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02 Nov 21. InVeris Training Solutions to Debut Revolutionary New Virtual Training System at I/ITSEC 2021. InVeris Training Solutions, the leading provider of integrated virtual and live-fire training systems and services for domestic and international law enforcement and military customers, will launch a groundbreaking new virtual training system at the Interservice/Industry Training, Simulation and Education Conference (I/ITSEC). An annual modeling, simulation and training event, I/ITSEC will be held on Nov. 29-Dec. 3 in Orlando, Florida at the Orlando Convention Center.
The new product, which will be officially launched and demonstrated at the show, promises to be the next evolution in virtual training, offering immersive technology thought to be years away.
“We couldn’t be more excited to show how this new system will transform the way we think about the future of training,” said Chief Executive Officer, Al Weggeman. “Adding the new product to our offerings, which already includes industry-leading virtual reality, projection-based simulation training and live-fire solutions, cements InVeris’ position as the leading training system provider to defense forces and security organizations around the world.”
In addition to the new product launch, InVeris will also display the VR-DT (Virtual Reality – Decisions and Tactics) system for de-escalation training, as well as two military live-fire products: Multi-Function Stationary Infantry Target (MF-SIT) and LOMAH (Location of Miss and Hit). While at the show, attendees can explore the following products:
- VR-DT uses virtual reality to provide military police, security forces and law enforcement agencies the ability to maximize readiness and correctly educate trainees for field experiences. The system combines state-of-the-art hardware, scalable software and a content library that is always increasing. Wireless headsets deliver impressive 360-degree fields of view and weapons tracking, enabling trainees to learn in fully immersive environments that put them in a virtual location. VR-DT enhances training for de-escalation, safety tactics, mental health crisis intervention, use of force and protocol. A lightweight, fully customized laptop allows an instructor to direct the scenarios, environments and weapons.
- MF-SIT offers a fixed target head configuration that can respond to hits or a pre-programmed scenario, ensuring that the trainees do not anticipate target actions. This provides a realistic environment for urban operations and specialized training. The MF-SIT system is operated through radio frequency, hardwire or Ethernet controls that enable great flexibility in range design and usage.
- LOMAH adds shot scoring to targets on military live fire ranges by measuring the precise time of a bullet’s supersonic shock wave passing over a ballistically protected microphone sensor array. Triangulation of sound waves for hit location makes InVeris’ offering unique in this market, determining the bullet’s location and presenting a graphical image on the shooter’s firing point computer. The bullet’s measured location provides the shooter the information needed to accurately display shot grouping and zeroing of weapons more effectively, resulting in improved marksmanship skills. LOMAH can be installed easily via a retrofit kit or on new, LOMAH-capable InVeris targets such as the MF-SIT.
(Source: BUSINESS WIRE)
04 Nov 21. Australia and PNG’s Olgeta Warrior training series comes to an end. Olgeta Warrior 21 saw ADF and PNG Defence Force members develop deeper interoperability between the forces across communications, infectious disease and policing.
Olgeta Warrior 21, a crucial joint training exercise between Australia and Papua New Guinea, recently came to a close with ADF members from 21 units, deepening their interoperability with members of the PNG Defence Force. The exercise, which was scheduled to occur annually, was delayed until August due to disruptions from the COVID-19 global pandemic. The exercise drew together members from the Army’s 3rd Brigade Headquarters, 3rd Combat Service Support Battalion, 3rd Combat Engineer Regiment, 4th and 20th Regiments of the Royal Australian Artillery, the ADF Malaria and Infectious Disease Institute, 1st Intelligence Battalion and the 1st Military Police Battalion to form the Olgeta Warrior Mobile Training Team. Throughout the exercise, members of the Olgeta Warrior MTT coached courses in combat signals, environmental health, preventative medicine, tactical intelligence, driver training, UAV operations and military police training to their PNG counterparts. Defence expects that the delivery of the courses would better enable PNGDF to enhance their operational capabilities.
“The reception from our PNGDF counterparts was very positive and very welcoming,” MTT Commander Major Wyatt Frazer, of 3CSSB said.
“Not only have we been involved in delivering training, we have also had the opportunity to engage in cultural experiences such as being invited to Independence Day celebrations and being welcomed into the community to take part in traditional feasts.
“There is a very strong and obvious bond between our two countries, which can be seen at all levels.”
