Awarded USD $18 Million Australian DoD Contract

Weapon Training Simulation System (photo : Australian Army)

Meggitt PLC ("Meggitt" or "the Group"), a leading international company specialising in high performance components and sub-systems for the aerospace, defence and energy markets announces that its Meggitt Training Systems division has been awarded an USD $18 million contract from the Australian Defence Force (ADF) under the Hardened & Networked Army (HNA) and Enhanced Land Force (ELF) Phase 3 program. The award follows several recent largely international deals totalling over USD $40 million involving simulators for the Italian Ministry of Defence, Kuwait’s Police Governorate Headquarters and the Singapore Armed Forces, plus live-fire targetry systems for the US Army’s Targetry Systems programme.


Ron Vadas, President, Meggitt Training Systems commented: “These awards are testament to the broad appeal beyond the United States of our industry-leading training products. In particular, Meggitt Training Systems is meeting with great success upgrading legacy virtual systems with the latest configurations, fielding user-friendly systems while improving overall training lifecycle costs.”

Defence agencies around the world continue to identify ways to improve military readiness despite ever-tightening budgets. The ADF continues to see simulation as a means of minimising the costs associated with live fire training while ensuring its ground forces are well trained and ready to deploy. Using a combined weapons training strategy, agencies can train within a virtual environment more often, reducing large live-fire training exercises without sacrificing training effectiveness. Networked Weapon Training Simulation Systems (WTSSs) allow the ADF to train within virtual environments around the world without the logistical burden and costs associated with transporting personnel and equipment to one location.

Meggitt has supplied simulation systems to the ADF since 1999. Since then, two upgrades have been undertaken for the WTSS and IFT systems. Meggitt is in the final phase of delivering the HNA/ELF Phase 2.

Under the HNA/ELF Phase 3 contract, Meggitt will provide hardware and software upgrades to 18 existing WTSS facilities throughout Australia, adding mortar crew and collective training to existing individual marksmanship training capabilities. The contract includes developing and delivering simulators for 52 to 81mm mortars; 14-upgraded 0.50 cal heavy machine guns; new BlueFire® Browning pistols; and an 84mm Carl Gustav anti-tank weapon with new ammunition types.

(Meggitt)