Indra to Deliver Two Simulators to the Army

• for the Training of Soldiers Destined for Peace Missions

-- The simulators virtually reproduce the situations the Spanish forces may encounter during UN missions
-- The more significant feature of this solution is the many possibilities it offers to instructors in the design or custo-mization of exercises to meet operation-specific requirements
-- The award is evidence of the success of the R&D project of the first simulator that employs this Spanish technology


(Madrid, January 26, 2010) -- Indra will deliver two simulators to the Spanish army. The simulators are conceived to train the security corps and forces destined to United Nations (UN) international peace keeping missions.

The company has competed with the main companies of the sector worldwide. The more significant feature of this solution is the many possibilities it offers to instructors in the design of exercises to meet their needs or operation-specific requirements.

The systems, to be implemented at Alvarez de Sotomayor base in Viator (Almeria) and at Principe base, in Paracuellos del Jarama (Madrid) will facilitate troop training. The simulators integrate the latest technologies to customise exercises and scenarios according to any new possible requirements of the training and to guarantee security of both, troops and inhabitants. The design and development was carried out at Indra's Centre of Excellence of Security Systems in Leon and was co financed by the European Regional Development Fund and Castilla Leon's regional government.

The simulator is the first system of its type and has been thoroughly developed with Spanish technology. It simulates the H&K G36 rifle-used by the Spanish Armed Forces-as well as other weapons of common use.

Soldiers can use their own firearms, customised to interact with the simulator. This means that the aspect, weight distribution, adaptability for accessories and recoil accurately resemble reality. Besides this, the absence of external connections and cables enhances such resemblance and facilitates the squad's compliance with the exercise.

Indra's technology and software help create a virtual world on a large screen with 3D scenarios and characters for the trainee to interact. The soldier will have to respond in accordance to the actions of the characters taking into account the events programmed by

the instructor. For instance, in an advance through a narrow street in a town in conflict, the scene will show the difficulties the instructor chooses such as type of attack and moment.
It also incorporates a device which shoots rubber bullets in coordination with the training in order to make the trainee acquainted with the stress a real mission entails.

Real events without risk

Thanks to this system, students will have the chance to train without risk in almost all sorts of possible scenarios the Spanish Armed Forces are likely to encounter when on a peacekeeping operation in conflict areas. This is possible thanks to the integration of a smart tactic environment that reproduces previous experiences related to public security, protection of critical enclaves (humanitarian aid, water supply, electoral centres) or cooperation with allied forces, among others.

Besides this, the instructor will be able to plan the exercises from the control centre and to create the most adequate training conditions so that soldiers learn the protocols of action. From there, the parameters of the scene can be easily modified, for example; the type of target, type of bullets, environmental conditions; and types of advancement and distances can also be added. The system allows the possibility of training in a night setting with real light intensifiers.

Another great advantage is that trainees can participate altogether in the same mission even though they are at different locations thanks to the communication protocol called High-Level Architecture (HLA). This technology allows connection between simulators, bringing participants together in the same virtual scenario.

Indra holds an outstanding position among simulator manufacturers worldwide. It has delivered 147 simulators to more than 15 countries and 39 clients for civil or military pilots, drivers and machinery operators. It has also delivered many simulation systems for air traffic controllers. Indra's simulators have covered more than 700,000 hour training.

Source : Indra