Cubic Corp.’s [CUB] Defense Systems unit April 29 said it was awarded a three-year, $35 million contract for support and repair of the Area Weapons Effects Simulator (AWES) system at the Salisbury Plain Training Area (SPTA) in the United Kingdom and the British Army Training Unit Suffield (BATUS) in Alberta, Canada.

“We are very pleased to receive this continuing work.  Our U.K. customer is very important to us, and this award extends the work we have accomplished together to effectively advance the training experience,” said Dave Schmitz, president of Cubic Defense Systems.

AWES and its integrated Tactical Engagement Simulation (TES) system simulates large-scale force-on-force combat exercises, including the effects of direct fire, artillery, mortar fire, mines and air-delivered munitions as well as nuclear, biological and chemical weapons.

AWES also tracks and monitors the actions and positions of more than 1,200 individual soldiers and 250 vehicles using GPS technology, records “hits,” “kills” and “misses” of small-arms fire with Cubic’s Multiple Integrated Laser Engagement System (MILES) technology, and recreates combat exercises for post-mission analysis.

Cubic developed and installed the AWES system under a contract awarded in 1998. Installation work was completed at the 150-square mile Salisbury Plain training area in late 2002 and the following year at BATUS, a sprawling 1,100-square-mile training area that the British Army leases from the Canadian government for combat exercises.