RHEINMETALL DEFENCE ELECTRONICS - Land Based Vehicle and Battlefield Simulation

Rheinmetall Defence Electronics (RDE) is one of the largest German manufacturers of military-simulation systems for all forces, possessing 18,000 employees and achieving a €3.5 billion annual turnover. Rheinmetall provides turnkey solutions from computer-based training to full-mission activities, including courseware and construction works.

The company has more than 35 years' experience in high-precision and fidelity simulation-modelling. Its expertise in the land simulation markets ensures highly-economical products with assets that are immediately ready for operation.

Rheinmetall manufactures a wide range of simulation-systems, including generic, stimulation and on-board systems.

TACSI TACTICAL REAL-TIME TRAINING SYSTEM

The TacSi tactical real-time training system is a virtual system with a dynamic simulation capability. A scalable system, TacSi can be expanded from the basic configuration – which can be run on a single laptop – into a full-scale brigade-level simulation system.

In addition to a C4ISTAR exercise capability, TacSi is able to depict terrain dynamically in the form of 3-D maps. TacSi-supported simulation systems are already used by the German Bundeswehr for various applications, while the Swiss armed forces have introduced it under the guise of the Eltam battalion training-system.

NEC DEMONSTRATOR (NECLAB)

RDE has developed an open and expandable experimental NEC environment. Thanks to this environment, it is now possible to test whether the networking of existing and new components and systems is feasible and affordable. This test is economic and can be carried out at an early stage of the process.

The RDE testbed, which is based on the simulation core TacSi NGS, is thus the building block for virtual-network simulation of the future.

COMBAT TRAINING CENTRE

Utilising state-of-the-art simulation technology, the German Army’s GÜZ combat-training centre enables highly-realistic tactical-training. The status, position and activity of every soldier and vehicle taking part in the exercise is tracked via GPS, transmitted via a wireless data-link and depicted on a digital situation-map. Fire fights with direct fire weapons are simulated with the help of laser technology, augmented by pyrotechnics and optical effects.

MOUT TRAINING

In the 'mobile training system for exercises in an urban environment' (MOUT), each weapon system is equipped with a laser-engagement simulator, and each combat vehicle and each soldier with a player unit. Laser sensors mounted on the outside of the buildings detect the direct fire of heavy weaponry on building walls. The indoor sensors mounted in the building’s rooms transmit a hit code to any soldiers within the building and adjacent rooms.

The indirect-effect simulation of the artillery fire and mortar takes place both inside and outside the buildings, and takes into account not only the nature of the building and the ammunition used, but also the respective location of the soldier.

GUNNERY AND COMBAT SIMULATION

Operators of highly-complex technical systems have to be fully familiar with the capabilities and operational uses of such systems. Training and simulation systems from RDE prepare users optimally for their tasks in a realistic environment, with original control units, presentation of the environment with high-resolution visual systems and motion systems for the facility / equipment being reproduced.

In 2006, RDE received two orders from Switzerland: for an electronic gunnery training system (ELSA), and to supply system extensions for its artillery-simulation technology.

DRIVING SIMULATION

In the RDE driving simulator, drivers are ideally prepared for critical traffic situations, and learn how to handle them safely. These situations cannot be practiced in reality, but the basic modules from RDE make it possible to reproduce practically every technical sequence, process and machine in the driving simulator.