view in order to simulate the flash produced by firing and the subsequent temporary lack of view of the target due to dust and smoke produced by the firing in the vicinity of the firing tank or other equipment there is also provided in operative association with the trainee station 10 a sound unit 28 which has a multiple function both to provide intercommunication with an instructor or to provide prerecorded instructions to the trainee and or to provide a sound input to the trainee to simulate the sounds produced during firing all of part of the sound input may be recorded and accessed together with the video information on video disks additionally in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention there is provided a barrel jump simulator 30 which is operative to apply to the trainee a force simulating some of the forces encountered during firing according to a preferred embodiment of the invention the barrel jump simulator 30 comprises a hydraulic piston or other suitable force transducer which is operative to provide a sudden displacement of 34 kick 34 to the sight or alternatively to the entire trainee station as desired normally the sudden displacement produced by the barrel jump simulator 30 is intended to simulate only the gun recoil alternatively a recoil simulator may be provided to simulate the recoil forces on the tank hull itself and the resulting displacement there is provided in operative association with the fire control unit of the trainee station first and second gun orientation gauges including a gun elevation gauge 32 and a gun azimuth gauge 34 where the trainee station includes an actual.