Rheinmetall Electronics has completed factory acceptance testing for a simulator designed to train crews of Germany’s new Heavy Infantry Weapon Carrier before the vehicle enters service.
The simulator was developed for gunnery and combat training and is designed to reproduce the vehicle’s interior, operating procedures, vehicle systems, driving behavior, aiming, and ballistics.
Four fighting compartments are connected to control, evaluation, and monitoring stations, allowing training for individual crew members, full crews, and platoon-level scenarios.
The training system can also connect with infantry desktop trainers, allowing vehicle crews and dismounted infantry to practice together. Users can create virtual terrain and reproduce potential operating areas, giving troops the ability to rehearse routes, positions, and tactical procedures before deployment.
Five of the new simulator systems are scheduled to reach users by mid-2027. Rheinmetall and the German Armed Forces will also align the simulator software with the final configuration of the vehicle after functional testing and acceptance at the respective training locations.
Heavy Infantry Weapon Carrier
Germany’s Heavy Infantry Weapon Carrier is an 8×8 armored vehicle designed to give infantry units mobile direct-fire and anti-tank support.
Based on the Boxer Combat Reconnaissance Vehicle developed for Australia, the German variant uses a crewed Lance turret armed with a 30mm automatic cannon. It also carries the MELLS anti-tank guided missile system.
The vehicle is intended to replace the Wiesel tracked weapon carrier and serves as a key component of Germany’s new medium forces, which are designed for rapid movement over long distances.
The country ordered up to 123 vehicles from Rheinmetall in March 2024 under a contract worth around 2.7 billion euros ($3 billion), including service and maintenance.
