Orlando FL (August 19, 2025) – Orlando-based Serious Simulations has been awarded a significant production contract for simulated grenades and Claymore mines with their patented Proximity Technology for the U.S. Army’s Synthetic Training Environment Live Training Systems (STE LTS) initiative.
Serious Simulations embarked on a prototype refinement contract to customize its patented proximity technology for grenades and mines for specific Army needs in 2023. The development contract was hugely successful in multiple soldier test events, technical tests, and environmental tests, leading to exercising an option by the Army to proceed directly to production.
These simulated grenades are the first intelligent and data-rich hand grenade training devices ever fielded for live Force-on-Force (FoF) training. For hundreds of years, armed forces around the world have been forced to utilize inert and make-shift training devices such as tennis balls, pine cones, rocks, sacks of sand with chemical lights, or hard rubber replicas to roughly replicate grenades in live training.
The Serious Simulations simulated hand grenades and Claymore mines are high-tech devices that determine their exact proximity to live soldiers and vehicles so as to assess a realistic and real-time battle damage based on the simulated munitions’ data. The devices also replicate realistic penetration of intervening materials, so that soldiers receive positive reinforcement for seeking proper protective cover.
The training devices use real soldier-to-munition interfaces with real parts. Specifically, the grenade has a real spoon, pull ring, and safety clip, and is the correct size as real grenades. The grenades also have an outer envelope of safety padding for safe throwing in live training. In the same vein, the Claymore mine kit contains a real firing device, real test device, real wire spool and bandoleer. The mine head is simulated and houses the proximity and feedback electronics with correct form, fit, and function.
Michael Powell, product manager, STE Live Training Systems for the U.S. Army, said: “We are thrilled to quickly field these innovative training systems under the Middle-Tier Acquisition Rapid Fielding initiative to fill a long-standing training gap that persisted in live force-on-force training for these close combat weapon systems. The Serious Simulations team has been terrific to work with and is all set to deliver the cutting-edge products needed by our modern warfighters to train realistically.”
The fielded systems will produce vital training data and communicate to the training system architecture through the use of a Universal Receiver Unit (URU) attached to individuals and vehicles. This small and unobtrusive device processes signal data and reports its “damage” results in real time to the Synthetic Training Environment, and it can also operate in legacy systems using MILES or ULEIS architectures.
Christopher Chambers, founder and CEO of Serious Simulations, is excited about the production contract, saying: “This contract represents the recognition of our company’s history of innovation and problem solving to develop high-tech solutions for historic training gaps. It enables us to build our Veteran-Owned Small Business’s capabilities and achieve higher volume production and fielding of hardware to the military. We also expect to grow the reach of our Proximity technology to benefit other training devices such as sUAS’s, IED’s, anti-tank and anti-personnel mines.”
Initial production is intended for the Combat Training Centers at Fort Johnson, LA and Fort Irwin, CA. Successful performance in these installations could lead to fielding in other CTCs and installations for home station training.
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For more information media should contact –
Christopher Chambers, Serious Simulations, 407-538-1927, cchambers@serioussimulations.com
About Serious Simulations: Serious Simulations LLC, an Orlando-based Veteran Owned simulation business, innovates and designs immersive training systems with custom-made hardware and software components for specific skill training needs, often combined with motion or position tracking systems, wireless communications devices, wireless display technologies and commercial game engines. The company has unique and patented technologies to enable customers to integrate real devices and real weapons for simulation and live training. Serious Simulations is a Prime Contractor for U.S. Army STE Live Training Systems (STE LTS) and has performed other subcontracts under STE LTS and STE Soldier Virtual Trainer (STE SVT). The company is a graduate of the UCF Business Incubation Program. For more information, visit our website at www.serioussimulations.com . Inquiries: info@serioussimulations.com.
