Saab’s WinEXCON Field Apps on Display
The most effective warfighter is the one best prepared through rigorous testing, and trained to overcome the intensities of combat. Honing this requires training tyhat presents authentic combat scenarios and missions, allowing combatants to use and develop actual battlefield skills and instincts. To allow this, simulation systems need to be as reliable and robust as battlefield equipment, able to operate in any environment, no matter the conditions. Saab’s introduction of digital tools plays an important part in providing effective, attractive tools for soldiers and instructors providing effective training and in-depth analysis.
At I/ITSEC 2021, Saab showcased its WinEXCON (WE) Field Apps — a family of digital evaluation tools which allows an Observer/Controller to provide immediate feedback control in the field. The suite of apps resides on a single tablet, and provides full exercise control, multimedia capture, and after-action review.
The WinEXCON suite of interoperable software tools has been around for a number of years, but the WE Apps are relatively new, and provide new opportunities. They are now ordered and included in customer contracts on a regular basis, as was the case with the Netherlands Mobile Combat Training Centre contract, awarded in June.
Key apps for the Observer/Controller include the WE:ARE application, which provides situational awareness through a near real-time tactical overview using a tactical map with APP-6 symbology. Augmented reality is provided, with an overlaying built-in camera view, as well as time-tagged and geo-positioned multimedia which is sent to EXCON.
The WE:X Gunnery training application provides improved safety, monitoring up to eight soldiers for aiming and shooting performance, with results presented in real time.
The WE:Setup application is a tool enabling field configuration of simulators.
“Range, ballistics and time-of-flight are hugely important characteristics of any weapon system, and these characteristics need to be in the warfighter’s mind, both when conducting training and on operations. Training systems must therefore also replicate these same characteristics in order to allow weapons to be correctly employed and the necessary lessons learned in the safety of the training environment,” explained Hans Lindgren, Head of Business Development at Saab’s Training and Simulation business unit. “Evaluation of military exercises is a key to be able to improve the individual soldier as well as the division level. Looking into the future, the collection and analysis of training data is a key area of evolution in the future development of training tools for defence forces. The WinEXCON Apps are a key cornerstone in providing this important capability.”
Saab states that additional functions are under development to further enhance the training effect.
Juan Atavega reporting from Orlando
