Army posts final RFS for Synthetic Training Environment

The Army has posted a final request for solutions for the Synthetic Training Environment's Live Training Environment.

The STE LTE will enable units and leaders to conduct live force-on-force training in support of multidomain operations, according to the RFS.

Patricia Bielling, director of communication for the STE cross-functional team, told Inside Defense in April, "Our initial efforts are focused on improving our ability to replicate our indirect fire capabilities in the live environment and determine if we can accelerate efforts to replace our legacy laser based Multiple Integrated Laser Engagement System (MILES)."

The LTE will eventually integrate real weapon systems, mission command information systems and the Common Synthetic Environment, the RFS states.

The first prototype competition focuses on filling "gaps" in simulated [force-on-force] engagements during light infantry platoons' home station training. The Army expects a series of additional prototyping efforts "to address the scope and breadth of the full LTE requirements to include the area of force-on-target training."

The RFS notes the service is looking for proposals "ranging from key enabling technologies to comprehensive solutions."

The Army seeks to accelerate development of the LTE by awarding other transaction agreements to develop prototypes that will "help inform requirements for the STE LTE, provide a quantified evaluation of the technology readiness levels of critical enabling technologies and provide key foundational aspects of establishing the roadmap for the future of STE LTE.”

Technical assessments are expected to begin in the first quarter of fiscal year 2020, followed by soldier assessments starting in the fourth quarter of FY-20.

The service plans to conduct a “final prototype assessment” at the end of the OTA development process, between August 2020 and October 2020, at Ft. Benning, GA.