Team CESI to Lead the Reconfigurable Virtual Collective Trainer Production Award
ORLANDO, Fla., May 3, 2023 — Cole Engineering Services, Inc. (CESI), a By Light Company, has been awarded the $500M Reconfigurable Virtual Collective Trainer (RVCT) Production Other Transaction Authority (OTA) award. The program originated in June 2019 with initial concept demonstrations, followed by a formal prototyping phase that included soldier evaluation to refine the fidelity and capability of the initial 19 Army ground and air platforms. The rapid fielding production phase of the RVCT program will begin deployment of the reconfigurable platforms at 14 sites over the next three to five years.
The RVCT includes aviation platforms (RVCT-A), ground platforms (RVCT-G), dismounted infantry collective maneuver training, collective gunnery training, and mission rehearsal capability. The RVCT is a mobile, transportable, modular, and scalable training capability with the minimum hardware necessary to represent form, fit, and function for Soldiers to execute collective tasks. RVCT is the first major production effort being fielded out of the Army’s Synthetic Training Environment (STE) modernization priority.
“Team CESI continues to take great pride in developing and delivering systems that are easy for our Soldiers to use, and RVCT has been a tremendous example of working collaboratively with our stakeholders,” said Devin Lyders, CESI Senior Vice President, Advanced Training Systems. “We place the Soldier at the center of modernization by conducting multiple formal Soldier Touch Points and more than 100 informal feedback sessions with the direct platform experts, enabling us to find the sweet spot of fidelity with virtualization, form/fit/function, and training realism.”
Team CESI’s RVCT solution is built upon a modular hardware architecture, which allows RVCT to replicate U.S. Army ground and air vehicles through common configuration items. The combination of high-fidelity physical and virtual control interfaces utilizes real-world system hardware and immerses the Soldier via Virtual and Augmented Reality through the Synthetic Training Environment-Information System (STE-IS) software.
“The collective efforts of RVCT stakeholders over the past few years to continue iteratively improving the platforms has been nothing less than a true collaboration success story,” said Eric Carr, CESI’s Program Director. “Thanks to the combined agile efforts of the Government, our industry partners, and the CESI/By Light team, we are able to deliver nextgeneration immersive virtual training platforms that replicate platform fidelity while delivering realistic collective unit training and mission rehearsal that simulates the complex challenges of the future operational environment.”
Production of the RVCT systems is taking place at By Light’s 125,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Port Orange, FL. Team CESI consists of a robust group of subcontractors and suppliers comprised of nearly 150 teammates and partners who will support the fabrication, integration, and deployment of the RVCT systems.
“Our entire Team is honored to be chosen to field this critical mission-training capability for the United States Army,” said Bob Donahue, Founder and CEO of By Light, “and we look forward to continuing to support the achievement of the Army’s vision for the greater Synthetic Training Environment.”
About CESI
Since 2004, Cole Engineering Services, Inc. (CESI), a By Light Company, has been at the forefront of developing, maintaining, and integrating simulation-based training, serious gaming, technical services, training, and other support in live, virtual, constructive, and gaming (LVCG) domains. CESI also designs, builds, and runs infrastructure, platforms, applications, and processes that enable cyber training for the integrated multi-domain force. Our vision is to become a worldwide full spectrum LVCG and cyber training/analysis developer, integrator, and services provider.
About By Light
By Light Professional IT Services LLC, headquartered in McLean, VA, is an ISO 9001, 20000-1, and 27001 registered and CMMI-Dev Level 3 rated systems integrator that provides secure, turnkey systems by incorporating exceptional engineering, project management, telecommunications, and cyber capabilities to safeguard mission success. Founded by industry professionals with extensive knowledge in the DoD, DISA, and other U.S. Government agencies, By Light successfully implements technical solutions that integrate commercial best practices to meet the needs of government. For more information, visit www.bylight.com.
Contact
Brian Serra, Vice President Acquisition Initiatives & Engagement
Cole Engineering Services, Inc.
+1-321-247-2177
[email protected]