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2022-04-01

Saab Wins U.S. Marine Corps Training Contract

Saab has received a contract modification from the U.S. Marine Corps within the Force on Force Training Systems - Next (FoFTS-Next) programme.

The modification value is around US$122 million, where US$54 million was booked during 2021. The original contract was announced in June 2021. The contract modification includes options which increase the potential total contract value up to US$248 million.

Saab will provide a deployable, live training capability to include equipment for individual Marine weapons and vehicles, as well as logistics, maintenance, and training exercise support.

The FoFTS-Next programme will include U.S. Marine Corps Training Instrumentation Systems (MCTIS) equipment for up to 10 battalion training sets, and the establishment of support operations at various Marine Corps Installations.

Erik Smith, President and CEO of Saab in the U.S., explained: “The deployable and expeditionary MCTIS capability is an advanced training solution that will ensure Marines train and learn in the most realistic environment. The system will enhance Marines’ performance and survivability on the battlefield by developing and reinforcing proper tactics, techniques and procedures. Saab is proud to be the U.S. Marine Corps training partner for the next generation of Marine warfighters.”

The expeditionary MCTIS capability is the premier land-based live training capability and is fully interoperable with the land forces training of more than 30 NATO and partner nations.

Interoperability Factor

Interoperability and cooperation between nations is becoming common among armed forces. This cooperation empowers the members’ capabilities and effectiveness, a key for efficient cooperation is military training and multinational exercises.

The growing number of multinational missions and alliances between national forces and different types of combat units are placing high demands on system integration, interoperability and command and control capabilities.

Since its start in 2008, Saab has been a part of the Interoperability User Community (IUC), an initiative to increase multinational exercises and interoperability requirements. Today, armed forces in the Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, United Kingdom, the Seventh US Army, Czech Republic, Slovenia and Chile are a part of the initiative.

The IUC cooperation areas include the development of the OSAG 2.0 optical interface, agreed ammunition tables, ammunition penetration capability data and target vulnerability guidelines. The objective is to support training between member armies, improve simulation realism and establish for e.g. agreed ammunition lethality and engagement effects.

Training needs are rapidly evolving in line with the shifting global security threat situation. Mission success in today’s multidimensional combat environment is all about being able to plan, co-ordinate and synchronise actions across the full spectrum of service, joint, interagency, intergovernmental, and multinational operations.

One of the greatest challenges today is to manage an ever-changing threat situation and establish military and civil security procedures and doctrines suitable to address each threat. There is a growing demand for flexible, adaptable, scalable and cost effective solutions.

The international collaboration between armed forces is likely to play an even more important role in the future. When joint-developed solutions as well as multinational forces are becoming more important, the needs of multinational exercises and training systems which support that increases.

With extensive expertise and leading products in the field of live training and simulation, Saab offers one of the most reliable and realistic training and simulation systems worldwide.

The company has developed and maintained close relationships with many NATO countries and operates in accordance with NATO recommendations.

Flexibility and Fidelity

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 a realistic training experience, deliver expedient unrivalled objective high fidelity data feedback to accelerate learning, maximise training value and support Commanders in creating confident soldiers and optimising combat effectiveness.

Saab has extensive experience of delivering fixed-price services evaluated on the lowest life cycle cost. This means that customers have cost control at every stage of the product support life cycle.

Its training services – including fixed installations to man-portable and deployable training solutions – are designed to optimise service delivery. This covers the whole range of customer needs, from provision of spare parts and repairs to fully embedded operational support products.

Saab’s in-service support ensures smooth training delivery that maximises the value of training systems. Its extensive experience in Contractor Logistic Support (CLS) services ensures system availability to enhance the benefits of training for customers.

CLS includes all levels of assistance, and is provided throughout the active support life cycle stages – from spare part handling and preventative and corrective maintenance, to system setup and field support.

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