Meggitt Wins Marine Corps Contract for More Wireless Virtual Weapons

SUWANEE, Ga. — Meggitt Training Systems has been awarded a $2.6 million contract for additional BlueFire wireless virtual weapons to be used by the U.S. Marine Corps on its Indoor Simulated Marksmanship Trainer (ISMT), also delivered by the company as a program of record, the company said in a May 14 release. 

BlueFire M9 pistols, M4 rifles and M27 infantry automatic rifles will be used at several Marine Corps bases throughout the U.S. Deliveries to Marine Corps Logistics Base Albany will begin within the next 90 days and should be completed by December. 

“This order for additional BlueFire weapons demonstrates the value they and ISMT deliver in terms of virtual firearms training for Marines who must be ready to deploy anywhere at any time,” said Andrea Czop, Meggitt’s vice president of strategy, sales and marketing. 

Meggitt was originally awarded the $32 million, five-year contract in 2014, delivering and installing 490 systems at locations worldwide. As a certified program of record, ISMT trains new and experienced Marines in marksmanship, collective scenarios and judgmental video scenarios. Each mode provides critical training based on the skill level of the individual or unit. 

BlueFire weapons use commercial wireless technology to communicate with ISMT and other FATS-based virtual training systems, giving the same control as tethered weapons, but with full range of movement. 

These patented weapon simulators can be used in conjunction with other tethered weapon simulators without modification. For enhanced, more realistic visuals, Meggitt’s BlueFire weapon simulators feature a 3-D marksmanship training environment. The after-action review allows engagement and shot assessment in a 3-D virtual environment, while providing detailed trainee diagnostics for skill reinforcement or correction.