I/ITSEC 2014: Rheinmetall Details Naval Simulation & Training Projects

The complexity of modern naval systems and a wide spectrum of missions require well-trained seamen especially in critical situations. Naval operations in unknown environments and continually changing combat situations make extensive ‘train-as-you-fight’ training more important than ever before. The business unit Simulation & Training of Rheinmetall Defence Electronics (RDE), a recognised world leader in military simulation & training systems, offers a variety of solutions for the naval customer, ranging from procedural to tactical trainers.

The Periscope Simulator (PESI) pictured here at the Undersea Defence Technology (UDT) Exhibition Hamburg provides high-fidelity realistic 3D imagery of the naval combat environment to a mock-up/real periscope. (Photo: Rheinmetall)

Gateways to Mission-Oriented Submarine Training

For comprehensive training of submarine crews, Rheinmetall developed two key systems, the Submarine Combat Team Trainer (SCTT) and the Submarine Control Simulator (SCS). Two other products are the Periscope Simulator (PESI), which delivers actual periscope operation experience and allows training in various naval combat environments versus various target types, and the Submarine Control Simulation (SCS). The latter is a modular and scalable approach for all systems and sub-systems, enabling trainees a step-by-step selection and subsequent expansion of the submarine control simulator and its main system segments like the Cabin (CAB) layout and the Motion System (MOT).

RDE was selected by numerous international Navies to provide trainer simulators for many classes of conventional submarines. The company’s SCTT delivered to the Republic of Korea Navy prepares submarine CIC team members for their duties with the help of simulated combat situations and environment scenarios. The SCTT has been designed to simulate and replicate sonar multi-sensor system and torpedo weapon control procedures by simulation of real systems, including radar, EW, communications as well as periscope simulation. This also includes coastlines and target ships. All relevant information is generated with detailed accuracy. It provides a simulated exercise area with a size of up to 10,000sqnm, including all conceivable scenarios of EW and the use of torpedo weapons and the associated guidance methodologies. Outside the mock-up of the CIC, other trainees present in the auditorium can keep track of the exercises, Volkhard Meyer, Vice President, Sales Maritime and Process Simulation, at Rheinmetall explained. Exercise recording can cover up to four hours. The auditorium contains slave displays of the CIC as well as briefing and debriefing and instructor consoles.

Rheinmetall has delivered or will supply the SCTT to a number of international customers, including Italy, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, and Thailand. As said by Christian Grube, Vice President and Head of Engineering, Marine Simulation, four submarine simulators have already been delivered to the Republic of Singapore Navy for the training of ARCHER-class (A17) crews. This package also includes a passive sonar trainer.

Toward Total Ship/Boat Training

Naval training goes high-tech in response to longer deployments and budgetary restraints. Reduced manning levels on modern surface warships mean individual crew members have multiple roles and tasks. Whilst a warship remains in its operational area, crew exchanges require a number of additional crews on land that must have follow-on training and practical preparation before deployment aboard. As a consequence, additional training slots are required. Training capabilities must therefore be fully independent of the ship and other training hardware. More complex knowledge must be absorbed than on current ships.

Procedural training plays a key role within this scheme; with navigation simulators providing synthetic navigation data to the combat system in place of the actual own ship navigation equipment. Shore-based training found in Rheinmetall’s Command Team Trainers includes the training of all levels of naval tactical personnel, providing knowledge and skills for all types of above and below water operations. These are embedded simulators that run on the ship's installed equipment to provide realistic training for the ship's bridge watch team in all aspects of navigation, seamanship, and ship handling as well as navigation planning, watch briefings for port entries and departures, and other planned piloting evolutions. Simulated data are presented at assigned operator mock-ups or on original equipment consoles in the equipment cubicle layer.

Solutions in this category developed by Rheinmetall are available for new-construction and legacy surface ships. The company’s total ship/boat trainer allows training to be carried out with worldwide multi-threat scenarios from subunit to force level. It will be a networked training solution offering range less training on the vessel at sea. The entire crew or complete tasks force can be trained in various scenarios against live and high-fidelity virtual forces. For this purpose, the training scenario will be integrated into the ship’s integral combat system, creating a hybrid training picture, with the training solution offering full interoperability with other naval training facilities plus naval helicopters.

Rheinmetall also developed ANSE (Advanced Naval Synthetic Environment), which is described as a “key to networked naval performance.” It is an advanced tactical and procedural warfare training system covering multi-threat scenarios including ASW, AAW, EW, counter-terrorism operations, littoral warfare, and more. ANSE functions as the naval scenario generator for the German Navy's Simulation and Training Environment (SuTBw) project.