Germany to Modernize Army Combat Training Center With $70M Rheinmetall Upgrade

Germany is moving ahead with a major digital overhaul of its Army Combat Training Center, awarding Rheinmetall a €61 million ($70.4 million) contract to upgrade the facility for fully networked, modern land-warfare training.

Work begins in 2025, with full integration planned by early 2028.

The modernization effort is part of the Bundeswehr’s broader “Digitalisation of Land-based Operations” (D-LBO) program. The project will connect the training center directly to the army’s battle management system, introduce a new digital radio architecture, deploy a 5G broadband network, and integrate advanced communications software to provide seamless data flow across all training elements.

Located in the Altmark region of Saxony-Anhalt, the center will become a core node for combined German-NATO training, giving allied units a shared environment to rehearse large-scale operations with real-time digital connectivity.

Digital Training Backbone

The upgrade introduces a unified digital radio system and a significantly expanded communications backbone across the site. All battle management system data will be visible from the command post, improving leaders’ ability to track unit actions and make immediate assessments during complex scenarios.

Rheinmetall will deploy a 5G-based broadband network and integrate Tactical Core — a communications platform developed by its subsidiary Blackned — into the existing infrastructure.

The training center’s software, which currently tracks troop movement and language settings, will receive new data-ingestion capabilities. It will pull in digital command data from the Bundeswehr’s Sitaware Frontline and Sitaware HQ systems, giving instructors a detailed picture of command decisions, information flow, and tactical behavior.

Part of a Larger Digitization Push

The award follows a separate Rheinmetall contract worth up to $3.2 billion, announced for 2025, to supply next-generation soldier systems as Germany accelerates digitalization across its land forces.

Together, these efforts signal the Bundeswehr’s intent to build a force capable of fully networked, coalition-ready operations — with the Altmark Combat Training Center emerging as a central hub for Germany’s future land-warfare doctrine.