In fact, MAJ Frazer lived in PNG as a child, with his grandfather serving in the country during World War II and his father again in the 1970s and 1980s, illustrating the enduring connection between Australia and her northern neighbour.
“I lived in PNG in the late 1980s as a child when dad was posted here, and I absolutely loved it,” MAJ Frazer said.
“Twenty years later, I came back on the same posting for three years with my own family.
“Coming back again on the MTT has just been wonderful.
“For me, many people in the PNGDF are like family and the place feels like home.”
Amazingly, MAJ Frazer wasn’t the only service member with connections to the country.
Bombardier Liam Cohran, UAV instructor from the 20th Regiment RAA also has family links with PNG.
“I was involved in delivering technical training in UAVs, which are being used to support operations along the PNG border and in the highlands,” BDR Cochrane said.
“The PNGDF is doing a lot at the moment to prevent transnational crime and enhance security in their border region.
“The UAV course directly supports their capability to conduct these operations.
“Due to the fact that we have worked with the PNGDF for decades, we are able to seamlessly integrate with their forces and their personnel are extremely receptive to the training we provide.”
According to Defence, most of the MTT returned to Australia in October. (Source: Defence Connect)
03 Nov 21. Royal Marines defeat US Marines in gruelling five-day battle exercise. It put a new Royal Marines task group to the test, with a Commanding Officer saying the result shows it’s “more lethal than ever before”.
Royal Marines have defeated the US Marine Corps while testing a new formation during a fiery five-day exercise battle in California’s Mojave Desert.
The British marines joined forces with troops from four other nations to test the newly-formed Littoral Response Group (South) (LRG(S)) against the ‘highly-equipped’ adversary.
The exercise at the vast US Marine Corps’ training facility at Twentynine Palms focused around three urban sprawls which were defended by the allied forces, the largest of which consisted of 1,200 purpose-built buildings.
The gruelling battle was the culmination of exercises, known as Green Dagger.
Royal Marines have spent the last two months in the Mojave Desert preparing for deployments next year as part of the LRG (Littoral Response Group).
It is one of two new Royal Navy task groups centred on commando forces set up to respond to world events – a continuation of transforming how the UK Commando Force operates. Experts from across 3 Commando Brigade came together to form the LRG – with Taunton-based 40 Commando at its heart.
Personnel from the US, Canada, United Arab Emirates and the Netherlands joined forces with the Royal Marines to make up the formation.
The LRG won decisive battles “early on” into the battle exercise, the Royal Navy said, gaining ground on its enemy.
As US Marines pushed into the allied territory, the Royal Marines and their allies carried out raids behind enemy lines to stop further counterattacks.
Lieutenant Colonel Andy Dow, Commanding Officer of 40 Commando, said the success of the exercise has “proved the new commando force concept is more lethal and sophisticated than ever before”.
“I am immensely proud of every member of the LRG and their vital contributions,” he said.
The battle exercise was held at the US Marine Corps training facility at Twentynine Palms, an area the size of Luxembourg (Picture: Royal Navy).
“Operating alongside our partners from the USA, Netherlands, Canada and the UAE gives us a fantastic opportunity to test, integrate and continue to push our capabilities in new and innovative directions.
“Throughout this deployment our focus has been on integrating game-changing capabilities from across the commando force to deliver disproportional effect in the face of a free-thinking peer adversary.”
The exercise concluded with a last-minute ‘enemy’ assault which was repelled, leaving allied forces in control of more than two-thirds of the entire battlefield.
The deployment has ultimately readied the commando element of LRG(S) for operations next year, joining its sister task group, Littoral Response Group (North).
The LRG (North) has already deployed to the Baltic this year and has a focus on events across Europe, while LRG (South) will operate east of the Suez Canal. LRG (South) is expected to be functional next year with the addition of amphibious ships and aircraft. (Source: forces.net)
04 Nov 21. UK hosts international military urban exercise. Scientists at Dstl have led a unique urban military experiment, known as the Contested Urban Environment exercise (CUE2021). Robotic and autonomous systems to support logistics re-supply to deliver goods in a just-in-time, just on-target approach. During the event international and British scientists and engineers tested technologies that have the potential capability to find enemy forces in built up environments. The novel equipment was assessed alongside a whole host of futuristic technology by military personnel from 1 Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Brigade, 1st Battalion The Rifles and 1 Artillery Brigade, in selected areas on the streets of Portsmouth and its Naval Base.
