VICTRIX Simulator - Source - Indra.
Industry

Military simulation in Spain (I)

The military simulation industry in Spain has reached a remarkable degree of maturity in recent decades. From the first attempts in the middle of the last century, all of them analogue, to the modern and complex simulators that use virtual reality and can be networked or scaled according to the user’s needs, much progress has been made. So much so that some companies have achieved significant export successes. However, much remains to be done, especially on the side of the armed forces, which may not yet be allocating the necessary resources to an increasingly crucial area. The history of military simulation is as old as the human being. Ever since our ancestors began competing for resources – which often involved and still involves the use of force – they have turned to simulation techniques of some kind to better understand […]

Future Combat Air System (FCAS)
Industry

The FCAS programme and the Spanish Defence Industry: a wrong bet

If there is a controversial programme in which the Spanish Ministry of Defence is embarked, that is the FCAS. Born as an initiative of the European Technology Acquisition Program (ETAP) aimed at exploring the needs of the EU air forces in relation to a new joint air combat weapons system, with the signing of the framework agreement NGWS mutated into something very different. The prioritization of the interests of the defense industry over those of the Air Force in the case of Spain, the particular interests of France -with Dassault in the lead-, the hesitant position of Germany, the multiple delays and disagreements among the partners or the Spanish commitment to Indra -to the detriment of Airbus- as national coordinator are just some of the controversial issues in a program that has always walked a tightrope. In addition, a question still […]

VCR 8x8 en FEINDEF 2021. Source - Armies Magazine.
Industry

Beyond Predictive Maintenance

By now, all our readers know what the concept of “predictive maintenance” encompasses and what advantages it offers over traditional or reactive maintenance. The Spanish company EM&E (Escribano Mechanical & Engineering) intends to go one step further with its weapon stations, adding integrated learning and monitoring, which will allow first and second echelon maintenance personnel to perform tasks hitherto reserved for higher Levels. This project was initiated at the proposal of the MALE (Army Logistic Support Command) and its success will be key to the future Technical Life Cycle Support Office (OTACV) of the VCR 8×8 Programme. During the Cold War, the presence of tens of thousands of Warsaw Pact battle tanks was one of the main threats facing NATO Member States. The same was true of Eastern air forces and their navies, given the sheer numbers of platforms they […]