Rheinmetall and Finnish military-grade mixed reality specialist Varjo announced a strategic collaboration on 25 November 2025 to integrate Varjo’s technology into Rheinmetall’s deployable virtual land training systems, addressing the urgent need to scale training capacity across Europe and NATO.
The partnership will entail equipping Rheinmetall’s modular driving and weapon simulation systems with Varjo XR-4 Series headsets, enabling forces to train more troops in more locations, at a pace that matches current security demands.
Varjo’s XR-4 Series headsets deliver high-resolution visual fidelity, realistic passthrough vision, and advanced eye tracking capabilities for training across land, air, and sea platforms. Instructors can assess how trainees interact with instruments, maintain situational awareness and perform under simulated operational stress, creating a detailed performance picture that supports faster skill development.
“Nations need to strengthen their defence capabilities faster than ever before, and training is at the heart of that mission,” Bartek Panasewicz, vice president for Training Systems Land at Rheinmetall Electronics, was quoted as saying in a company press release. “Mixed reality gives us the flexibility to train large numbers of soldiers where they are needed, without compromising on the quality or realism of the experience. Varjo’s industry-leading XR technology, combined with Rheinmetall’s top-of-the-line simulators, allows soldiers to scale realistic, high-fidelity training anywhere from central bases to temporary training sites. We are proud to partner with Varjo in accelerating NATO’s defence readiness.”
“Mixed reality provides a new edge for land training, accelerating preparedness at a fraction of the cost compared to traditional training methods,” added Valentin Storz, chief revenue officer at Varjo. “By combining Rheinmetall’s high-fidelity simulators and our XR technology, forces can train with speed, mobility, and realism that matches today’s operational demands.”
The ability to deploy training systems to different locations and reconfigure them quickly has become critical. Rheinmetall’s driving simulators, for example, can be transported and set up in the field, with cockpit inserts swapped in minutes to replicate different vehicles. With the integration of Varjo’s mixed reality, physical and synthetic elements can be combined seamlessly in a single training environment. Crews can then operate with real hardware while immersed in realistic virtual terrains, replicating the conditions they will face in operations. This enables achieving the level of immersion required for effective operational training without relying on large, fixed-site simulators.
