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.
Serious Simulations Wraps Up a Successful ITEC 2026
Serious Simulations has concluded an outstanding week at ITEC 2026, held April 14–16 at the ExCeL Centre in London. Exhibiting in the Dual Tech Zone, Booth NC‑16, our team showcased the latest advancements in proximity‑based live training technologies, drawing strong interest from military, government, and industry professionals.
A major highlight of the event was a live demonstration by our Founder and CEO,Christopher Chambers, on the Dual Tech Stage at 11:40 on April 16. His presentation of our intelligent Sim Grenades™ provided attendees with an up‑close look at the realism, safety, and training value our patented systems bring to modern warfighter readiness.
We were also proud to have Michael Burroughs, Director of Technology, on site throughout the show. Michael delivered exceptional demonstrations, engaged with attendees, and supported every aspect of our presence at ITEC. His expertise and hands‑on leadership were instrumental in making this year’s event a success.
We’re grateful to everyone who visited our booth, attended the live demonstration, and connected with our team. The conversations, collaborations, and momentum from this year’s ITEC made it one of our most impactful showings yet.
Serious Simulations looks forward to building on these relationships and continuing to advance the future of live training technology.
Serious Simulations proudly completed its first year exhibiting at the Enforce Tac 2026 show in Nuremberg, Germany, held February 24–26. Our team showcased our advanced proximity‑based training technologies, including our intelligent Sim Grenades™ and Sim Mines™, which drew strong interest from military professionals across Germany and Europe. The enthusiasm for our products was unmistakable, and the conversations we had throughout the event reinforced the growing international demand for high‑fidelity, safe, and realistic training tools. Based on the success of this year’s show, we fully intend to return for Enforce Tac 2027. Serious Simulations continues to expand its global footprint, bringing next‑generation live‑training solutions to warfighters and security forces worldwide.
Recent Comments