Rheinmetall Electronics has completed the Factory Acceptance Test for its newly developed gunnery and combat training equipment for the Heavy Infantry Weapon Carrier (AGSW).
The acceptance test took place at Rheinmetall’s Bremen site in June 2026, in the presence of officials from the Army Concepts and Capabilities Development Centre (ACCDC), the Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support (BAAINBw), as well as personnel from the fusilier troops and the Infantry School.
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With the successful completion of this test, comprehensive crew training can now begin in parallel with the delivery of the Heavy Infantry Weapon Carrier vehicles, the company confirmed.
Early training capability was set as a primary objective by both the Bundeswehr and industry partners when planning began in 2022, aiming to have training solutions available before the delivery of the first vehicle.
Development of the AGSW training system commenced following the contract signing in early 2024, reaching completion by July 2026.
Throughout the process, Rheinmetall coordinated closely with the Infantry School and the ACCDC to ensure that the training equipment met operational requirements from the outset.
The training programme features a two-stage approach.
The first element, procedural trainers, was delivered to fusilier battalions between September 2025 and April 2026.
This phase enables early instruction for crews prior to the anticipated handover of the initial AGSW simulator systems to the Infantry School in autumn 2026.
The AGSW simulator comprises a control, evaluation, and monitoring station along with four fighting compartments, replicating the vehicle’s internal environment, operational logic, aiming processes, driving dynamics, and ballistics to a high degree of realism.
The system supports individual and crew training, extending to tactical procedures and complex scenarios for platoon-level exercises.
The simulators can be networked with Rheinmetall’s infantry desktop trainers, allowing joint training involving both vehicle crews and dismounted infantry forces. Both systems utilise the same simulation software and operational procedures and enable users to customise virtual terrain environments for mission-specific training.
The AGSW training technology draws on Rheinmetall’s earlier work with the Puma infantry fighting vehicle’s gunnery and combat trainer (AGSP), which entered series production in 2025.
The same technical basis is now being extended to other Bundeswehr vehicle training programmes, according to the company.
Looking ahead, five AGSW systems are due for delivery to user units by mid-2027.
Following their acceptance at the respective sites, the simulation software will be updated to match the final configuration of the Heavy Infantry Weapon Carrier.
