Saab enhancing counter-IED training

LINKOPING, Sweden, March 31 (UPI) -- Britain's Defense Ministry has given Saab of Sweden additional work to enhance its existing provision of live training capabilities to the British army.

The work is worth about $34.8 million and includes transferring the company's counter-improvised explosive device training system from Kenya to Britain's Salisbury Plain training area.

"We have achieved good results in recent and current projects and have a trustful relation with the U.K. army," Henrik Hojer, managing director of Saab Training and Simulation said. "Building upon this we have secured contracts that include the provision of additional simulators for weapons and target systems under the current Direct Fire Weapon Effects Simulator program to support mission specific training on Salisbury Plain Training Area.

"An extension to the contract also provides instrumental C-IED training capability as part of a managed training service."

The counter-IED training capability is being delivered by field teams to the point of need, such as in barracks, training establishments or training areas where U.K. military personnel conduct pre deployment training.

The recently awarded contract extension provides for more training, an improvement to Global Positioning System accuracy and increased video recording coverage and range. These product improvements provide greater accuracy and richness of feedback to troops and commanders regarding their C-IED performance.