Training at large scale to stay confident and ready
Preparing for the unthinkable is more relevant than ever. During 2023, Sweden's largest military exercise in three decades was conducted. It covered all domains, included 14 nations and was made possible through Saab’s live training solutions
Arranged by the Swedish Armed Forces, Aurora 23 took place during spring 2023 across large parts of Sweden. Saab was involved in all domains, in the air with the Gripen fighter, at sea with surface ships, such as the Visby Corvette and on land with Ground Combat weapons, radars and live training solutions. Around 26 000 soldiers from 14 nations participated in this large-scale, multinational exercise and were able to use their experiences from the exercise to train, learn and develop their skills and understanding.
This was enabled by Saab’s high fidelity, interoperable and deployable Live Training System, allowing different nations to bring their own simulators to the exercise and plug into the same Exercise Control and Communications Network. By using Saabs live training solutions the participants receive immediate feedback and a thorough analysis and AAR (After Action Review) on individual up to multinational level.
This gives Saab an important role as an enabler of exercises like Aurora 23. Saab’s live training solutions are developed to act and behave just like real weapons, without the need for live rounds. Instead, a laser is fired from the weapon and is detected in the target, whether it’s a building, vehicle or soldier. Thanks to advanced technologies, we are able to simulate the behaviour of weapons and their ammunition, including ballistic effects and time-of-flight. This level of realism is beyond anything else on the market and something we at Saab call true realism.
“I am proud of how we have supported Aurora 23 and made it possible. Large-scale exercises like these are very important to strengthen international collaboration as well as giving the best preparation for the individual soldier and making them confident when it matters. It all comes down to our mission; keeping people and society safe”, says Hans Lindgren, head of business development at Saab’s business unit Training and Simulation.
Saab's Live Training solutions
Saab’s interoperable, realistic hi-fidelity GAMER Live Training solutions are used in more than 30 nations around the globe and create a strong base for cost-efficient, confidence-building multinational training between allied nations.
Gaining confidence with minimal environmental impact
By using live training solutions, soldiers are getting the best preparation in the most realistic way. Since no actual rounds are being fired, environmental impact is minimized, as well as keeping the cost down. Live firing training using real ammunition are not to be underestimated, but the use of virtual and live training simulation gear gives the soldier knowledge of the weapon's behaviour and prepares them better before moving on to live firing training.
Saab's training ethos is based on providing training flexibility and fidelity delivered by a forward leaning team of experts. The training teams’ mission remains constant – give the user an excellent, realistic training experience, deliver expedient unrivalled objective high fidelity data feedback to accelerate learning, maximize training value and support Commanders in creating confident soldiers, thereby optimizing combat effectiveness. To sum up - live training creates reduced environmental impact and decreased cost while, at the same time, training efficiency is increased for the defence forces.