The German Bundeswehr has awarded Rheinmetall AG several modernization contracts worth a total of around €24 million. Through to 2020, Rheinmetall will be expanding the system technology of the German Army Combat Training Centre, or GÜZ, in a series of staggered projects. Located in the Altmark district of Saxony-Anhalt, the GÜZ is one of the most advanced facilities of its kind anywhere. Among other things, the orders (booked in Q2 2016) encompass special expansion of the headquarters software to enable execution and evaluation of training sequences in the site’s "Schnöggersburg" urban combat environment, as well as modernization of the training area’s data communication system.
The Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support has assigned Rheinmetall’s Simulation and Training unit the task of readying the GÜZ for MOUT exercises, i.e. military operations in urban terrain.
The expansion and modernization of the GÜZ encompasses the following individual projects:
- The hardware of the existing GÜZ system technology in the headquarters cell will be upgraded to state-of-the-art status.
- Regeneration of the communication system, involving modernization of the soft-ware and hardware for connecting tactical radio systems and network technology.
In addition, the GÜZ headquarters cell will be equipped with new capabilities for directing and evaluating exercises in built-up areas. Military operations in urban terrain (MOUT) are among the most challenging tasks faced by modern soldiers. In future they will be able to practise these in "Schnöggersburg", a specially created urban environment featuring multiple infrastructure elements of a large modern city.
At the German Army Combat Training Centre, military formations of all types can train and prepare for every conceivable task and mission. In future, this will include training for military operations in urban terrain and inclusion of Future Soldier (IdZ) equipment, whose expanded Gladius/IdZ-ES system is also made by Rheinmetall.
During exercises at the GÜZ – conducted on a permanent basis – live rounds are never fired: every weapon is fitted with a laser transmitter, while sensors on potential targets indicate hits, visible to soldiers and trainers alike. Networking of all exercise participants in the system makes it possible to maximize the learning impact of the after action briefings and evaluation phase, in which individual manoeuvre sequences are analysed and potential for improvement is pointed out.
Simulation-supported training for operations in built-up terrain is especially demanding in that GPS-based systems cannot be used to track and depict the position of exercise participants in narrow alleyways or inside buildings. Simulation of the effect of weapons on buildings or the personnel inside them is impossible with laser-simulated fire alone, making additional instrumentation of the infrastructure necessary. Near real-time transmission of massive amounts of data to the headquarters element and its subsequent evaluation pose additional challenges.
Preparing for these challenging scenarios requires adequate technical exercise infrastructure that adds vital new capabilities to previously deployed live simulation technology. Rheinmetall’s Legatus line is a cutting-edge, high-performance family of products that has already proven highly effective in service with military users worldwide. Only recently, the Düsseldorf-based technology group booked an order from an international customer to equip a city built exclusively for training purposes with corresponding live simulation technology from the Legatus product line.
The Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support has assigned Rheinmetall’s Simulation and Training unit the task of readying the GÜZ for MOUT exercises, i.e. military operations in urban terrain.
The expansion and modernization of the GÜZ encompasses the following individual projects:
- The hardware of the existing GÜZ system technology in the headquarters cell will be upgraded to state-of-the-art status.
- Regeneration of the communication system, involving modernization of the soft-ware and hardware for connecting tactical radio systems and network technology.
In addition, the GÜZ headquarters cell will be equipped with new capabilities for directing and evaluating exercises in built-up areas. Military operations in urban terrain (MOUT) are among the most challenging tasks faced by modern soldiers. In future they will be able to practise these in "Schnöggersburg", a specially created urban environment featuring multiple infrastructure elements of a large modern city.
At the German Army Combat Training Centre, military formations of all types can train and prepare for every conceivable task and mission. In future, this will include training for military operations in urban terrain and inclusion of Future Soldier (IdZ) equipment, whose expanded Gladius/IdZ-ES system is also made by Rheinmetall.
During exercises at the GÜZ – conducted on a permanent basis – live rounds are never fired: every weapon is fitted with a laser transmitter, while sensors on potential targets indicate hits, visible to soldiers and trainers alike. Networking of all exercise participants in the system makes it possible to maximize the learning impact of the after action briefings and evaluation phase, in which individual manoeuvre sequences are analysed and potential for improvement is pointed out.
Simulation-supported training for operations in built-up terrain is especially demanding in that GPS-based systems cannot be used to track and depict the position of exercise participants in narrow alleyways or inside buildings. Simulation of the effect of weapons on buildings or the personnel inside them is impossible with laser-simulated fire alone, making additional instrumentation of the infrastructure necessary. Near real-time transmission of massive amounts of data to the headquarters element and its subsequent evaluation pose additional challenges.
Preparing for these challenging scenarios requires adequate technical exercise infrastructure that adds vital new capabilities to previously deployed live simulation technology. Rheinmetall’s Legatus line is a cutting-edge, high-performance family of products that has already proven highly effective in service with military users worldwide. Only recently, the Düsseldorf-based technology group booked an order from an international customer to equip a city built exclusively for training purposes with corresponding live simulation technology from the Legatus product line.