The UK Armed Forces already train for and conduct urban warfare, but this type of experimentation is vital to understand and adapt to the changing warfighting environment. There are many challenges to finding and dealing with threats, such as those experienced when operating in and around dense, tall buildings and within modern urban areas or ‘smart cities’, and with differences of culture and language.
Processor Dame Angela McLean, MOD Chief Adviser said: “It was impressive to see the CUE21 experiment in action – testing this kind of technology is absolutely vital to better equip our Armed Forces. The collaboration with our allies means we are able to share technical knowledge to fight the battles of the future together.”
The Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) is at the forefront of testing new technologies collaborated with industry and academia, as well as their ‘5-eyes’ partners: Canada, the USA, New Zealand and Australia. Born out of The Technical Cooperation Programme (TTCP), the 5 partner nations are testing novel technologies that seek to help our forces when operating in urban environments, including:
- highly distributed autonomous sensors that exploit artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) to identify threats
- advanced technologies to support intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance activities on the ground, in the air and at sea
- advanced sensors and technologies for detecting uncrewed air vehicles used in urban environments
- understanding the city environment and the interactions of natural and human systems
- technologies that support soldiers operating in dense urban terrain by supporting navigation, detection of threats
- robotic and autonomous systems to support logistics re-supply to deliver to the frontline
- casualty evacuation and handling optimised for the complexity of an urban environment
The capabilities were tested through a combination of field experimentation and analytical techniques. The field experiment in Portsmouth was based on a scenario which involved particular military capabilities that could be enhanced by science and technology (S&T).
Christopher Briggs, Dstl’s National Lead for CUE, said: “This is an opportunity for science and technology to have a major impact on military capability in urban environments, as well as enhancing our mutual reliance with our closest allies. Current thinking on future conflicts has been used to generate scenarios that show the challenges of operations in city settings against a range of potential enemies.”
The first Contested Urban Environment (CUE) experiment took place in November 2017 in Adelaide, Australia, the second took place in September 2018 in Montreal, Canada, and the most recent event took place in New York City, in the US in July 2019. The technology tested then and during the Portsmouth event could be made available to military personnel by 2025. (Source: https://www.gov.uk/)
03 Nov 21. Germany, US plan major aerial drill to defend Europe. Two Eurofighter aircraft belonging to the German Air Force sped down the runway on a perfectly autumnal October morning at Neuburg Air Base, about 60 miles north of Munich. One was flown by the service’s top military officer, Lt. Gen. Ingo Gerhartz, while the other carried U.S. Air National Guard Director Lt. Gen. Michael Loh. The aircraft spent about an hour above the clouds in German airspace, as Gerhartz wanted to demonstrate some of the capabilities of the “fourth-generation-plus” Eurofighter to his U.S. colleague. But the visit also served as the kickoff event for the two air chiefs to begin planning a new major air-to-air exercise, to take place in Europe within two years.
The event, dubbed Air Defender 2023, will be a “trans-Atlantic reinforcement” of NATO allies and partners, Gerhartz and Loh said in an interview with Defense News after their flight at Neuburg, home to the Luftwaffe’s 74th Tactical Air Force Wing.
Dubbed Gerhartz’s “brainchild” by Loh, Air Defender 2023 will consist of a two-week exercise based in the European theater. The German air force wants to use all available national military airfields in the exercise, to exercise its role as a “strategic hub for collective defense,” Gerhartz said. Some partner-nations’ airspaces and airfields will also be used.
While it is still early in the planning process, the idea is for Germany to be the exercise “hub,” then participants will engage in snap exercises in areas such as the Baltic Sea or Europe’s southern region, he added.
The exercise, which he likened to the U.S. Army-led Defender Europe drill, will help allies hone interoperability between their assets, test their command-and control (C2) structures, and interact with various intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR), space, and cyber capabilities.
A myriad of platforms will be incorporated into Air Defender. Loh said he expects the United States to contribute “everything from airlift, tanker support, fighters, including fifth-gen fighters … [plus] everything from space and cyber capabilities on down.”
As it stands, remotely piloted aircraft are not expected to be used, though. The Luftwaffe does not currently have the airspace structure to integrate RPAs into the exercise, a spokesperson told Defense News in an email.
The two nations’ air officials are currently in talks with their allied counterparts to flesh out who else will join the exercise, and what capabilities they can bring to the theater. The focus will be on the United States, as well as NATO allied air command partners, along with other countries in Europe, the German air force confirmed.
