Thales to upgrade army training instrumentation

Thales and partner RUAG Defence will upgrade instrumentation for the French Army's live combat training centres under a contract from the French DGA announced on 19 January.

As the battlefield becomes increasingly digitised, training requirements are changing. In particular, infrastructure features and equipment need to be specially instrumented to support collaborative combat training. The new Cerbére instrumented tactical engagement simulation system will enable combined-arms task forces to train in conditions very close to those encountered on operational deployments. 

The system furnishes more than 2,000 participants – such as infantry soldiers and armoured vehicles - with tracking and simulation instruments. 

Personnel are issued with laser transmitters and receivers to simulate weapon firing and effects. A high-performance positioning system (accurate to within 1cm inside buildings) reports positions and engagements across a high-speed data network in near real time. Pyrotechnic devices and smoke grenades are used to simulate real battlefield conditions, to help personnel experience the stress of combat in situations that closely resemble live missions.

Thales will also provide a dedicated communication infrastructure for tactical situation tracking and combat supervision, and the system includes an after-action review function to analyse collective or individual manoeuvres after the combat phases of the mission. 

The new system will be installed at the Sissonne army base for urban combat training and at Mailly-le-Camp for training in open terrain operations. At Sissonne, a 300-building combat village is fully equipped to track and analyse combat manoeuvres inside and outside structures. At Mailly-le-Camp, exercises are conducted in open terrain over a training area of 120sq.km.