Saab receives order for upgrade of German Army vehicles weapons simulators.

Defence and security company Saab has received an order from the Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support, BAAINBw, for upgrade of the German Army’s vehicle simulators. The total order value is US$ 13 million. The upgrade programme will commence in 2018.

A German Leopard 2 equipped with BT 46 laser simulator (on the main gun). The Saab BT 46 laser simulator is in use on many German Army vehicles, such as Leopard MBT, Fennek, Marder and Wiesel. (Picture Saab)

For this upgrade Saab will provide new software and hardware to German Army vehicles and tanks operating the laser simulator BT 46, such as Leopard, Fennek, Marder and Wiesel. The new standard for laser codes, SISO, will be implemented in the upgrade, meaning that the German Army will be interoperable with most of the European countries. The number of multinational  exercises is increasing and that’s why more and more countries choose the SISO standard. In the near future, there will be 12 countries in Europe using the new standard.

“An effect of the security situation in Europe is that more and more of our customers emphasize that interoperability is extremely important in order to carry out multinational exercises of high quality. We have a long and very good cooperation with the German customer and this order strengthens our relationship and Saab's presence in Germany”, says Åsa Thegström, head of business unit Training & Simulation at Saab´s business area Dynamics.

“The German Army has been a customer on the laser simulator BT 46 since 1985, and during the years we have delivered the system for almost all weapons on German fighting vehicles and main battle tanks. It is a proven simulator system for gunnery training with different weapons and for realistic and tactical combat exercises in field”, says Görgen Johansson, head of Saab business area Dynamics.

The BT 46 system has been delivered to more than 20 countries supporting both combat training with vehicles and their weapons. More than 7000 vehicle simulators have been delivered for more than 100 applications worldwide.