The U.S. Air National Guard can play a strong role in recruiting other nations through its State Partnership Program, Loh noted. The program links individual state national guard units with 89 nations around the globe, 23 of which are based in Europe.
The U.S. and its allies’ militaries are drawing away from decades-long wars in the Middle East, and the focus is now back on Europe amid intensifying tensions with Russia.
The war in Afghanistan had been “driving our minds for decades,” said Gerhartz. But since Russia’s 2014 seizure of Ukraine’s Crimea peninsula, the relationship between Moscow and NATO’s member nations and allies has continued to sour, leading up to a severing of diplomatic ties between the alliance and Russia in October.
“Now, we are much more thinking of Article 5 operations,” Gerhartz said.
Loh added, “It’s about time to come back [to Europe] and exercise more over here.”
The deployment would allow the Guard’s strategic reserve forces to deploy to a new theater of operation after decades of being stationed mostly in the Middle East, he added. “I need them to start thinking more [about] our pacing threats — China, Russia — and try to bring them up to those standards. … What does it mean to be under the command-and-control structure of NATO, and how do we actually operate inside of NATO?”
As mission priorities are turning away from counter-terrorism operations and toward great power competition, allied militaries need to revisit a plethora of skills, operational concepts, and doctrines that were fostered during the Cold War, said Douglas Barrie, an air warfare specialist at the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London.
From the end of the Cold War into the 1990s, and up through the 2010s, Russia’s defense expenditure essentially collapsed, Barrie told Defense News. After 2010, however, “you see a renewed emphasis on modernization.”
“In terms of capability, the Russians now present a more credible air-to-air challenge than they did, certainly, in the 1990s and the early 2000s,” he said. “So you can see why we’re seeing renewed activity in the allied side of the house to meet this.”
Germany has an incentive to lead this effort to reinforce allied partnerships through a large exercise, as Berlin has “a ring-side seat looking at what the Russians have been doing,” Barrie noted.
“Traditionally in the past, since the end of the Cold War, Germans have been kind of conservative … in terms of the operations that they have gotten involved with,” he said. “This is perhaps a little more forward-leaning, but in that sense, it’s almost certainly to be welcomed.”
(Source: Defense News)
02 Nov 21. UK relaunches contractor-based aviation training effort. The United Kingdom is again looking to procure a contractor-based aviation training capability, following the earlier collapse of the Air Support to Defence Operational Training (ASDOT) programme.
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) issued its Medium to fast speed Operational Readiness Training (ORT) aerial support service tender on 29 October, noting that its requirement covers air-to-air, target, threat simulation, and mission augmentation training.
“This is an urgent requirement for the RAF [Royal Air Force], and the intention is to utilise the DSPCR [Defence and Security Public Contracts Regulations] DSPCR Competitive Procedure with Negotiation, using the accelerated timescales,” the MoD said, adding that the anticipated value of the contract will be GBP100 m (USD137 m).
As noted in the MoD solicitation, the contractor would be expected to deliver 2,400 flying hours per year of training, with a maximum rate of four simultaneous sorties and up to 12 sorties daily in a 15 hour flying window; Civil Aviation Authority or Military Aviation Authority accreditation for the proposed aircraft and activities; be available to commence contract activities from a UK base within a 30 minute transit time to the D323 North Sea training complex; and to be able to commence operations in the third quarter (Q3) of 2022. (Source: Jane’s)
03 Nov 21. Royal Marines complete Mojave Desert exercises with fiery five-day battle. Royal Marines have put the seal on desert exercises with an intensive five-day battle in California alongside allies across one of the largest military training areas in the world.
Commandos have spent the last two months in the Mojave Desert preparing for deployments next year as part of the newly-formed Littoral Response Group (South), which is one of two new Royal Navy task groups centred on commando forces set up to respond to world events.
Experts from across 3 Commando Brigade came together to form the LRG – with Taunton-based 40 Commando at its heart – at the vast US Marine Corps training facility at Twentynine Palms in California.
The conclusion of the exercises, known as Green Dagger, was five days of gruelling warfighting which saw allied forces – from the US, Canada, United Arab Emirates, the Netherlands and UK – join forces to take on a highly-equipped US Marine Corps adversary.
The exercise focused around three urban sprawls which were defended by allied forces, the largest of which consisting of 1,200 buildings purpose built for militaries to test themselves among.
