ORLANDO, Fla., 29 Aug. 2012. The U.S. Army will be equipping test ranges with battlefield effect simulators to provide warfighters with more realistic training. To accomplish this, the U.S. Army program executive office (PEO) for simulation, training and instrumentation (STRI) has awarded a $35 million contract to Zel Technologies LLC, a technology and consultation company, for the procurement of the Force-on-Target (FOT) Battlefield Effects Simulator (BES) II. The FOT BES II system will be used in day and night range exercises for visual and acoustic target recognition at stationary range positions with a target mechanism or mounted on a moving target platform. The system will produce a flash/bang and smoke signature to simulate a large caliber weapon fire of a hostile threat and/or an impact round on an armored target.
BES systems are featured on many different test ranges. Multiple PEO STRI programs such as the Remote Target System/Enhanced Remote Target System RETS/ERETS, New Generation Army Targetry System (NGATS), Future Army Systems of Integrated Targets (FASIT), Non-Instrumented (Small Arms), and Instrumented Ranges Digital Range Training System (DRTS) rely on the BES system in order to support the training missions requirements.
Zel Technologies has provided BES systems to the U.S. Army before and has also received contracts with international armed forces. Work for this contract is expected to be completed in August of 2015.
