preferred among both Gen Z and Gen Alpha. These are the generations that may very well make up the future combatants in America's potential conflicts. The U.S. Department of Defense, as military technology expert Peter W. Singer puts it, is essentially benefiting from the video game industry's long-term effort to acclimate Americans to a consistent user interface and design. This familiarity dates back to when the PlayStation first introduced its elongated controller design in the 1990s, a design that has become somewhat of a standard across many gaming platforms for years. This is despite the unique case of the Wii remote, which the Army once considered for use in bomb-disposal robots almost twenty years ago.

"In a March 2023 interview, Singer stated that gaming corporations invested heavily in crafting a user-friendly, straightforward interface before dedicating several years to educating the US military's user community on its operation. He emphasized that such design efforts were not coincidental, highlighting that both the gaming industry and the military draw from the same demographic for their users, effectively meaning much of the necessary training had already been accomplished."

Currently, the precise number of US military applications incorporating the FMCU remains uncertain. In response to inquiries, the Pentagon acknowledged that the FMCU is utilized in the NMESIS, M-SHORAD, and RADBO defense systems, and suggested contacting specific military branches for more information. The Marine Corps verified its deployment of the device with the GBOSS system, and the Air Force also confirmed its use in the RADBO. Meanwhile, the Navy has indicated that it does not employ the FMCU in any of its current systems, and the Army has yet to reply to requests for information.

The extent to which the FMCU and its readily available market versions will be adopted across the US military forces is yet to be determined. However, mechanisms that efficiently convert human commands into mechanical actions have a history of enduring long after they are first introduced. For instance, the joystick, also known as the “control column” in military terminology, has been an integral part of military aircraft since the beginning of military flight. One can only hope that by the time another significant conflict arises, the Pentagon hasn't shifted its preference to the Power Glove.

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