Saab, Lockheed win Army training simulation contact

July 10 (UPI) -- Saab, in cooperation with Lockheed Martin, has won a U.S. Army contract for a combat vehicle training system.

Saab said on Monday that its portion of the Vehicle Tactical Engagement Simulation System, or VTESS, award contract includes the provision of laser simulators, detectors and electronics to help troops conduct live combat exercises using existing vehicles and weapons systems.

Saab and Lockheed's modular training solution combines multiple training systems for vehicle crews into a single product line for trucks and smaller vehicles, and laser transmitters for both small arms and main guns for armored vehicles.

"This contract is a result of the combination of skill sets and capabilities from both Lockheed Martin and Saab," Åsa Thegström, head of Saab's Dynamics Training & Simulation unit, said in a press release. "Saab has long experience of deliveries to the U.S. Army in its own right and we see this new joint approach as a natural evolution of that good relationship."

"Through VTESS, we are changing the way vehicle crews take part in training exercises with a system that is both robust and simple to use," added Sandy Samuel, vice president of Training and Simulation Solutions at Lockheed Martin. "We are providing an open architecture solution that will enable the U.S. Army to expand how they train soldiers and allow them flexibility in integrating third party components, both now and the future."

Saab and Lockheed's contract has an overall value of $288 million.