German Rheinmetall Group Signed Contract with Russian DoD for Training

German Rheinmetall Group has signed a contract with the Russian Defense Department to build a major Army training center in Mulino by 2014. Upon completion, the facility in the Volga region will be able to train 30,000 troops a year, the company announced Nov. 24. The Düsseldorf-based company entered into a strategic partnership with Russian company JSCo Oboronservis, which will be the general contractor for the deal and subsequently operate the facility on behalf of the Russian armed forces. Rheinmetall Group expects the deal to generate revenue of more than 100 million euros ($133.6 million), including further options. The simulation-supported training center in Mulino would be the most advanced system of its kind worldwide, Rheinmetall Group said in its statement. The facility will be modeled on the Bundeswehr's Army training center, which the group operates in eastern Germany. Without giving any further details, Rheinmetall also announced that another customer from the Middle East had placed an order for a comparable facility in 2009. At 500 square kilometers, the center will be designed to train a reinforced mechanized infantry or armored brigade. A rotation principle will enable the training to take place simultaneously at a variety of stations. The activities of each participant will be tracked and recorded by the training system to help ensure success throughout a training process lasting several weeks.