Germany is undertaking a major technological overhaul of its Army Combat Training Center to support sophisticated digital training for modern land operations. To enable this transformation, the Bundeswehr has signed a 61-million-euro ($70.4 million) agreement with Rheinmetall, which will begin installing new digital capabilities at the facility in 2025. Full integration of these systems is expected by early 2028. The upgrade is part of the Bundeswehr’s “Digitalisation of Land-based Operations” (D-LBO) program. Under this initiative, the training center will be connected to the army’s battle management system and fitted with several advanced technologies, including a digital radio infrastructure, a robust 5G network, and enhanced communications software designed to boost connectivity and data flow across training events. This modernization will significantly enhance multinational training opportunities with NATO partners, establishing an advanced environment for combined leadership development and interoperability in Saxony-Anhalt’s Altmark region. Key elements include integrating a new digital radio system and expanding the current communications network to manage larger volumes of real-time data. During exercises, the command post will gain access to comprehensive battle management data, providing deeper situational awareness and improved coordination. Rheinmetall will install a 5G-powered broadband network and incorporate Tactical Core—the communications software produced by its subsidiary Blackned—into the upgraded system. The training center’s software suite currently tracks troop locations and language preferences. With the enhancements, it will also import command-and-control information from the Bundeswehr’s Sitaware Frontline and Sitaware HQ platforms. This expanded data integration will offer instructors a more detailed understanding of unit behavior, communication patterns, and operational decisions, resulting in clearer and more thorough training assessments. Complementing this modernization effort, Rheinmetall was also awarded a separate contract valued at up to $3.2 billion to provide soldier systems beginning in February 2025, marking another major step toward the digitalization of Germany’s ground forces.
