The Norwegian Armed Forces have selected an enterprise licence upgrade to BAE Systems OneArc’s VBS4 virtual training and mission rehearsal environment, under a four-year multi-year agreement that also includes VBS Builder Edition, Blue IG rendering software, ongoing software support and comprehensive training services, according to BAE Systems.
The upgrade builds on Norway’s long-standing use of OneArc products and is designed to significantly expand the use of virtual simulation for training, course of action development, operational mission rehearsal and strategic force design. VBS4 is deployed by more than 60 nations across NATO and is described by the company as its flagship virtual training environment.
Rahul C. Thakkar, president of OneArc, said the upgrade marked “a major evolution in the Norwegian Armed Forces’ virtual training ecosystem” and that VBS4 delivered “a new level of realism and flexibility, empowering soldiers and commanders to prepare for modern operational challenges across fully integrated land, sea, and air environments.”
The agreement also advances the Nordic Defence Cooperation’s Vision 2030, with BAE Systems saying it would help Norway strengthen interoperability and conduct advanced virtual training alongside Sweden, Finland, Denmark and other regional partners already using OneArc technologies. Combined with OneArc’s Mantle terrain technology, Blue IG high-fidelity rendering and TerraTools terrain generation pipelines, the enterprise licence is designed to ensure long-term flexibility, scalability and interoperability across Norway’s training infrastructure.
BAE Systems described virtual simulation as a proven force multiplier, improving proficiency, reducing cost and enabling safe, repeatable training at scale, and said the four-year framework provided a comprehensive, low-risk, future-ready virtual training capability designed to meet the current and emerging needs of the Norwegian Armed Forces.
