The Netherlands Ministry of Defence Materiel and IT Command has placed an order, valued at USD30 million, with BlueHalo to develop and deliver an Advanced Stinger Trainer (AST) system.
AST is a fully immersive next-generation man-portable air defence system (MANPADS) operator training system that offers operational and tactical training in confronting and managing multiple air threats, including drones, in a 360° simulated environment. It can provide training for up to four Stinger teams simultaneously, with both missile operator and ‘spotter’ using untethered replicas of the operational equipment to provide as realistic an experience as possible.
“This contract marks a significant step not only for Dutch air defense but for BlueHalo as we continue to disrupt and transform the global defense technology market,” said BlueHalo CEO, Jonathan Moneymaker.
The company has developed similar Stinger training facilities for US Army, Army National Guard and Marine Corps users. AST leverages technology developed for BlueHalo’s Virtual Systems Trainer (VST) family: VST-Stinger is the first and only fielded VR-based MANPADS training device that supports portable or fixed-site Stinger team training, the company claims.
For more information: https://bluehalo.com
(Image: the AST will be able to cater for training four Stinger teams simultaneously. Credit: BlueHalo)