The LRG won decisive battles early on and gained ground from their enemy, but, with the US Marines pushing into allied territory, Royal Marines and their allies carried out raids behind enemy lines to stop further counterattacks.
“Our success has proved the new commando force concept is more lethal and sophisticated than ever before and I am immensely proud of every member of the LRG and their vital contributions,” said Lieutenant Colonel Andy Dow, Commanding Officer of 40 Commando.
“Operating alongside our partners from the USA, Netherlands, Canada and the UAE gives us a fantastic opportunity to test, integrate and continue to push our capabilities in new and innovative directions.
“Throughout this deployment our focus has been on integrating game-changing capabilities from across the commando force to deliver disproportional effect in the face of a free-thinking peer adversary.”
The exercise concluded with a last-minute ‘enemy’ assault which was repelled, leaving allied forces in control of over two thirds of the entire ‘battlefield’.
The commandos took advantage of one of the best military training areas in the world to experiment with new tactics and share knowledge with allies.
This deployment has ultimately readied the commando element of LRG(S) for operations next year, joining its sister task group, Littoral Response Group (North), ready to react to unfolding events around the world.
The LRG North has already deployed to the Baltic this year and has a focus on events across Europe, while LRG South will operate east of the Suez Canal.
LRG South is expected to be functional next year with the addition of amphibious ships and aircraft. (Source: https://www.gov.uk/)
03 Nov 21. QinetiQ has launched its Banshee Jet80+ from the deck of the Royal Navy’s HMS Prince of Wales aircraft carrier for the first-time off UK waters. In the latest training demonstration the launch of the Banshee Jet80+ helped the carrier’s crew train for real-world scenarios by flying as realistic threat targets. The demonstration emphasised QinetiQ’s capability to deliver complex training and evaluation exercises for the Royal Navy.
The training demonstration was part of the Royal Navy’s Future Maritime Aviation Force, which looks at how the Fleet Air Arm will operate in years to come. By successfully demonstrating the operation of drones from the deck of aircraft carriers, the Royal Navy will now be able to take the Banshees on board and conduct air defence exercises for both F-35s and Ships within the Task Group, anywhere around the world, whenever necessary, including while on deployment. As part of project Vampire QinetiQ is also working with the Navy to understand further utility for the Banshee for experimentation and the use of differing payloads as part of the wider Maritime UAS strategy.
The Banshees provided the crew of HMS Prince of Wales the opportunity to run drills by emulating cruise missiles and enemy fast jets which may be faced on mission. The Banshee can operate at 25,000ft, or just above the waterline, and fly at speeds of up to 400 knots, delivering a realistic adversary to train against. The use of the drones as enemy aircraft was essential in helping the carriers improve their defence capabilities as the size of the Banshee is representative of an incoming missile on radar systems.
“This demonstration marked a crucial step in the Royal Navy’s future maritime aviation roadmap and its ability to train anywhere in the world with uncrewed assets. The partnership with QinetiQ has proven invaluable in our ability to support our training needs,” said Phil Kelly, Senior Responsible Owner for the RN’s Future Maritime Aviation Force.
The demonstration was conducted on the MOD Hebrides range and contracted through QinetiQ’s Long Term Partnering Agreement (LTPA). Owing to the existing commercial relationship, QinetiQ was able to move at speed to deliver the targets and supporting services to enable the demonstration, achieve UK airspace clearances and provide training in uncrewed capabilities.
“The demonstration shows how our ongoing partnership with the Ministry of Defence enables all branches of our armed forces to train effectively against threats in a realistic scenario,” said Steve Fitz-Gerald, Group Managing Director Maritime & Land, QinetiQ. “The use of crewless technology is paramount to the Royal Navy’s future programmes. This demonstration delivers an efficient method of training, ensuring the correct payloads are used against the appropriate target to deliver value for money, whether at home or during deployment overseas. It’s anticipated that this form of training will become best practice in the near future.”
27 Oct 21. Omani Forces and British troops from 4th Infantry Brigade and HQ North East aim to train to win on Exercise KHANJAR OMAN. British and Omani forces train to win on Exercise KHANJAR OMAN. The drills represent a key part of the [UK] Future Soldier programme by demonstrating the Army’s reach, its ability to work with allies in the joint environment, and the concept of the Land Regional Hub (LRH).
