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US Army Orders Combat Vehicle Sim Kits From Saab

Saab has received a $22.4-million contract to provide Vehicle Tactical Engagement Simulation System (VTESS) base kits for the US Army.

The order falls under lot 2 of a broader framework deal supporting realistic training capabilities around the military.

This arrangement extends to 60 months and has a value of up to $60.8 million.

According to the Swedish company, the VTESS suite uses laser detectors mountable on existing tactical and non-tactical platforms as well as related weapons, transforming them into real-life rehearsal assets.

These nodes record live hits and misses, vehicle movements, and casualty status for command overview and warfighter debriefing.

VTESS is compatible with the army’s legacy TESS equipment, integrating additional training tools for larger combat exercises.

“The VTESS base kits enable the US Army vehicles to participate in force-on-force exercises utilizing a dramatically improved, reliable, soldier friendly system,” said Erik Smith, CEO and president of Saab in the US.

“Our tech-driven, hands-on training solutions are developed in partnership with our customers — we constantly develop, adopt and improve new technology to meet changing customer needs.”

A U.S. Soldier with 1st Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division installs a modernized vehicle tactical engagement simulation system (VTESS) laser detector on a M1A1 Abrams Main Battle Tank at the 7th Army Training Command’s Grafenwoehr Training Area, Germany, Jan. 9, 2020. The VTESS code modernization increases interoperability to conduct force-on-force training, addressing current training needs while supporting emerging army training requirements and systems. (U.S. Army photo by Gertrud Zach)
Soldier sets up a modernized vehicle tactical engagement simulation system (VTESS) on a M1A1 Abrams Main Battle Tank. Photo: Gertrud Zach/US Army

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