What Is VBS4?
Virtual Battlespace 4 (VBS4) is a whole-earth virtual and constructive military training simulation made by Bohemia Interactive Simulations, now BAE Systems OneArc. Released in August 2020, it replaced VBS3 and is used by militaries and defense integrators around the world, including the U.S. Army’s Games for Training program.
What Changed from VBS3
VBS4 was built as a full replacement for VBS3. Its biggest changes are a whole-earth terrain, so trainers can work anywhere on the planet without building a custom map first, and much easier setup for trainers who are not simulation specialists. It runs on the VBS Blue engine and ships with more than 18,000 3D models of vehicles, weapons, people and objects.
Who Uses It
VBS products are used by more than 60 NATO and NATO-friendly countries and over 300 integrators and prime contractors. In 2025 the U.S. Army began deploying VBS4 through its Games for Training program, which runs at more than 80 simulation centers, schoolhouses and home-station training sites. The Army first fielded VBS2 through the same program in 2009 and moved to VBS3 in 2014.
A Model of Continuous Improvement
Like VBS2 and VBS3, VBS4 follows an enterprise software model: the same product is updated for years, with much of the work funded by militaries that need specific capabilities. In 2024 Bohemia Interactive Simulations also released VBS Builder Edition, which lets other developers build their own simulations on VBS, with licenses starting at around $200.
Watch VBS4 in Action
My Role
I was Product Owner for the VBS4 launch team in Prague. When the team’s Product Owner left at a key point, I stepped down from my director role to lead it directly, and VBS4 shipped on time and on budget in 2020.
In 2021 I moved to Orlando as a product and program manager and kept working on VBS4 until 2026. I led product and program delivery for the company’s largest U.S. Army account, turning its requirements into VBS features every customer gets, and in 2022 I was product manager for the remake of VBS4’s military AI behaviors.