The Army of the Czech Republic awarded a contract to U.S.-based Fidelity Technologies Corporation to produce an Artillery Training Simulator System (ATSSCz) under the U.S. Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program.
The ATSSCz is based on the same simulation technology Fidelity uses under contract to the United States Army to produce the GUARDFIST II simulation trainer for forward observers. The ATSSCz will contain all of the field artillery “call-for-fire” protocols contained within the GUARDFIST database. In addition, the ATSSCz will be customized to reflect terrains and military chains of command unique to the Czech Republic.
The ATSSCz contract was initiated by a visit in March last year to the FIDELITY facility by Czech Ambassador Alexandr Vondra and Col. Wellsford V. Barlow, Jr., project manager for the United States Army Simulation, Training, and Instrumentation Command Division (STRICOM) U.S. Congressman Timothy Holden provided advice and guidance to Fidelity during contract negotiations. The contract is projected to be worth $2.4 million.
Fidelity’s vice president of marketing, Albert Jodzio, said “the ATSSCz contract is unique in that it demonstrates the cooperation that exists between Fidelity, the U.S. Army, the Czech Army, and companies in the Czech Republic.” Fidelity plans to perform a substantial amount of the work in the U.S., but will subcontract a portion of the project to Czech companies.