Many companies gathered in Bristol this week to showcase a range of military training systems during the Defence Simulation, Education, and Training (DSET) exhibition on the sidelines of a three-day conference.
From tactical weapon system sensors monitoring troop performance to strategic software used to map out missions for command and control, there was a lot to mark the gathering’s tenth anniversary.
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Bagira Systems
Bagira Systems presented its Magnet tactical system that simulates the use of a real weapon regardless of location, safety limitations, and costs.The Magnet is packed into a small arms magazine and eliminates the need for blank ammunition, for which there have been shortages in the past.
Magnet enables training with minimal set-up time, logistics, and costs. The Magnet control app monitors the soldier’s location and status combining live and virtual training.
The equipment comprises sensors on the helmet, flash, magazine, and internal weapon adaptor to register when the user is ‘hit’. The system will flash to inform the user the weapon has ‘fired’, ideal for low visibility conditions.
At present, there are three sets – around 160 units in total – in use with the British Army. Likewise, the systems have been used among Ukrainian soldiers for training in Germany under Czech commanders.
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Bohemia Interactive Simulation
Meanwhile, Bohemia demonstrated its Virtual Battlespace Simulation 4 (VBS4) software. A whole-earth, constructive, virtual desktop trainer and simulation host used for a wide range of scenarios – from terrain edits, mission plans, scenario files and after-action reviews.
Increasing the speed that training content can be generated, VBS4 frees up instructor time to concentrate on the learning points of an exercise, leading to a more insightful training experience.
VBS includes a new mission planning capability allowing users to quickly draw tactical plans in 2D and 3D, and then execute those plans in VBS with high-fidelity artificial intelligence.
The UK Ministry of Defence has benefitted from the creative software since 2022 in a contract to support its Defence Virtual Simulation 2 (DVS2) initiative.
As per the terms of the £7.2m contract, Bohemia delivers its VBS4 and VBS Blue image generator tools as part of the DVS2 solution.
reSERVE Group
Three companies attended DSET collectively under the auspices of the reSERVE GROUP.
One of their largest simulation systems on display was a mock-up of the Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS), a key system in the British Army’s long-range precision fires capability. One company in the trio, Design Vertex, built the MLRS simulator system using 3D printing techniques.
In addition, reSERVE GROUP also provides a scenario creation software tool for command and control.
Kinetic Ti (KTI) provides this service as part of the group. KTI is a subcontractor to Cubic Defense, a major simulation training systems provider to the US Armed Forces.
The software tool will be used at the divisional level by British and Estonian troops in Estonia from September 2025.
