Serious Simulations was recently highlighted on FOX 35 Orlando, where Founder & CEO Christopher Chambers was interviewed about the company’s advanced military training technologies and the growing demand for high‑fidelity, proximity‑based training systems.
During the segment, Chambers discussed how Serious Simulations’ patented innovations are helping improve realism, safety, and readiness for today’s warfighters. The feature showcased the company’s commitment to delivering cutting‑edge solutions that support U.S. and allied military training requirements.
Serious Simulations, LLC is pleased to share a recent LinkedIn post from the U.S. Army CPE STE3 highlighting our work in developing the training model for the new M111 hand grenade.
In their announcement, the Army emphasized the critical importance of ensuring that training weapons match operational weapons, enabling Soldiers to prepare realistically for the demands of combat. When new capabilities like the M111 are introduced, the Army must ensure that training systems evolve in parallel — without delay or capability gaps.
To support this requirement, the Army’s Live Training Systems (LTS) program amended an existing contract with Serious Simulations to rapidly develop the M111 training model. According to the Army’s post, the first LTS M111 product test is scheduled for an engineering touchpoint in April, with Soldier feedback expected as early as June.
We are proud to support the Army’s modernization priorities and to contribute to the readiness of Soldiers across the force.
LONDON — A Florida small business has landed a $21 million contract with the Army to provide it with a family of simulated proximity explosive weapons such as hand grenades and Claymore mines.
Even though grenades have existed in one form or another for centuries, the service previously had no way to safely replicate their use in live force-on-force training, said Christopher Chambers, founder and CEO of Oviedo, Florida-based Serious Simulations.
At the National Training Center, “the official grenade is a [Meal, Ready-to-Eat] bag partially filled with sand, rolled up, taped and they put a chem light on,” he said in an interview on the sidelines of the ITEC conference in London on April 15.
That might be a good way to repurpose the plastic MRE containers, but the most advanced military in the world had nothing to simulate a grenade in live training.
The Army recently awarded Serious Simulations a $21 million production contract for 30,000 units from its family of products that simulate grenades and other proximity weapons such as Claymore mines, shoulder-fired weapons and one-way attack drones.
The Army initially did not have a requirement for simulated proximity weapons, but once it learned about the company’s concept, it kicked off two and a half years of testing and refinement, Chambers said.
As for the grenades, there are two types. One can be used for force-on-force training. It has a rubber coating for safety and weighs a few ounces less than a real grenade. The other has the exact weight and look of a real grenade that can be used on ranges where they’re not being tossed at other soldiers.
Both, when activated, emit signals that can determine whether the intended victim or target was wounded or killed.
The signal calculates the damage based not only on how close the simulated explosion was to the victim, but also their surroundings. For example, it can tell whether the targeted person was standing behind a brick wall, a bush, or something as flimsy as drywall.
After detonating, it has a flash and emits an explosion sound to let trainees know it went off near them. It can communicate to the vest commonly used in training that tells its wearer whether they have been killed or wounded and are out of the exercise. It also transmits the data to an organizer’s tablet so they can gather information on accuracy and provide feedback, Chambers said.
The second version has the exact look and weight of a real grenade and can be used anywhere for practicing throws. Currently, practice tosses must be done on a range with restrictions, but with the Serious Simulations grenade, the user can set up a dummy or any target in any open field. It comes with a speaker to simulate the explosion and also provides data to the trainers on the thrower’s accuracy, Chambers said.
Throwing a grenade takes a lot of training, and soldiers usually only throw one live grenade during basic training. It’s a nerve-wracking experience holding a live explosive in a hand, he said.
“They do one in basic training. The second time they pull a pin shouldn’t be in combat seven years later,” he said.
CLARIFICATION: A previous version of this story did not initially make clear that previous practice grenades currently used cannot be thrown at participants during live training.
This annual event brings together National Guard leadership, industry partners, and defense innovators to address modernization priorities, emerging capability needs, and the future of readiness across all 54 states, territories, and the District of Columbia.
As a Veteran‑Owned Small Business, Serious Simulations will showcase our latest advancements in high‑fidelity simulators, patented weapon‑mounted training systems, and proximity‑based live‑training devices designed to improve realism, safety, and operational performance for today’s warfighters.
We invite all NGAUS attendees to visit us at Booth 1535 to explore our newest technologies and discuss how our solutions can support evolving National Guard training requirements.
Visit our booth #329 at I/ITSEC 2026, happening 30 November – 3 December in Orlando, FL, exploring the theme “Beyond the Battlefield: Training Readiness and Lethality for All-Domain Dominance!”
Serious Simulations is gearing up for TSIS 2026, taking place June 17 – 18 at the Rosen Centre Hotel in Orlando. We’re proud to be attending again this year as a Veteran-Owned-Small-Business and one of the prime contractors on the U.S. Army’sSTE LTS program. Our team looks forward to connecting with program managers, procurement officials, and industry partners to support the evolving needs of the warfighter. If you’ll be at TSIS, we’d be glad to meet you atBooth 4.
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