Cubic receives $20 million order for MILES update

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Cubic Defense Applications, the defense systems business unit of Cubic Corporation has received approximately $20 million in orders for its laser combat training system – the Multiple Integrated Laser Engagement System (MILES) Individual Weapon System (MILES IWS).
 
Soldiers use MILES IWS instrumentation during force-on-force training exercises to provide real-time feedback during weapons engagements, as well as an electronic record of their performance for after-action reviews.
In a military version of “laser tag,” soldiers fire laser shots at opponents and the laser detectors determine whether they are hit and killed or wounded.
Player instrumentation consists of laser detectors worn on helmets and lightweight cloth harnesses, and a laser transmitter mounted to weapons such as the M4 and M16 rifles, M2 and M40 machine guns and the M249 squad automatic weapon in addition to armoured vehicles up to the M1 Abrams.  

The US Army placed its latest order for systems and spare equipment under Cubic’s 2005 contract with the Army’s Program Executive Office for Simulation and Training Instrumentation (PEO STRI).

Scheduled for delivery starting in August 2009, the systems are destined for users at Fort Riley, Kansas; Fort Campbell, Kentucky; Fort Hood, Texas; Fort Bragg, North Carolina; and Schofield Barracks, Hawaii.
MILES in Saudi Arabia
Meanwhile, Cubic has accrued mileage from providing key training and simulation technologies during “Friendship One 2009” – a bilateral exercise designed to strengthen military interoperability and relations between the US and the Royal Saudi Land Forces (RSLF). The event was the first large-scale training exercise between the two countries since the 1991 Gulf War.

Cubic, the world’s leading provider of live combat training systems, provided its MILES engagement simulation systems, as well as tracking and positioning technologies, during the nine-day “force-on-force” exercise. It was the first RSLF exercise that incorporated Cubic’s MILES and instrumentation systems.
“Cubic was honored to be part of this historic event,” said Ray Barker, executive vice president of Cubic Defense Applications. “It provided us with a unique opportunity to demonstrate friendship and cooperation with our allies, and conduct combat operations using the most capable training systems available today.”

The event, held during the months of February and March, involved over 250 combat vehicles and 460 dismounted soldiers equipped with Cubic’s instrumented MILES system. Cubic’s command and control system provided GPS positioning and information and casualty status of the troops and forces in real time, and recorded the data for post-mission analysis.
“Our equipment worked extremely well,” said John Naff, vice president of Cubic Defense Applications. “The RSLF quickly grasped the functionality of the systems and significantly sharpened their combat skills. At the same time, the U.S. forces had the opportunity to train in an open desert environment – tough terrains that troops will face in the contemporary operational environment.”

Cubic has delivered more than 140 000 MILES systems worldwide since 1997.

Cubic’s deployable instrumentation system provides situational awareness to the training analyst, live monitoring of events and instant replay for after action reviews.

In addition to player instrumentation, the system comprises observer/controller equipment, a transportable communications infrastructure and mobile exercise control centre.