Photo By Ariana Aubuchon | Sgt. Maj. of the Army Michael R. Weimer stopped by the Synthetic Training Environment...... read more read more
The U.S. Army’s Program Executive Office Simulation, Training and Instrumentation (PEO STRI) hosted a Synthetic Training Environment Live Training Systems (STE-LTS) direct fire booth during the 2025 AUSA Global Force Symposium & Exposition at the Von Braun Center in Huntsville, Alabama, from March 25-27.
The three-day event highlighted how the U.S. Army and PEO STRI are driving transformational change with industry partners to ensure a modernized defense industrial base and an Army capable of conducting multi-domain operations.
Attendees ranged from Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps cadets from Huntsville-area high schools to Sgt. Maj. of the Army Michael Weimer, and the PEO STRI STE-LTS team successfully demonstrated the range and proficiency of the STE-LTS Increment 1 suite of products to a variety of Army stakeholders.
STE-LTS provides force-on-force training by simulating weapons effects in combat scenarios with signal-based synthetic weapons in which Soldiers train against opposing forces with simulated weapons effects. By simulating the feel and realism that comes with live fire training, Soldiers can better prepare for the real-life encounters they may find in active combat.
“It is always important to demonstrate STE-LTS products at conferences and training events to highlight these new capabilities to senior leaders,” said Michael T. Powell, PEO STRI’s Product Manager STE-LTS. “These systems allow warfighters to train more realistically, filling a gap in the Army’s current training inventory.”
According to Powell, STE-LTS offers lightweight, environmentally friendly training devices that simulate live-fire effects without the associated costs and risks. Designed as a collective, multi-echelon platform, the system integrates live, virtual, and constructive training into a unified solution, enabling Soldiers to rehearse missions and hone skills in both operational and institutional domains.
Powell said the devices are designed to act as a collective multi-echelon training and mission rehearsal capability platform for the operational and institutional domains of training. It brings together live, virtual and constructive training capabilities into one unified STE product, capable of training todays’ Soldiers into more lethal, effective warfighters, while providing realistic training without the environmental, extreme monetary cost and potential risk of human life.
“The Army needs to stop chasing overly complicated and expensive non-interoperable training systems,” said Col. Thomas R. Monaghan, Jr., PEO STRI’s Project Manager for Training Devices (PM TRADE). “We have proven technology that is ready now to put in the hands of Soldiers and will increase the lethality, mobility, and survivability of America’s warfighters.”
Monaghan said the outdated practice of white-carding battlefield effects during combat training center rotations is over.
“With the new STE-Live grenades, mortars, claymores, and stinger missiles, we have collective training devices that introduce a level of realism at combat training centers that I wish I had available as a former reconnaissance company commander in the 101st Airborne,” Monaghan said. “These new training devices afford Warfighters the ability to get reps and sets in with all their organic weapons systems and not just a laser equipped M4.”
According to Monaghan, PM TRADE’s STE-LTS will eventually replace the longstanding Multiple-Integrated Laser Engagement Systems (MILES), offering more realistic and accurate weapon effects for combat training centers and home station training. But unlike MILES, which functions similarly to large-scale laser tag, STE-LTS delivers immersive experiences that reflect the true dynamics of combat.
Lt. Col. Shayla Parker, program officer at STE-LTS, said the Army and PEO STRI are leveraging technology to bring realism to the adage “train as we fight.”
“Gone are the days of Soldiers throwing rocks to simulate a grenade detonation during training,” Parker said. “The Increment 1 products like the Stinger, grenades, claymores, as well as the 60mm and 81mm mortars, are allowing Soldiers to use the proper tactics, techniques and procedures by providing immediate feedback and battle damage assessments to train the next generation of warfighters.”
The modernization of live training scenarios represents a shift in Army and PEO STRI training methodologies, offering a transformative capability that enhances realism, immersion and effectiveness in training exercises, better preparing Soldiers to become more lethal warfighters for tomorrow’s battles.
| Date Taken: | 03.27.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 04.07.2025 13:47 |
| Story ID: | 494759 |
| Location: | HUNTSVILLE, ALABAMA, US |
| Web Views: | 128 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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