More than 650 soldiers from across the 4th Infantry Brigade and HQ North East (known as the ‘Black Rats’) are to be put through their paces for two months in the heat of the desert. Personnel from the Royal Irish Regiment and Royal Scots Dragoon Guards, supported by Army Air Corps Apaches and Wildcats, will work alongside an Omani battalion to demonstrate interoperability. Troops will conduct preparation from a base location before then commencing a series of three combined-arms missions, with the exercise concluding with a live firing range package.
Library image of a Royal Irish Regiment FOXHOUND deployed on exercise to Spain [© Bob Morrison]
Activity within Oman, which will be designated as one of the Army’s LRHs (designed to support expeditionary roles across the world), will also support the strategic effect of Operation FORTIS, the deployment of the UK’s Carrier Strike Group (CSG).
Oman is a key regional ally for the UK, with a defence agreement signed in 2019 paving the way for the Joint Omani-British Training Area in Duqm, where the Royal Tank Regiment exercised that year. This followed Exercise SAIF SAREERA 3 in 2018, which involved 5,500 British troops and nearly 200 armoured vehicles; this represented the largest Army deployment to Oman since 2001.
As ever, although the mission of the combat arms is to take the fight to the simulated enemy, they could not do so without the support of those within communications, engineering, intelligence, and logistical roles. The LRH in question will form part of the Global Hub, enabling the British military to meet the challenges of the 21st century.
The presence of Army personnel in Oman, from a wide range of cap badges, for longer provides greater opportunities for joint training and operations. As well as commitments nearer to home, these deployments strengthen our national security by providing greater understanding of parts of the world where the UK has security interests and providing a firm base from which to rapidly respond if required. (Source: Joint Forces)
28 Oct 21. Russian and Egyptian paratroopers have conducted the active phase of the DEFENDERS OF FRIENDSHIP 2021 exercise at Inshas near Cairo. DEFENDERS OF FRIENDSHIP 2021 joint exercise of Russian and Egyptian paratroopers ended on Wednesday near Cairo. The active phase of the exercise with practical landing and practising tactical actions was held at the tactical training ground of the Armed Forces of the Arab Republic of Egypt near Inshas city, 60 km from the Egyptian capital. The active phase of the exercise was attended by about 200 servicemen of the two countries, who landed on guided parachute systems for special purposes such as ‘Wing’ and D-10 in the Egyptian desert from heights of 600 to 3,500 metres. According to the plan, after landing and assembling at the landing site, the paratroopers performed the element of capturing and holding the border settlement where the terrorists hide, with the task of freeing the hostages they had taken and further carrying out a humanitarian operation to provide assistance to the local population. The landing involved four Il-76MD military transport aircraft of the Russian Aerospace Forces, which delivered the personnel of the combined Russian-Egyptian unit and six BMD-2K-AU units with the PBS-916 parachute strap-down system to the landing area, as well as military transport aircraft C-130 Hercules and C-295 Casa, Chinook and Mi-17 of the Egyptian Air Force. Welcoming the Russian and Egyptian paratroopers who took part in the active phase of the exercise, the Commander of the Airborne Troops Colonel-General Andrei Serdyukov thanked them for the successfully completed task and professional actions, wishing them success in their future service. Based on the results of the active phase of the exercise, the command of the combined contingent recorded the fulfilment of all assigned tasks, the absence of unforeseen incidents and circumstances or the failure of weapons, military and special equipment to work.
The exercise was attended by military attachés from a number of African states, as well as Russian Ambassador to Egypt Georgy Borisenko.
For reference:
- DEFENDERS OF FRIENDSHIP joint Russian-Egyptian tactical exercise is being held for the fifth time this year.
- For the first time, Russian and Egyptian paratroopers practised joint tactical actions near Alexandria city of the Arab Republic of Egypt in 2016.
- In 2017, joint exercises were held in the Krasnodar Territory on the basis of the Novorossiysk airborne assault mountain formation of the Airborne Troops.
- In 2018, in Egypt, participants in a joint exercise practised their skills at the paratrooper training ground near Cairo.
- In 2019, for the first time, servicemen of the Special Operations Forces of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Belarus took part in joint exercises. The joint exercises were held at Dubrovichi training ground of the Tula Guards Airborne Troops in the Ryazan region.
