A demonstration version of Cubic's 81 mm mortar training solution shown at 2022 Interservice/Industry Training, Simulation, and Education Conference (I/ITSEC 22). The three bombs beside it are 60 mm, 81 mm, and 120 mm training rounds. The small blue object is the electronic sensor cartridge, which is common to all three. (Giles Ebbutt)
Saab and Cubic have developed systems that bring enhanced realism to indirect fire training and support of live training.
Both systems utilise the same principles of establishing the weapon's location, elevation, and direction together with fuze setting, charge, and nature of the individual round, enabling the point of impact to be calculated. This can then be fed into a synthetic environment to display the effect. The systems can also be integrated into an instrumented tactical engagement simulation system (TESS), enabling indirect fire to have an effect on exercising troops.
Cubic Defence UK has leveraged the technology it developed for its Blue Shell artillery mission training system (AMTS), which has been in use at the UK's Royal School of Artillery (RSA) at Larkhill, and elsewhere, as a concept capability demonstrator since late 2018 and has produced variants for 60 mm, 81 mm, and 120 mm mortars.
Taking the 81 mm mortar as an example, John Gardiner, Cubic's project manager for instrumented platforms, told Janes that the system uses an instrumented training barrel with a cutout at the base, similar to those locally produced by British Army units for firing drills. A training round will slide down the barrel and emerge through the cutout, enabling multiple rounds to be loaded consecutively and replicating real firing rates.
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