Bohemia Interactive Simulations (BISim), a wholly owned subsidiary of BAE Systems, has been awarded a contract to support the Royal Australian Navy’s (RAN) Hunter Class Frigate Program, providing its Virtual Battlespace (VBS) software as the synthetic test environment for the Land-Based Test Site (LBTS).
“Every modern ship class requires a way to validate system integration and performance before deployment,” Managing Director of the Australian branch of BISim, Ryan Stephenson, said.
“The synthetic test environment powered by VBS provides that capability safely, efficiently, and cost-effectively. As the first Hunter class frigate approaches delivery in 2032, BISim’s synthetic environment will help ensure the Royal Australian Navy’s most advanced surface combatants are equipped with fully integrated, battle-ready systems from the outset.”
Under the contract, BISim’s Virtual Battlespace (VBS) software will serve as the core simulation platform at the program’s LBTS. This digital environment will be used to verify the integration, interoperability, and performance of the frigates’ systems prior to installation aboard the ships.
BISim’s VBS software will create a unified, real-time simulation environment that allows various combat and navigation systems — typically developed independently — to interact as they would aboard an operational vessel.
The software will enable data-level interaction, including ship movement, sensor inputs, targeting data, and command decisions, providing an alleged realistic operational testbed.
Beyond system integration testing, VBS has also supported training, mission planning, and rehearsal. Once validated, the same synthetic foundation can be adapted for part-task training on remote weapon stations, uncrewed aerial vehicle operations, Phalanx CIWS, and small boat handling.