29 Oct 21. US armed forces introduce counter drone training in the Middle East. The US Armed Forces are countering adversary unmanned aerial systems (UAS) in the US Central Command (CENTCOM) area of operations with a rapidly evolving set of tools and training, according to the armed forces media. Task Force Phoenix—a combat aviation brigade responsible for full-spectrum aviation operations for Operation Spartan Shield (OSS) and Operation Inherent Resolve (OIR)—has a dedicated Cyberspace Electromagnetic Activities (CEMA) cell that is assisting in the counter-UAS (C-UAS) fight. The Task Force Phoenix CEMA cell is based at Camp Buehring, Kuwait. In response to recent UAS attacks on coalition bases in Iraq and Syria, the Task Force Phoenix CEMA cell performed battlefield assessments and identified gaps in C-UAS training. The team then reached out to the Yuma Counter-UAS Training Academy and US Army Forces Command (FORSCOM) to get the latest C-UAS training packages being used stateside.
“After reviewing that information, we identified that there was a huge training gap in the information due to the unique operating environment and the different theater-provided equipment throughout our area of responsibility,” Montgomery said. “Utilizing the curriculum that was provided, reaching out to the manufacturers to get information and reengaging with operators up north, our team was able to develop a complete training package that encompasses the ‘crawl, walk, run’ learning matrix. Our team developed material and acquired equipment so that the learning progressed from PowerPoint presentation (crawl), to the SPECTRE virtual reality simulation training (walk), finishing up with hands-on, ground-based and handheld systems (run). Our team truly feels this course is the most comprehensive, real-time and relevant training platform for C-UAS theater operators, planners and NCOIC/OIC’s (Noncommissioned Officers-In-Charge/Officers-In-Charge).”
On the heels of their recent success teaching an Electronic Warfare Operations/Counter Radio-Controlled Improvised Explosive Device Warfare system course at Camp Buehring, the CEMA cell teamed up again with the US Army Central Command Readiness Training Center (ARTC) to put together the comprehensive course that will be taught regularly to C-UAS operators in theater. The five-day C-UAS course is intended to give participants a better understanding of the emerging UAS threat and training on the systems that defeat that threat. For more information visit: www.mil.army (Source: www.unmannedairspace.info)
28 Oct 21. Australia’s NT training areas and ranges upgrade to support 2,000 jobs. Managing contractor Sitzler has been selected to lead the modernisation project in Australia. The Australian Morrison Government’s A$747m ($581m) investment to upgrade Australia Northern Territory (NT) training areas and weapon ranges is set to support about 2,000 jobs over the next five years.
The project will be led by Sitzler, which will serve as the upgrade programme’s managing contractor.
The modernisation activities will support the capability requirements of the Australian Defence Force and improve integration with its partners.
Australian Defence Industry Minister Melissa Price said: “This is a major win for small and local businesses across northern Australia, who will be given every opportunity to get involved in this vital Defence project.
“Sitzler has a target of 985 of the construction sub-contractor packages to businesses within northern Australia.
“This means the benefits from our investment will flow to small and medium businesses and, most importantly, support local jobs.
“Sitzler has not only estimated that a 2,000-strong workforce will be involved over the life of the project, but about 65 sub-contractor packages will also be available for tender.
“They will also set an Indigenous participation target of 4% for Indigenous business involvement on the project, which will be directly under the Commonwealth’s Indigenous Participation Policy.”
The investment in the four defence bases is part of the government’s $15.6bn expenditure allocated for military capital facilities and infrastructure in the country.
The four bases are Robertson Barracks Close Training Area, Kangaroo Flats Training Area, Mount Bundey Training Area and Bradshaw Field Training Area. Work under the project will first begin at Robertson Barracks and Bradshaw followed by Kangaroo Flats and Mount Bundey. It is anticipated to commence this month and be complete in 2026. (Source: army-technology.com)
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About InVeris Training Solutions
InVeris Training Solutions combines an agile approach with an unmatched expertise in training technology to design and deliver customized, cutting-edge, first-rate training solutions that keep military, law enforcement and commercial range customers safe, prepared and ready to serve – Because Seconds Matter™. With a portfolio of technology-enabled training solutions, and a team of 400 employees driven to innovate, InVeris Training Solutions is the global leader in integrated live-fire and virtual weapons training solutions. With its legacy companies, FATS® and Caswell, InVeris Training Solutions has fielded over 15,500 live-fire ranges and 7,500 virtual systems globally during its 95-year history. The Company is headquartered in Suwanee, Georgia and partners with clients in the US and around the world from facilities on five continents.
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