Rheinmetall at I/ITSEC 2012: A powerful partner in the world of simulation and training

Comprehensive, realistic, deployment-oriented training is a vital prerequisite for success in military operations and critical situations on land, at sea and in the air. Modern simulation technology makes a major contribution here – from individual training in equipment procedures to tactical leadership training for large formations.

For over 35 years, Rheinmetall has been supplying the world’s armies, navies and air forces with simulation and training equipment, continuously pushing the envelope.

Rheinmetall Defence: a leading supplier of the world’s ground forces

Consisting of six divisions, Rheinmetall Defence is a leading supplier of defence technology to the armed forces of more than 85 countries. Last year Group sales exceeded €2 billion.

With 800 employees solely dedicated to simulation, Rheinmetall’s Simulation and Training business unit ranks as one of the major players in the military simulation and training worldwide. It is subdivided into four product sections: Land Simulation, Live Simulation, Flight Simulation, and Maritime and Process Simulation.

Land Simulation: Leopard Gunnery Skills Trainer and Demonstrator for gunnery and combat simulation

Rheinmetall is currently modernizing 42 Leopard 2A4 main battle tanks for the Canadian Army, refitting them to meet the needs of the Canadian military. Underscoring their trust in Rheinmetall’s Leopard 2 expertise – almost half of the tanks built so far come from the company’s plant (formerly MaK) in Kiel in northern Germany – the Canadian armed forces have recently placed another order with the Group. Under Canada’s Leopard 2 A4 Simulators and Trainers programme, Rheinmetall will be supplying eighteen Leopard Gunnery Skills Trainers (LGST) and two driver trainers.

The generic medium-fidelity Demonstrator for Gunnery and Combat Simulation clearly attests Rheinmetall’s expertise in simulating tank and infantry fighting vehicles for crew training. The commander’s and gunner’s workstations in the fighting compartment are equipped with original components such as hand controllers

and operator interfaces as well as highly authentic interactive replica touch panels. This enables training in highly complex operational sequences to take place without necessarily having to use real vehicles. Moreover, by linking the original equipment to configurable touch panels via standard interfaces, it is possible to switch quickly from one simulated vehicle to another. The demonstrator, which features the Rheinmetall’s TacSi tactical simulation system as its simulator core, will be showcased at I/ITSEC 2012 as a tactical simulator, proving that the system’s operational capabilities can be further expanded.

Flight simulation

In the field of flight simulation, Rheinmetall is involved in nearly all European flight simulation and training programmes: the Tiger attack helicopter, Eurofighter Typhoon, NH-90 utility helicopter and Airbus A400M transport aircraft, to name only a few.

At I/ITSEC Rheinmetall will also be showcasing a true-to-life prototype of the Advanced Network Trainer (ANTares), its mobile tactical training system. Besides crew coordination training, ANTares can be used for preparing entire units for operational deployments – even in country. Thanks to Rheinmetall’s modular cubicle concept, the technologically advanced design makes it possible to network an extensive array of weapon system simulators, including land, sea and air assets, enabling sophisticated joint training operations. The simulation cubicles can be installed in containers in freely configurable order as a plug & play unit, resulting in the highly mobile ANTares training system. ANTares containers can be transported to the area of operations by road, rail, air or sea.

The system also takes into account the vital importance of up-to-date databases for efficient mission rehearsal: in the space of a few hours, the intelligent workflow from Rheinmetall’s Rapid Generation Database automatically produces the required virtual 3-D world based on the latest reconnaissance data.

LIVE – realistic combat simulation in the field

High-tech simulation does not require buildings or containers: it is equally applicable to mobile operations in the field using original equipment and weapons in live combat simulation scenarios. State-of-the-art communications technology and laser duel simulators are at the heart of this cutting edge application.

Since 2001, Rheinmetall has been successfully running a major combat training centre of this type on behalf of the German Bundeswehr. In the meantime, the Russian armed forces and a Middle Eastern customer have contracted with Rheinmetall to build and operate similar facilities.

Simulation and training technology from Rheinmetall Defence, where virtual reality and the real world are merging

With over 2,000 systems in service worldwide, Rheinmetall offers a comprehensive array of products ranging from inexpensive computer-supported training systems to highly advanced full-mission simulators for surface combatants, submarines, land and aerial platforms as well as simulation capabilities for fully networked joint and combined exercises.

Building on its extensive experience and unsurpassed expertise, Rheinmetall Defence bridges the gap between virtual reality and the real world, supplying state-of-the-art training solutions to prepare personnel for their next mission.