The Marine Corps has awarded Meggitt Training Systems a $7.2 million contract as part of a larger $32.7 million contract to continue development of the service’s virtual small-arms marksmanship training simulators.
Marine Corps Systems Command’s training systems program manager approved the deal for the second delivery of Indoor Simulated Marksmanship Trainer (ISMT) systems.
The ISMT program provides a five-year indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract that includes system and weapon simulator development, as well as the installation and support of more than 670 systems at stateside and overseas Marine Corps facilities. The ISMT systems meet Marine Corps current training requirements and have been designed to incorporate Meggitt’s flexible system architecture to allow future growth and evolving training conditions.
“The ISMT program allows us to take advantage of new technology,” said Kathleen Wilson, ISMT program manager. “Our graphic artists and subject matter experts visited numerous USMC ranges, taking photos for use in future ISMT virtual scenarios. Meggitt’s small arms trainer was developed as an open architecture system, allowing third party plug-and-play aspects to work in conjunction with the ISMT system. This user-friendly training solution provides a rapid readiness for instructors, and allows Marines to complete mandatory courses in a quick, efficient manner.”
The latest award includes virtual simulation systems and Meggitt’s patented BlueFire® wireless weapons. The systems included in the order will be delivered to domestic and international locales, as well as aboard naval vessels.
ISMT provides virtual training in all three principal areas of small-arms training: marksmanship, collective and judgmental.
Collective is used with teams in a combined environment. Judgmental hones a trainee’s response within their rules of engagement. Marksmanship develops the fundamentals of proper weapon training.
Utilizing simulation in these three training arenas minimizes range time and ammunition costs, said Larry Raines, vice president virtual systems, Meggitt Training Systems. The systems also allows for immediate, corrective action in a controlled setting and provides realistic training with real duty weapons, regardless of weather, time of day or environmental conditions.
“This second delivery order, coupled with the initial ISMT contract, will result in better trained warfighters.”